The first time you heard of vitamins must have been in preschool when you were thought about the classes of food and what a healthy diet should contain. Most people only think of oranges when they remember vitamins. Regardless of what vitamins mean to you, www.bosterbio.com wants you to understand that including them in your daily diet is not just essential for your health but for your brain health. Do vitamins aid with enhancing memory? The answer is ‘yes, they do.’ Let’s look at the vitamins and how they help to improve your memory.
VITAMIN E
A lot of researches suggest that vitamin E is beneficial to the memory of the elderly. A study carried out in the year 2014 showed that the abundance of vitamin E in the body could help in the recovery process of people with mild or moderate Alzheimer’s disease. However important vitamin E is to the body, you must not take more than 400IU in one day as it may put you at risk, especially if you have heart problems.
Some of the natural sources of vitamin E include; seeds, vegetables (broccoli and spinach), nuts, eggs, vegetable oils. Alzheimer’s patients are most times advised to supplement these foods with vitamin E tablets. Enquire from your doctor if you have any need for vitamin E supplements; otherwise, you can get enough of it from the foods you eat. May we suggest the Mediterranean Diet.
VITAMIN B12
Constant research has been ongoing to find out the relationship between low levels of vitamin B12 and memory loss. Evidence resulting from this research has shown that vitamin B12 is indeed required to enhance memory. Diabetic patients are known to have vitamin B12 deficiency because metformin which is the diabetes drug they take, lowers vitamin B12 levels in the body. Other factors that are associated with lowered vitamin B12 include;
- Intake of anti-inflammatory drugs like prednisone, proton pump inhibitors, etc.
- Old age
- Stomach or bowel problems that result in low stomach acid
- Living strictly on vegetables
Vitamin B12 can be easily gotten through natural food sources like poultry and fish. Vegetarians can take a fortified cereal for breakfast as it is their best option at maintaining an adequate level of vitamin B12.
Most of the time, exceptions are given to people with medical conditions or on certain drugs that cause vitamin B12 deficiency as the natural sources are not always enough to take care of their B12 needs because they cannot absorb vitamin B12 properly from food. This set of people may need vitamin B12 supplements to help them maintain an adequate level of B12 their body needs. Once you have gotten the required level of vitamin B12, do not go overboard chucking more tablets of vitamin B12 into your body as it wouldn’t have any positive effects.
VITAMIN C
When it comes to optimum memory health, especially in older people, vitamin C cannot be neglected. Vitamin C contains powerful antioxidants that protect the brain against free radicals that damage brain cells. It is amazing how you can get all the vitamin C your body needs in a day when you consume a medium-sized orange. It is safe to say that a medium-sized orange a day keeps Alzheimer’s at bay. Consuming adequate amounts of food rich in vitamin C is known to protect one against Alzheimer’s disease and mental decline that is related to advancement in age. Other natural sources of Vitamin C include; tomatoes, bell peppers, kiwi, strawberries, guava, pineapple, etc.
THE BEST WAY TO HELP YOUR MEMORY STAY HEALTHY
It is best to get your supply of vitamins from your diet regardless of your age instead of resorting totally to supplements. Supplements are just made available to fill in the gaps, but before you take them, your doctor must give you the go-ahead order. When it comes to memory retardation and loss or improvement of the memory, the best way to go about getting your memory health to an optimum level is through exercise and a balanced diet.
Most doctors suggest the Mediterranean diet as one of the surest ways one can get all the necessary vitamins the body needs and also improve their memory health. The diet has its foundation draw from the following foods;
- Fish
- A good amount of olive oil
- Limited amount of red meat(especially for older folks)
- Plant-based foods
- A moderate amount of red wine can also be enjoyed from time to time.
CONCLUSION
Vitamins are essential to your memory health and must not be neglected. Ensuring to take BDNF Elisa tests from time to time can also help you know when your body is running low on these vitamins.
