The brain is like the main headquarters of the body. All functions of the organs are being controlled by the brain, so it is very safe to say that maintaining our mental health should also be a priority of ours. Many doctors believe that taking a supplemental vitamin for brain health is necessary, but there are others who claim that these vitamins are not really that effective. Let us discover different supplements and vitamins for brain health and their effects on our overall health. Let us also discover what experts would say in regard to claims that these supplements are a waste of money.

Vitamin for brain health: Which do I need?

Because people are so enthusiastic about staying and feeling healthy, so many scientists and doctors are finding ways to maintain the optimum function and health of our brain. What good is a beautiful and ideal body if the brain is deteriorating, some would say. Here are some of the claimed supplemental vitamin for brain health products that doctors and dietitians would recommend their patients and clients.

Caffeine

There is no doubt about it, caffeine is indeed a brain booster if consumed moderately. This is a natural stimulant that makes you feel energized and alert. You get this normally on coffee and teas, this is the reason why we and characters on movies and TV series programs would portray a student or employee doing their school or office work during the night while drinking coffee.

Where can you get it: Coffee, tea, dark chocolate

Omega-3 fatty acids

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosatetraenoic acid (EPA) are fatty acids that doctors and scientists are recommending their patients of all ages. In fact, babies, whose young brain absorbs like a sponge, are recommended to drink vitamins with DHA to support proper brain growth and development. Fish oil, where omega-3 fatty acids are usually taken from, are said to fight the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

Where can you get it: Mackerel, salmon, cod liver oil, sardines, caviar, oysters, chia and flax seeds, walnuts

Ginkgo Biloba

In Asian countries where Ginkgo trees are aplenty, the use of its leaf extract is necessary for the improvement of memory and mental processing. They are highly advertized to be essential for students who would want to excel in class, and for the aging population who want to take a potent vitamin for brain health.

Where can you get it: Exclusively taken from the leaves of a Ginkgo biloba tree, this supplement can also aid in improving the mental function of patients with Alzheimer’s.

Vitamin Bs (B3, B9, and B12)

We all know that Vitamin B is an energy booster and helps in the regeneration and metabolism of cells in the body. But did you know that this impressive group of vitamins also aid in improving our brain function? By improving the health and growth of our red blood cells, oxygen supply to the brain becomes better and enhances the function and ability of our brain. It also helps in the proper nerve function of the body, thus improving our overall general health.

Where can you get it:  Milk, green beans, potato, eggs, asparagus, cheese, meat (red meat and poultry), nuts, shellfish (oyster and clam), whole grain cereals

Vitamin D

Known as the sunshine vitamin because sunlight helps the body synthesize this natural vitamin, Vitamin D is known to act as a shield for other cognitive development villains or antagonists to attack the brain.  Most people who lack the proper amount of this vitamin for brain health may be due to the fact that they: a. do not expose themselves often to healthy sunlight, or b. they are obese and their fat cells trap the vitamins making them useless.

Where can you get it: Fatty fish like tuna or mackerel, beef liver, mushroom, and dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt.

Vitamin for brain healthy: Its efficiency and importance

Because there are so many pharmaceutical manufacturers who are following the trend of taking supplements and vitamins for all types of improvement for our overall health, many experts are now contradicting what others claim as the efficacy and importance of dietary supplements to the body. They suggest that it is better to eat healthy foods than take unnecessary vitamins and supplements for the brain. Here are some facts doctors claim to be true about taking any vitamin for brain health.

The marketing of some dietary supplements and vitamins has no clinical evidence. We see advertisements and posts on the internet and on TV by pharmaceutical big wigs about the efficiency and use of every different vitamin for brain health. They even cite some clinical studies that would support their claim. However, scientists and researchers claim that these are all exaggerated and are a bit far from the accepted results of an effective drug.

Drug regulations of supplements and other vitamin fro brain health are different from prescription drugs. In the US, the regulation of prescription drugs is highly stringent but they do not cover supplements and vitamins that much. There are also instances where these supplements are being marketed legally without the knowledge of the US FDA or the Food and Drug Administration. This surely shows how lenient regulatory agencies are with regard to the marketing and distribution and use of these dietary additives.

Clinical evidence used to market supplements is misleading. Take, for example, Prevagen or Apoaequorin. This supplement is marketed as an important supplement that contains a chemical or substance that was derived from a jellyfish that aids in the proper functioning of the brain. However, upon scrutiny and clinical studies made by the American Council of Science and Health, their study and clinical evidence are not strong enough to support the efficacy of the supplement.

Some vitamins for brain health can have a placebo effect. Many doctors and scientists believe that a vitamin or mineral supplement can only work and do its job in the body if tests show that you indeed have a lack of it. For example, Vitamin C can really aid in strengthening and fighting of disease-causing germs if you are indeed lacking Vitamin C. This means that if you are taking a multivitamin drug, the substances you lack will be replaced, but the ones you already have will not affect your body in the deepest sense. So if you are planning to take a vitamin for brain health, make sure to consult your doctor so you can find out which substances you are lacking from to make sure that you are not wasting money and effort in taking unnecessary medications.