Top 4 Nutrients For Brain Power

[Randal Nelson]

The key strategy for tuning up the nervous system is to provide your
body with the nutrients it needs to make healthy nerve cells, to
protect them from damage, and to enhance their ability to carry out
their functions. The results can be astounding. You can boost your
mental alertness, increase concentration, promote learning, enhance
both short-term and long-term memory, and keep your senses sharp. Your
brain requires a constant source of high-quality nutrition. The brain
is so metabolically active that a deficiency of any of a number of
nutrients can lead to poor mental function, depression, or other
serious mental disorders. Since the neurons in your brain communicate
through neurotransmitters, you need to supply your body with the raw
materials needed to keep a constant supply of neurotransmitters
available. There are more than fifty known neurotransmitters. Some are
found only in the central nervous system, while others are active
there and elsewhere in the body. Here are some nutrients for boosting
your brain and nerve function.
1. Boost Choline Intake
Choline, a B vitamin-like substance, is a crucial ingredient in the
membranes found in every one of your cells. Dietary or supplementary
choline can boost the production of acetylcholine and thus is
important for memory, learning, and mental alertness. Rich food
sources of choline include lecithin, peanuts, wheat germ, and soy
foods. Choline is also found in good levels in Brussels sprouts,
oatmeal, soybeans, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, spinach, lettuce, and
potatoes. The best forms of choline for supplementation are
phosphatidylcholine, glycerophosphocholine, and cytosine
diphosphocholine, but supplementation is usually not necessary if you
boost dietary sources.
2. Boost Your Antioxidant Intake
Vitamins C and E are found in high levels in the brain and nervous
system. Because the brain cells are high in unsaturated fat, they are
especially vulnerable to damage by free radicals. There is mounting
scientific and clinical evidence that the higher the intake of
antioxidants over time, the better the mental function later in life.
A high intake of these nutrients is also associated with a
significantly lower risk for both Alzhemier's and Parkinson's disease.
Taking 500 to 1,500 mg of vitamin C and 400 to 800 IU of vitamin E is
recommended.
3. Balance Your Electrolytes
The ability of a nerve to fire depends on the presence of electrolytes
- minerals such as potassium, sodium, chloride, and magnesium
dissolved in water. They are termed electrolytes to signify their
critical role in conducting electricity in the human body. If you have
too much sodium and too little potassium in your diet, the imbalance
can slow down the ability of neurons to conduct signals. Boosting
potassium and magnesium while restricting sodium intake is a very
important dietary recommendation for tuning up brain and nervous
system function. Eating more whole, unprocessed foods and avoiding
high-salt processed foods and table salt is all that is needed for
most people to get their potassium and sodium in balance.
4. Take B Vitamins
These vitamins are crucial for brain and nerve function. B1 and B2
help control the use of glucose by neurons. They also help your body
make fatty acids needed to preserve the integrity of nerve cell
membranes. Along with vitamin B5, they are important for making
acetylcholine and thus for helping memory function. Vitamin B2
(niacin) is vital for proper mental function. People who suffer from
niacin deficiency often exhibit signs of dementia. Vitamin B6
(pyridoxine) acts like a biological shuttle service, ferrying amino
acids into the brain for its use in making neurotransmitters. Lack of
B6 can cause abnormal brain wave patterns and a decrease in nervous
system activity. Vitamin of B12 helps your brain make use of
carbohydrates and proteins. It is also vital for producing the myelin
sheath that protects the axons of your nerve cells. Folic acid works
as a partner with vitamin B12 in many biochemical processes in the
brain, including the manufacture of neurotransmitters like serotonin
and dopamine. Impaired mental acuity (or dementia) and depression are
common symptoms of folic acid or B12 deficiency. Deficiencies of these
nutrients are common, especially in elderly subjects, and are an often
overlooked cause of dementia and depression.