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How Can Vitamins Boost Your Cognitive Functioning?


— July 26, 2018

Vitamins are a treasure given to us by nature. The tiny nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, meats and other food resources are essential to the human body.


Vitamins are a treasure given to us by nature. The tiny nutrients found in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, meats and other food resources are essential to the human body. The human body is incapable of producing vitamins on its own, the only way to consume them is through ingestion.

Consuming foods rich in vitamins or multivitamin pills can both be beneficial for you. Vitamins provide a wide array of advantages to the entire body. Out of the all the parts of the human anatomy, from nerves, heart, digestive tract and skin, vitamins affect the human brain the most!

The mind is, in reality, a supercomputer that controls the entire body. It consumes up to 20% of all the energy produced by the body. It is an organ that weighs not more than 2 pounds but is responsible for all of your cognitive functions, reflex actions, voluntary and involuntary systems that connect with each other through the labyrinthine network of synaptic connections throughout the body.

Cognitive functions refer to all the activity sparked within the brain to attain knowledge. Language and speech, memory and reasoning skills and every other task that takes place within the cerebral cortex of the brain, sums into cognition. Which in turn is mainly dependent on the functions of the hippocampus and amygdala, the mood center of the brain. To keep your mind running in its optimal efficiency, it is necessary for you to maintain your health, your mood and also your diet.

Regular consumption of brain-boosting vitamins is mandatory. Each vitamin has a separate use. While vitamin B is essential for the health of your nerves, vitamin D helps prevent age-related neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. Dementia is a term that is used for a large number of cognitive impairments caused by the deposits of plaque within the brain.

The most common form of dementia is the infamous Alzheimer’s. Loss of memory, speech impairments, and difficulty in reasoning are the familiar aftermath of this devastating disease. Take this online Alzheimers test now to know more.

Vitamins are a collection of organic compounds that provide essential nutrients to the body, the specific nutrients which cannot be synthesized on their own. With enough reiteration on the importance of vitamins for the brain, here is a basic rundown on how vitamins boost your cognitive functioning.

Vitamin B

Vitamin B is the vitamin of excellence for the brain. All of its different forms are necessary for the brain. Sufficient amounts of vitamin B6 in the diet boosts memory and sharpens the mind simultaneously. It regulates the flow of blood within the brain and keeps your energy levels high. This also helps your mood and keeps depression at bay.

On the other hand, vitamin B12 is responsible for the production of the myelin sheath around the nerves. The deficiency of this essential vitamin leads to severe pain and neuropathy, a reason why vegetarians and vegans often get sick.

Beriberi is a deficiency of thiamine, a form of vitamin B. It results in negative moods and depression. Sufficient amounts of B1 keep the body energized and prevent memory loss. It enhances cognitive efficiency and benefits people with dementia.

This vitamin of astounding benefits is found in bananas, spinach, eggs, and cheese.

Vitamin C

A vast majority of the population suffers from the deficiency of vitamin C. It is mainly found as ascorbate in the brain and has a lot of benefits. It is a powerful antioxidant which is exceptionally beneficial for cognitive functions. Highly concentrated forms of ascorbate are found in the brain and neuroendocrine tissues because most of the energy in the body is utilized here.

Ascorbate regulates a fair amount of neurochemicals. A brain that functions appropriately needs high amounts of vitamin C to improve cognition. Oxidation in the brain handles memory, reasoning and also diverts attention. It is deemed necessary for people with diseases such as dementia to consume a diet rich in vitamin C to prevent further damage.

If you find someone around you undergoing any symptoms of neurodegeneration, ask them to try Braintest at the earliest to find out for sure.

The best sources of this brilliant vitamin are all types of berries, mangoes, cantaloupes, pineapples and also tomatoes.

Woman standing in sunshine; image by Victor Freitas, via Pexels, CC0.
Woman standing in sunshine; image by Victor Freitas, via Pexels, CC0.

Vitamin D

It is a well-known phenomenon that vitamin D is great for your bones. What is not commonly known is the benefit of this vitamin to your brain. Vitamin D supplementation has proven to improve the growth of nerves. Stronger nerve connections within the brain enhance cognitive functions.

It has the potential to prevent, and in some cases, reverse the effects of dementia and Alzheimers. Replacing a glass of milk with 30 minutes of outdoor activity under the sun provides you with sufficient vitamin D for the day and prevents the risk of heart disease.

The color of your skin, the location where you live and your exposure to sunscreens impact your absorption of this vital vitamin.

Vitamin E

This vitamin protects the function centers of the brain. Its potent antioxidant properties are well known. This nutrient improves the brain’s ability to produce more lucid thoughts. It helps reduce stress and relieves the mind of anxiety. It boosts and regulates energy throughout the entire body.

Found mostly in fats, it is often deficient in people following extreme diets. The vitamin is mainly found in sunflower seeds, eggs, avocado, green vegetables and sweet potatoes.

Final Thoughts

Every vitamin is essential to your brain. To regulate cognition and brain health, you need to pay attention to your diet. However, the consumption of vitamins is not the only thing you need to be mindful of. Your lifestyle has a more significant role than you’d like to consider. People with isolating desk jobs are more likely to undergo neurodegeneration as compared to people with jobs that involve social interaction such as teachers and doctors.

So be careful and wise about what you eat and do. Your choices today will ultimately decide your future health.

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