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Health Made Easy with Dr. Jason Jones


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Oct 13, 2020

5 Vitamins and Supplements that Support Brain Function and Regeneration – Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City, NC, Chiropractor

The brain directs the whole activities of the body, and it is important to pay attention to what helps your brain work optimally. A good way to support your brain functioning and regeneration is to ensure you stay hydrated, get the right nutrition, limit unhealthy habits, like smoking and consuming too much alcohol.

However, your diet may not contain all the necessary nutrients that are needed by the brain. That’s why it is good to support your brain health by taking the right vitamins and supplements to help it get the nutrients it needs to function properly and regenerate.

Poor nutrition can cause reduced ability to focus, a failing memory, declining cognitive functioning, and uneven moods. You may even be setting yourself up for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.

So to avoid poor brain health, you need to get enough nutrients including vitamins and supplements that support brain function and regeneration.

Check out these great brain health supplements and vitamins:

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a supplement that supports brain function. This antioxidant helps to reduce oxidative stress, and studies have linked this supplement with reduced risk of stroke, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

However, you need to take vitamin E in a moderate proportion. This way, it helps people living with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s dementia to continue with their normal life functions for a short period.

But note that a high amount of vitamin E has been shown to increase the risk of hemorrhagic stroke.  Keep intake to no more than 400IU’s per day unless direct doctor supervision.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C cannot be produced by the body, so you can obtain them from dietary sources or in form of supplements. This water-soluble vitamin plays a vital role in brain health. It supports neurodevelopment, antioxidant function, and neurotransmitter function.

Studies have found a link between vitamin C levels and cognitive performance. A comparison between healthy and cognitively impaired individuals showed that healthy individuals contain high blood concentrations of Vitamin C.

B Vitamins

B vitamins contribute largely to brain health. These eight water-soluble vitamins support reactions involved in the synthesis and repair of DNA and RNA, energy production, and production of chemicals and molecules used by the nervous system.

Studies found that taking B vitamins, including B6, b9, and B12 for at least three months helped to improve episodic memory in people living with dementia.

That’s more reason why research suggests supplementing with a B-complex supplement for individuals deficient in one or more of the B vitamins. This works better for brain health than using isolated vitamin supplements.

Beta-carotene

Beta carotene is found in a variety of vegetables and fruits, and it is a precursor to vitamin A in the body.  

One study observed the effect of long-term supplementation with beta-carotene in males over 65 years of age. The result showed that long-term supplementation resulted in a significantly higher global score compared to the placebo group.

The global score in the study measured verbal memory, general cognition, and the ability to list categorized words.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin present in foods as phylloquinone (K1). It helps activate certain proteins associated with the survival of nerve cells.

If you have a low amount of this vitamin in your body, it can lead to low behavioral and cognitive performance. But higher levels have been associated with greater verbal episodic memory.

Some studies also show that vitamin K may help protect against oxidative stress and inflammation, which are mainly implicated in neurodegeneration.

Note that it is important to speak with your doctor before starting any supplement regimen. Taking excess of supplements may adversely affect your brain, so ensure you don’t overdo it.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic office at Elizabeth City, NC to get the best advice and recommendation of supplements to better your brain health and support regeneration.