Vitamins for the brain

The brain is one of the most metabolically active organs in your body, both in terms of the volume of blood circulating in it and in terms of oxygen and glucose consumption. Obviously, the brain also needs vitamins in sufficient quantities.

What vitamins does the brain need most?

Vitamin B for the brain

Of the eight types of vitamin B, almost all are needed to provide cells with energy. But most vitamins in this group – with the exception of vitamins B9 and B12 – cannot be stored in the body and must be obtained regularly by eating lean meat, fish, eggs, cereals, legumes, vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds.

Thiamine

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) plays a key role in maintaining brain functions: one of its derivatives (thiamine diphosphate) acts as a coenzyme of the main stage of respiration of all cells – the tricarboxylic acid cycle (Krebs cycle) and thus actively participates in energy regulation and metabolism of brain cells. And another derivative – thiamine triphosphate – activates membrane ion channels of neurons, ensuring the conductivity of nerve impulses of the central nervous system.

The daily requirement for vitamin B1 is 2-3 mg.

Riboflavin

Our brain consists of 60% lipids (fats) and is the second most concentrated in the body. Up to 40% are polyunsaturated fatty acids, and the most common of these is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is an omega-3 fatty acid. The plasma membranes of neurons are half DHA, and riboflavin, vitamin B2, is needed for the metabolism of fatty acids in cell membranes and brain development.

According to clinical studies, this vitamin and its derivatives have direct antioxidant properties and can – by suppressing oxidative stress – help reduce cognitive impairment. But the underlying mechanisms of riboflavin’s action in disorders of thinking, attention and memory remain unclear.

Foods high in riboflavin include beef, pork, fish, eggs, milk, mushrooms, spinach, almonds, avocados. And its daily requirement is 1.3 mg.

Niacin

The next vitamin for the brain is niacin, vitamin PP (nicotinic acid) or vitamin B3, which is a mixture of nicotinic (pyridine monocarboxylic) acid and nicotinamide (pyridine alkaloid). This vitamin is a vitamin for the blood vessels of the brain, since it reduces the levels of low- and very low-density lipoproteins in the blood, which cause cholesterol to accumulate in the walls of blood vessels.

Niacin is also directly related to the formation of the coenzyme NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) in cells (including brain neurons), which is necessary to maintain mitochondrial activity. Researchers have found that low levels of NAD lead to premature aging of cells and that the level of this coenzyme decreases with age. In relation to the brain, this can manifest itself in cognitive impairment – dementia and memory loss. So vitamins for the brain and memory primarily include vitamin B3.

The daily requirement for it is 15 mg, but its deficiency is rarely noted, since it is found in many foods of animal and plant origin (red meat, poultry, fish, legumes, brown rice, bananas, seeds and nuts).

Choline

Another vitamin for memory is vitamin B4 (choline), which is found in many foods, including beef and beef liver, chicken, egg yolks, fish, milk, legumes, potatoes, and mushrooms.

Choline is a precursor of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is essential for learning and memory processes. Acetylcholine is synthesized from choline and acetyl-CoA; by acting on metabotropic and ionotropic receptors of cortical structures, this neurotransmitter enhances the influence of afferent input signals and constant impulses of individual cortical cholinergic neurons, which provides a mechanism for the active storage of new information.

Pantothenic acid

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) is necessary for the production of coenzyme A (CoA), which is involved in oxidative metabolism, as well as in the synthesis of amino acids, phospholipids and fatty acids, supporting the structure and functions of brain cells. And recent studies have demonstrated a link between the development of some neurodegenerative diseases and a deficiency of pantothenic acid and CoA in the membranes of synaptosomes (synaptic endings of neurons) and mitochondria of brain cells.

What foods contain pantothenic acid? Beef, poultry, seafood and organ meats; eggs and milk; vegetables (potatoes and broccoli), legumes, mushrooms, avocados; whole grains and sunflower seeds.

Pyridoxine

Pyridoxine or vitamin B6 is involved in many chemical reactions in the body and is also necessary for the transport of oxygen in the blood, maintaining the immune system and the health of the brain and central nervous system.

Pyridoxine can help the brain function by maintaining normal levels of the non-proteinogenic amino acid homocysteine (which is synthesized in the body from methionine). The fact is that abnormally high levels of homocysteine in the blood lead to damage to the inner layer of the vascular walls with the risk of blood clots and the deposition of cholesterol plaques.

In addition, homocysteine has been found to be involved in the accumulation and extracellular deposition of β-amyloid peptide, as well as the formation of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, which causes a general decrease in brain volume and loss of neurons. And this pathological process is associated by specialists with changes in cognitive functions in dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Vitamin B6 can be obtained by eating meat and dairy products, fish and eggs, cereals and legumes, as well as potatoes, white cabbage and cauliflower, tomatoes, strawberries, bananas, citrus fruits, walnuts and hazelnuts. Its daily requirement is 1.3-1.5 mg.

Severe pyridoxine deficiency is rare: in nephrological diseases, malabsorption syndrome, alcoholism, and strict vegetarianism.

Folic acid

Vitamin B9 (folic acid or folate) helps maintain memory by reducing oxidative stress, stimulating cellular detoxification, and maintaining the integrity of neuronal cell membranes as they age.

Its food sources include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, leafy greens, spinach, legumes.

Cyanocobalamin

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin or cyanocobalamin) can affect the brain through several mechanisms. It is useful because it helps break down homocysteine (see Pyridoxine) and can be considered a vitamin for the blood vessels of the brain. In addition, vitamin B12 helps produce the protein myelin, which makes up the insulating sheath of nerve fibers and is part of the Schwann cells of the nervous tissue.

A lack of cobalamin can lead to damage to the brain and nerves with clouded consciousness, increased fatigue, depression, and memory loss. This vitamin is found in protein products, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Brain vitamins for children are the same as for adults

Vitamin to protect the brain from free radicals

An important role in the occurrence and development of most diseases (including those of the brain) is played by oxidative stress, which occurs as a result of lipid peroxidation with the formation of free radicals - highly reactive molecular compounds that are naturally released in the body as a by-product of oxygen metabolism, but which damage cell membranes.

In addition to the already mentioned B vitamins, which exhibit antioxidant properties and effectively fight free radicals, including those that can damage brain cells, vitamins A, C and E.

Alpha-tocopherol, a fat-soluble vitamin E, absorbs peroxide radicals of phospholipid cell membranes, transforming itself into the alpha-tocopherylquinone radical. Whole grain products, vegetable oils, nuts and seeds are full sources of this vitamin, and the daily requirement for it is 15 mg.

It has long been known that vitamin A (retinol), which is an antioxidant substance, and retinoids (its derivatives) are essential for vision and that it supports the immune system.

And researchers have established that this vitamin and its derivatives, by acting on nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RAR), can participate in the regulation of neuroplasticity – the growth and reorganization of neural networks – cerebral structures, in particular, the hippocampus associated with memory.

Regular intake of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) with food is of utmost importance, since the human body cannot produce this vitamin and cannot store it for long.

Vitamin C is well known for its powerful antioxidant properties, and it is also needed for collagen synthesis, i.e. it is important for the health of blood vessels. The study of its effect on brain tissue has led to the discovery of new properties of this vitamin: with a long-term deficiency of ascorbic acid, disruptions in the synaptic transmission of nerve signals can be observed, which leads to disruption of the regulation of brain function.

Pharmacy vitamins for the brain

The choice of vitamin preparations, which (we remind you once again!) are not medicines and are used as a supplement to any treatment, is very large. Doctors usually recommend such multivitamin complexes as Quadevit Memory, Neuromultivit, Neurovid, ZEST Memory Vit, as well as well-balanced in composition Pikovit, Centrum Silver, Oligovit, Maxamin forte; for children - Univit, Centrum Junior and other children's vitamins.

Vitamins and nootropics for the brain (neurometabolic drugs Cerebrolysin, Glycine, Glutamic acid, Hopantenic acid, Ceraxon, etc.) can be prescribed for neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's diseases), and cerebral complications of stroke, hereditary and congenital syndromes, including Leigh's neurometabolic syndrome, mental retardation in children, cerebral palsy, etc.