Essential Vitamins for Brain Health

Apart from body development, vitamins play a critical role in maintaining proper brain functioning.

Brain health is a priority, and it demands an appropriate amount of nutrients like any other organ. Specific vitamins are necessary to keep brain performance at its best.

Let us find out these essential vitamins for brain health, their importance and their sources.

Our body demands vitamins in different amounts for different roles. While some regulate bone mineral density, ensure effective vision, and maintain healthy skin, others are essential for brain development. Keep reading to find out which vitamin is good for brain health.

1. Vitamin E

This vitamin protects cell membranes, DNA, and body proteins from getting oxidised. It reduces the brain’s oxidative stress due to free radicals, which increases with ageing and leads to cognitive decline.

A 2014 study in the journal JAMA states that an adequate amount of vitamin E may help people fight mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

Sources of Vitamin E

• Wheat germ oil (1 tablespoon = 20 mg and 135% daily value)
• Sunflower seeds (1 ounce = 10 mg and 66% daily value)
• Almonds (1 ounce = 7.3 mg and 48% daily value)
• Hazelnut oil (1 tablespoon = 604 mg and 43% daily value)
• Mamey sapote (Half fruit = 5.9 mg and 39% daily value) 

Diseases Due to Deficiency

Diets deficient in vitamin E lead to Alzheimer's disease.

2. B Vitamins

There are mainly 3 B vitamins for brain health - B12, B9 and B3. They boost the production of neurotransmitters responsible for communication between neurons. This, in turn, ensures efficient bodily functions, including hormone regulation, metabolism, and other organs’ functions. 

If you wonder which vitamin is the best for brain health, the answer is B vitamins.

• B12

Sources of Vitamin B12

• Whole baby clams (3.5 ounces = 99 mcg and 4,120% daily value)
• Beef (100 grams = 5.9 mcg and 245 daily value)
• Tuna (3.5 ounces = 10.9 mcg and 435% daily value)
• Trout (305 ounces = 7.5 mcg and 312% daily value)
• Sardine (1 cup drained = 554% daily value) etc.

Diseases Due to Deficiency

Spinal cord degeneration, peripheral neuropathy and alteration of mental state are some of the nervous disorders due to the lack of one of the best brain-boosting vitamins.

• B9

Sources of Vitamin B9

• Kidney beans (1 cup cooked = 131 mcg and 33% daily value)
• Asparagus (Half cup cooked = 134 mcg and 34% daily value)
• Eggs (1 egg = 22 mcg and 6% daily value)
• Spinach (1 cup raw = 58.2 mcg and 15% daily value)
• Beet (1 cup raw = 148 mcg and 37% daily value) etc.

Diseases Due to Deficiency

Vitamin B9 or folate deficiency hampers the production of red blood cells, leading to megaloblastic anaemia. In such cases, the red blood cells remain under-developed yet large, failing to maintain blood flow to the brain. It also hinders oxygen circulation throughout your body.

• B3

Sources of Vitamin B3

• Chicken breasts (3 ounces cooked = 11.4 mg and 71% to 81% daily value)
• Turkey (3 ounces cooked = 6.3 mg and 46% to 52% daily value) 

Diseases Due to Deficiency

Lack of B3 vitamin causes dementia. It is a group of brain symptoms that affects memory, cognitive functioning, and social skills.

3. Vitamin C

If you are thinking about which vitamin increases brain power, it is vitamin C.

This vitamin significantly modulates neurotransmitter synthesis. While converting dopamine to noradrenaline, it acts as a cofactor for dopamine beta-hydroxylase. Moreover, it also possesses antioxidant properties that control the damage due to ischaemia-reperfusion injury and protect against glutamate excitotoxicity. 

Sources of Vitamin C

• Kakadu plums (100 grams = 5,300 mg)
• Red acerola cherries (49 grams = 822 mg and 913% daily value)
• Guavas (100 grams = 228 mg and 140% daily value)
• Black currants (100 grams = 181 mg and 112% daily value)
• Kale (100 grams = 120 mg and 89% daily value) and more

Diseases Due to Deficiency

The deficiency of this vitamin impairs the brain’s cognitive function, maximises amyloid accumulation and deposition, and oxidative stress.

It is difficult to blame a single vitamin deficiency for harming human brains. All the above-mentioned vitamins for brain health are crucial for optimal brain development in some way. For instance, vitamin E is important for a child's overall brain development, while vitamin C aids in the biochemical reaction of neurotransmitters.

Other than these, some of the vitamins that increase blood flow to the brain are B vitamins. However, it is recommended to consult a professional who can advise you effectively on the required limit of each of these vitamins for brain health.

The signs of degenerative disease only appear 20 to 30 years after the first changes take place. Therefore, make it a habit to opt for periodical health check-ups to detect the deficiencies early.