We all need a little help sometimes.
We have busy lives that drain a lot of our mental strength with all sorts of factors that clutter our memory.
This can lead to many frustrating situations that either embarrass us or set our day back.
Thankfully, there are vitamin supplements that could help you with that problem…
…these supplements are natural and have little to no side effects. Besides that, they are going to enhance your memory and improve your cognitive functions.
There are a lot of people who are looking how to improve memory and focus, and turning to brain health supplements to help them through the day, and it may be time for you join them.
So, without further ado, let us take a look at 10 of the best vitamins for the brain, and how each one can help you.
Vitamin B12
This is one of multiple B vitamins that are beneficial for healthy brain function.
The vitamin is essential for energy production, red blood cell formation and much more.
The truth is that B12 might not do much for a healthy person, but there are those with B12 deficiencies who will experience a myriad of benefits from taking the supplement.
You may not know it, but vitamin B12 deficiency is quite common, and the symptoms are quite serious. The deficiency affects up to 40% of the US population and is manifested in brain fog and depression, to name just a few.
This means that you might be vitamin B12 deficient, and should ask your doctor to verify that. If you experience some of the symptoms associated with the deficiency, you can take the supplement to see if it is true.
Benefits
- Improves overall health
- Helps to prevent brain fog and memory loss
- Improves energy production
- Improves memory and focus
- Prevents vitamin B12 deficiency
- Essential in DNA reproduction
Side effects
Most people don’t notice any side effects of the supplement, but some have noted itching, swelling, headaches and other minor issues.
Huperzine A
The supplement comes from the Huperziceae herb family, and is extracted from the plant material and inserted into a capsule to create the supplement form.
It is widely considered as a nootropic and has shown impressive results in the prevention of age-related cognitive decline.
It is widely accepted as a brain power supplement, and is currently being studied for its potential to treat Alzheimer’s.
As we age, we experience an enzymatic break down of a compound called acetylcholine, which is known as the “learning neurotransmitter.”
This explains the saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
Huperzine A might just disprove that saying.
The compound helps to maintain optimal levels of acetylcholine which leads to an increase of cognitive functions.
Benefits
- Increased learning neurotransmitter levels
- Improved learning and memory ability
- Sharpens focus
- Incredible nootropic
- Safe
- Ensures long-term brain health
- Can be useful for treating Alzheimer’s
- One of the top cognition supplements
Side effects
Can cause a few side effects in some people such as vomiting, nausea, blurred vision and the like.
As long as proper dosage limits are observed then most people will not experience these side effects.
You will need to consult your doctor if you are already taking acetylcholinesterase inhibitors or cholinergic/anticholinergic drugs.
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Vitamin D
Often referred to as the sunshine vitamin, it is primarily gained through direct exposure to sunlight.
Our bodies can’t manufacture this vitamin by itself so we need to supplement it ourselves.
It is a good idea to take the supplement during the winter since we don’t get much sun exposure during this time.
Vitamin D is usually associated with bone health, but recent studies suggest that it could be linked to overall brain health.
It is also one of the 24 essential micronutrients that the body needs to function properly, so it is vital that you remember to supplement your health in this way.
Benefits
- Improved brain function
- Increased cognitive power
- Helps your immune system
- Could help prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s
- Prevents vitamin D deficiency
- Increases bone health and strength
- Can help to prevent depression and seasonal affective disorder
- A top focus and cognition supplement
Side effects
If you respect the recommended dosage limit, then you shouldn’t experience any negative side effects. If you take too little, it won’t help and if you take too much you could experience fatigue, drowsiness, headache and stomach issues.
Ginkgo biloba
This is a species of tree that is typically found in Asia, it is also one of the oldest surviving tree species.
It is a popular supplement due to its incredible cognitive and memory benefits.
People who use the supplement praise it, and describe a sharper memory and fuller cognitive functions.
It is full of flavonoids and terpenoids, which are both very strong antioxidants.
It is effective for improving memory and your overall health. Ginkgo biloba does some amazing cell repair, but is primarily known for improving your memory.
Benefits
- Contains strong antioxidants
- Helps prevent cell damage
- Strengthens your memory
- Reduces any age-related decline in your memory
- Can help enhance blood flow
- Can help to fight Alzheimer’s
- Improves mood
- Top cognitive and memory supplement
- Can help to treat ADHD
Side effects
Since it is a natural extract, the supplement does not generally have any negative side effects, although some have reported minor side effects such as dizziness, stomach aches and headaches.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that help stop cell damage in the body and mind.
Vitamins A, C and E, beta-carotene, selenium and many others all fall into the antioxidant category.
If you have a healthy diet that consists of fruit and vegetables, you should get all you need from what you eat, but taking antioxidant supplements can be beneficial.
Benefits
- Fights free radicals
- Can help to stop cell damage
- Keeps your cells healthy
- Helps your brain stay healthy
- Can slow down age-related cognitive breakdown
- Improves memory, focus and concentration
- Stops oxidant stress
- Supports overall health
Side effects
Since this is a class of substances, it can be difficult to give you a list of specific side effects since each substance will react differently with everyone.
If you are curious, you could always speak to your local doctor about the type of antioxidant you want to use.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which means that is can help prevent cell damage caused by free radicals.
Vitamin E has been known to help with overall immune support and slow down age-related cognitive decline.
It is also important to know that the best thing a vitamin E supplement does is prevent vitamin E deficiency.
If your diet consists of a lot of dark leafy greens, then you are already getting a lot of vitamin E.
In fact, you will get the bulk of your vitamin E from your diet, so you might notice a few side effects if you start taking supplements.
Benefits
- Helps to stop age-related cognitive decline in the elderly
- Stops vitamin E deficiency
- Helps to prevent cell damage
- Helps the brain and immune health
- Antioxidant properties
Side effects
Although serious side effects are rare, some people have reported a few minor side effects such as mild rashes, fatigue and nausea.
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Omega 3 fatty acids
These are some of the body’s essential fats which have amazing health benefits on almost everything in our bodies, ranging from our skin to our minds.
You can get this substance in a lot of different foods, but especially fish oil which is rich in omega 3 fatty acids.
It is a good supplement for your overall health, memory, cell regeneration and for your brain health.
The help to rebuild brain membranes, enhance new brain cell formation, and even help to reduce inflammation.
They even improve your memory, mood and a lot more.
Benefits
- Improves memory
- Maintains overall health
- Important for pregnant women
- Helps to fight Alzheimer’s and cognitive decline
- Improves brain development and maintenance
- Slows down effects of neurological aging
- Reduces brain fog and sharpens focus
- Reduces inflammation
- Helps to fight depression
- Improves concentration and focus
Side effects
Since the most common omega 3 fatty acid supplement is fish oil, we will be informing you of those effects.
Some people have experienced mild gastrointestinal issues and nausea, while many complain about disgusting breath after taking the supplement, so it might be a good idea to take the supplement with food.
Nootropics
This is a class of supplements specifically designed to enhance cognitive function.
The supplements include brain-boosting stimulants such as herbal blends and caffeine.
Nootropics are regarded as some of the best supplements to increase cognitive function and awareness.
They are designed to be an overall brain booster and people experience all sorts of benefits such as sharper focus, fuller memory and many more improvements in their cognitive functions.
It is also aimed to promote general brain health.
Benefits
- Promotes brain health
- Increases learning ability
- Slows down age-related cognitive decline
- Best focus supplement
- Can help you remain balanced and positive
- Improved cognitive function
- Sharper focus and memory
- Increases motivation and productivity
Side effects
Since nootropics have different effects on different people, it can be hard to come up with a conclusive list of side effects.
However, since nootropics contain a lot of caffeine, many people experience caffeine-related symptoms such as jitteriness.
In some rare cases, people have experienced mild gastrointestinal issues.
Choline
This supplement is commonly found in foods with certain fats and is structurally similar to vitamin B12 and even offers some of the same benefits.
It is known as one of the best brain power supplements and is important for brain development, supporting brain function and regulating your energy metabolism.
This is an important supplement for pregnant women and mothers with young children since it plays a pivotal role in foetal and early childhood brain development.
Benefits
- Helps with brain development and maintenance
- Vital for cellular function
- Helps to prevent brain function
- Improves memory and brain function
- Supports cognitive function
- Needed for hundreds of processes in the body
Side effects
The main indication that you’re taking too much choline is that you will get a headache. If you get a headache, you will need to reduce your dosage or split them up.
Otherwise, there aren’t many known side effects, although there have been some concerns about long-term usage.
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Acetyl L-Carnitine
The supplement is naturally derived from an athletic supplement made from amino acids and L-Carnitine.
Also known as ALCAR, it has been proven to show extensive benefits to an individual’s brain health.
It is known to improve mental energy, slow age-related cognitive decline and can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, which means that is can deliver various nutrients straight to the brain.
It works as an antioxidant and prevents cell damage, especially in brain cells. It is highly bioavailable and is easily absorbed by the body.
Benefits
- Improved mental energy
- Can help stop cell damage
- Stops mental fatigue
- Improved focus
- Helps prevent age-related cognitive decline
- Can help improve circulation
- Provides antioxidant protection
Side effects
Side effects are rare, but there are reports of nausea, stomach pain, diarrhoea, other mild stomach issues, headaches and difficulty sleeping.
If you are experiencing any of these side effects then you can try lowering your dosage or ingesting the supplement with one of your meals.
Conclusion
It is true that sometimes we need a little help to see through the brain fog or just enhance our shoddy memory. This is where these supplements can help you.
They are all healthy and safe to take, and in most cases, these supplements are more than just a luxury, they are a necessity.
For too long mankind has suffered from age-related cognitive decline, and many have had to battle debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
But recent studies have shown that these supplements could be the answer to getting rid of these diseases, not to mention the great strides in helping those with learning disabilities.
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