Can Dietary Supplements Improve Brain Health?
Have you ever had problems with brain fog? You know, those days when you lose your mind mid-sentence, can't remember simple details, and feel like you don't have access to your usual brain capacity? We've all probably been through it before. Can dietary supplements help cure this fog and increase brain capacity both in the short and long term? If so, what are the best supplements for brain health, mood and/or memory?
Although the concept of brain fog is not a medical term, or even a scientific one, it is something we can all probably relate to - feeling sluggish or "fuzzy". Whether it's diet-related, caused by fatigue, or a toxic environment, we can all agree that brain fog is not a fun experience. So what can you do to overcome brain fog? Adjusting your diet is a good start, and using brain fog supplements can also be helpful. But before we dive into these solutions, we must first ask ourselves what causes brain fog?
Causes of brain fog
Possible causes of brain fog include diet, environment, lack of sleep, stress, hormonal imbalances. As we mentioned above, the concept of brain fog is not recognized medically, which means that there is no diagnosis and no "official cause". Having said that, it is still possible to make some speculations. The first (and probably most common) is diet. The brain is among the most sensitive organs in the body that can be easily affected by the most insignificant interventions. Of course, when you eat foods that do not suit the body, you not only drain the body of important resources for the digestion of these difficult foods, but you also create inflammation, which puts additional stress on the body as a whole.
Another theory is that our environment can cause brain fog. Even if you live in a clean house, use eco-friendly and "green" cleaning products, and don't work in an obviously toxic environment, the pollutants found in our air, water, and resources are hard to avoid. Frankly, there is only so much a person can do, and everyone has different sensitivities when it comes to the surrounding environment.
Finally, brain fog can also be related to personal issues with stress, sleep, or hormonal imbalances. Although these sound like separate problems, they are all easily intertwined. In a world where people are chronically stressed and working harder than ever, sleep deprivation is a fairly common problem. Lack of sleep can increase stress and vice versa, and also lead to hormonal imbalances that make it harder to sleep while affecting the body's ability to respond to stress. It's a downward spiral and would leave anyone feeling exhausted!
So now that you know what brain fog is and some possible causes, let's take a look at the burning question - do supplements actually have an effect on brain health?
Can dietary supplements boost brain health?
The answer to this question is not exactly simple, and there are a couple of reasons for that. Because brain health is based on many different factors, the effect of a particular supplement on a person's health varies from one individual to another.
Factors that affect brain health include the following:
- Stress
- Sleep
- Diet
- Exercise
- Genetics
- Age
- And much more
When it comes to brain health, the best thing you can do is provide the body with the nutrients it needs to function optimally - either through diet or supplements. Can this actually boost brain health? It's hard to say, again, because this depends on many factors and how efficiently your body uses these nutrients. But by supplementing with the best vitamins for brain health, you of course have the right conditions for excellent mood, memory and first-class cognition.
Should I be taking supplements for brain health?
It seems that much of the research is still not clear on whether or not supplements can really boost brain health. What is not in question, however, is that the brain needs certain vitamins and minerals to function optimally. Nutrients such as healthy fats (EPA and DHA) found in Aarja Health Omega3 Krill Oil , antioxidants found in for example Vitamin C (and A & E), B vitamins and magnesium are all needed for the daily functioning of the brain. So by supplementing your diet with these nutrients, you're ensuring your brain health bases are covered, giving your body the best chance for optimal health.
If it feels like your diet is not 100% optimal, dietary supplements have a very significant effect on brain health. While there is currently no supplement known to boost the brain beyond what would be considered normal, incorporating high-quality supplements, a well-rounded diet and regular exercise in your routine!
