We try to maintain our physical health by eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly, but most aren’t aware of how to support their brain health.
As we age, our brain health gradually deteriorates, but you can maintain cognitive function with exercise, nutrition and supplements for brain health.
Proper nutrition is key to supporting your brain health, especially in later life, so dietary supplements may help maintain or even improve your cognitive function.
From ‘brain training’ and mental stimulation to eating plenty of ‘brain foods’ that support brain health, there are many ways to keep your brain healthy. Some of these techniques are obvious, like practising mindfulness or eating oily fish (often advertised as brain food), but others are much less well-known.
When we think of ways to boost our brain health, dietary supplements may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but they’re a valuable source of essential nutrients that support a healthy brain. To help you find the best supplements for brain health, we’ve created this guide which explains what supplements are beneficial for your brain and why, so you can understand some of the science behind these brain health supplements.
Introduction
Brain supplements come in a wide range of forms and are often known as brain boosters, brain vitamins and nootropics, though nootropics are a different type of supplement altogether. While these supplements can’t alter your brain chemistry or increase your intelligence overnight, they support your brain health by providing the nutrients that your brain needs to function properly.
RELATED: Read our Natural Nootropic Supplements blog to learn about nootropics and how they can help you.
Nutrition is one of the most important factors for brain health, as your grey matter relies upon many essential nutrients to function properly. Deficiencies in essential nutrients have been linked to many neurological disorders and an increased risk of age-related conditions like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, so taking supplements for brain health can help you get the essential nutrients to maintain brain health.
Can Supplements Boost Brain Memory?
Many substances (from vitamins and fatty acids to herbal extracts like ginkgo biloba) have been said to slow or prevent memory loss, and some can help boost your cognitive ability. We’ve written extensively on these brain supplements in the past, and while many dietary supplements can boost your mental performance (including short-term memory), less is known about their long-term benefits on brain health.
RELATED: Our blog on the Top Brain Booster Supplements for Adults has plenty of tips and recommendations on how to boost your cognitive power with dietary supplements.
Multiple studies show that the greatest benefits of supplements for brain health are in people with deficiencies in essential nutrients, making them especially useful if you struggle to get enough of certain nutrients. These findings reinforce the theory that proper nutrition is vital for brain health and mean that you may not benefit from certain dietary supplements if you get enough nutrients from your diet and lifestyle.
Do Brain Supplements Work?
Your brain requires many nutrients to function properly, and while it is possible to get many of these in your diet, most people fail to meet their Recommended Daily Intake of these essential nutrients from diet alone. Therefore, brain supplements that contain these essential nutrients support brain health and improve cognitive performance by giving your grey matter the nutrients it needs.
RELATED: Our article on the Best Vitamin Supplements for Concentration goes into a great amount of detail on what nutrients are best for your brain health and why.
Additionally, certain ingredients have been proven to have specific benefits for brain health when taken in supplements, such as herbal extracts with nootropic properties. Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular, are especially beneficial for brain health, as they are an essential nutrient and have proven health benefits when taken in doses higher than the RDI, as can be found in many supplements for brain health.
