The brain weighs approximately three pounds (less than two percent of a 160-pound man’s body), yet it consumes 25% of the blood pumped by every beat of the heart and 20% of the body’s energy. Not surprisingly, the brain is the most critical organ for healthy aging and requires many nutrients to operate correctly.
In addition to anti-oxidants to repair damaged cells, the brain requires specific essential nutrients to help protect it from disorders like depression and memory loss. Three key vitamins identified in healthy brain functioning include vitamin D, folate (folic acid/B9), and vitamin A.
The Connection Between Vitamin D and Depression
According to Reuter’s Health, low vitamin D has been tied to depression. A six-year study conducted by Dr. Luigi Ferrucci of the National Institute On Aging in Baltimore found that low vitamin D levels were connected to an increased risk of depression in people aged 65 and older.
The study followed 531 women and 423 men. At the onset of the study, 42% of the women and 18 percent of the men showed signs of clinical depression. Nearly three-quarters of the group also showed a vitamin D deficiency.
Those who weren’t depressed at the beginning of the study were twice as likely to develop depression if they also showed a vitamin D deficiency. The study concluded that “vitamin D deficiency may become in the future a strategy to prevent the development of depressive mood” in the older population. In addition, “normalization of vitamin D levels may be a part of any depression treatment plan in older patients.”
According to BBC News, another vitamin D study conducted in Europe followed 3,000 men aged 40 to 79 and found that those with high vitamin D levels performed better on memory and information processing tests. Researchers believe that vitamin D protects key signaling pathways in the brain.
Vitamin D is produced by the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight and is also contained in certain foods including oily fish.
Folic Acid Linked to Better Memory and Cognition
Folic acid, also known as folate, is a B vitamin (B9) that is essential to healthy brain functioning. A study conducted by Nurses’ Health reported that taking 800 micrograms of folic acid for three years slowed cognitive decline and preserved memory in people aged 50 to 70 years.
Study participants who took the supplement had the memory capabilities of people five and one half years younger and the cognitive speed of people nearly two years younger. The analysis also found that those with the highest folate and vitamin B12 levels were cognitively equivalent to being five years younger.
Like vitamin D, folate deficiency has been linked to depression in clinical studies and psychiatric patients with depression have higher rates of folate deficiency than the general population.
Folate may be taken as a supplement and is found in strawberries, spinach, whole wheat bread and fortified white bread, lentils, asparagus, broccoli, peas, bananas and grapefruit juice.
Take Vitamin A to Aid Lifelong Learning
Vitamin A is another nutrient that aids proper brain functioning, specifically learning. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies discovered that vitamin A promotes learning and provided the first evidence that the vitamin affects brain cell activity in a region linked to learning and memory.
"We have long known that vitamin A is needed for proper development of the nervous system in a growing embryo," said Ronald Evans, Salk professor and senior author of the study. "This is the first evidence that vitamin A is needed for brain function during life."
In the Salk study, vitamin A was shown to improve communication between brain cells located in the hippocampus, the region of the brain associated with memory and learning. "Therefore, we have an unexpected link between a common but essential nutrient, the capacity to learn, and the cellular circuits in the brain that control learning," says Evans. "Together, the evidence suggests that vitamin A is a type of molecular key that unlocks one of the most powerful functions of the human brain."
Foods rich in vitamin A include carrots, liver, sweet potatoes, spinach, cantaloupe, fortified milk, and egg yolks.
Eat Right for Optimal Brain Performance
While vitamins A, B9, and D enhance brain functioning, keeping the brain fit requires a much more comprehensive approach. In addition to getting required vitamins, it is necessary to eat enough complex carbohydrates like whole grains to provide glucose to fuel the brain. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in oily fish, protect brain cells. Finally, one should eat balanced meals with plenty of fruits and vegetables to provide the other vitamins and minerals necessary for optimal brain performance.
Sources:
“Link Between Vitamin A And Learning Abilities Established By Team Led By Salk Researchers” Salk Institute For Biological Studies, accessed August 5th 2010 (www.salk.edu)
“Low Vitamin D Tied to Depression in Older People,” Reuters Health, May 5th 2010, accessed August 7th 2010
“New Evidence: Folate Fights Age-related Memory Loss,” Nurses’ Health Study, Harvard University, July 2007, accessed May 5th, 2010
“Vitamin D is ‘Mental Health Aid’,” BBC News, January 23rd 2009, accessed May 5th 2010
Thank you to Howard Hazard for research assistance
John Fixmer - My name is John Fixmer and I currently work at a large health complex north of Miami, Florida. My background is in psychology and ...
Join the Conversation