Brain - Vitamins and Supplements
With a few notable exceptions such as Vitamin D and Magnesium,
supplements have done poorly in studies on heart disease, cancer and other
conditions. The medical profession
is justified in its lack of enthusiasm as the miraculous claims and expectations have, for the most
most part, turned out to be nothing but hype. There is, however, a notable exception: the brain.
The brain is the most complex machine - nothing theological meant by that - in the universe and
is a huge energy and biochemical hog. It requires huge inflows of vitamins, nutrients and
benefits greatly from antioxidants and other phytoprotective foods.
Study after study have showed that your brain is at risk if you are low on many
key nutrients. Here are some examples:
Vitamin D. One recent study found looked at the Vitamin D levels in 3,000
middle-aged and senior European men and found that those with the highest
Vitamin D levels scored significantly better on memory, cognition and
information processing. [1][2] This is following on the coattails of recent
studies that showed that Vitamin D was a brain protector as well.
Multivitamins. See this link on
Multivitamins: The Good, the Bad and the
Ugly where I give coverage in detail.
Do you know the foods and drinks that increase erection-boosting
Nitric Oxide? Check out the
Peak Erectile Strength Diet where I show
you how to dramatically and naturally improve your erectile strength.
Vitamin E. The large third National Health and
Nutrition Examination Survey [3] showed that increased levels of Vitamin E was associated with decreased memory impairment. Several
other
studies have verifed similar results, some coupled with Vitamin C and some
without. CAUTION: I give a cautious recommendation toward taking
Vitamin E but only if you take it in the mixed tocopherol form. Vitamin E
supplements are generally composed of only the alpha tocopherol form which will lower your body's gamma
tocopherol levels. This is not something that you want to do as gamma
tocopherol is known for its unique inflammation lowering and free radical
quenching abilities.
Folic Acid/Folate. Make sure you get enough folate
in your diet. One large study [4] of the elderly showed low levels of folate
correlated with lower mental function and state. This probably has to do with
the fact that folate lowers homocysteine levels and homocysteine levels are
associated with cognitive impairment. [5] I should also mention that the folate connection was
verified in an analysis of the famed MacArthur Foundation Studies of Successful
Aging, where lower folic acid levels (and lower B6 levels as well) were
assocated with increased cognitive decline. [6]
In addition, studies have shown that
folic acid increases
(in seniors with elevated homocysteine and therefore low folate) "memory,
information processing speed and sensorimotor speed" [9] - all of which tend to
decline with age - and, on top of all that,
decreases the risk of stroke [10] and
CAUTION: There is some new evidence that too much Folic Acid can
lead to colon cancer. If you eat a healthy diet, you may
want to reconsider your need to supplement with Folic Acid. Most studies that show
a benefit of folic acid supplementation are in individuals with low folate
levels. See
this link
for details.
Vitamin C. Vit C supplementation was shown in one large scale study, the
Honolulu-Asia Aging Study, to protect against vascular and various forms of
dementia. [7] Other studies have shown that Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
protects memory as well. [8] Vitamin C supplementation should also protect your
skin. CAUTION: Take Vitamin C on either an empty stomach or with no fat in
your stomach: it can lead to increased nitrosamine production in the
stomach. In addition, take the Ester C form of Vitamin C to greatly reduce
acidity. (I also recommend reading about how Vitamin C is a proven
Cortisol-Buster.)
CAUTION: Some "brain sites" encourage you to megadose on CoQ10. This
is probably not a good idea based on the latest animal research. Do you
see the irony here? See my link on
The Potential Dangers of
Supplementation.
REFERENCES:
1)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8058183.stm
2) Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, 2009;80:722-729,
"Association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and cognitive performance in
middle-aged and older European men"
3) Am J Epidem, 1999, 150(1):27-44
4) J of Nutr,Aug 1996,(126)8:1992-1999
5) Amer J of Clin Nutr,Sep 2005,82(3):627-635
6) Am J Med,2005;118:161–7; Psychosomatic Medicine,2006,68:547-554
7) Neurology,Mar 28 2000,54(6):1265-72
8) J Am Geriatr Soc,Jun 1997,45(6):718-24
9)
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/61555.php Lancet, 2007 Jun
2, 369(9576):1876-82, "Efficacy of folic acid supplementation in stroke
prevention: a meta-analysis."
10) Lancet, 2007 Jan 20, 369(9557):208-16, "Effect of 3-year folic acid supplementation on cognitive function in older adults in the FACIT trial: a randomised, double blind, controlled trial"
