Boosting Brain Power

We all understand how essential vitamins and minerals are to our health, and the majority of us take them to help improve things like our eyesight, immune system, bone health, and skin quality. We often overlook the benefit of taking vitamins for our brains, and this is likely the most important reason!

Did you know out of all the organs in our body, it is the brain that uses the maximum energy? 

The brain is the symphony conductor of the human body. It is in charge of regulating all of the vital functions that keep us alive and moving. Not only that, it is the place where our conscience, our thoughts, and our personality originate. While the brain only represents around 2% of our total body weight, in terms of energy consumed, it accounts for more than 20% of the total energy needed by our body.

In light of this fact, caring for this organ is vitally important. But to do so, we first need to understand what is it that our brains need to function optimally. How does the brain feed? Can we nourish it? Is there any diet to tune it up? Can we avoid illnesses by feeding it properly? Our brain is a miraculous and highly complex organ and to ensure that it works to its full potential, it is important to provide it with essential nutrients.

In recent years, researchers have learned more and more about which nutrients and vitamins improve brain function and can have a greater impact on our health. While natural food may have a lot of the required nutrients, it may not be enough. This is where additional supplements can help.  There are many supplements like Key Nutrition Multivitamins that contain “key” ingredients (pun intended) that not only maintain, but also improve your brain’s function!

Vitamin B-complex

As far as vitamins are concerned, vitamin B is undoubtedly the most important vitamin when it comes to your brain. Vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin B3, vitamin B9 (Folate) and Choline are altogether essential in brain development and maintenance. They are the drivers of a properly functioning brain. They regulate the release of energy in brain cells and also aid the transmission of impulses and messages between roughly 100 billion neurons in our brain. It is this transmission that makes us do what we do. These neurons are integrated with all vital body systems and organs, and an imbalance in these transmissions can cause multiple issues. An adequate amount of vitamin B in your body will help neurons function properly.

It’s also important to brain health that we consume enough B vitamins, which varies based on age; pregnant women also need more. Many foods in our normal diet contain essential B vitamins, including meat, fish, eggs, grains, legumes and dark green, leafy vegetables. As we age, the vitamin absorption power of our body slows. And if you follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, you may not be consuming enough foods rich in B vitamins. 

Other Important Vitamins for Brain Health

Along with B vitamins, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin E and Vitamin D also contribute to brain health, and it’s equally important to intake enough on a daily basis. 

Ensure you get enough essential vitamins

Your diet should ideally include in all the aforementioned vitamins that contribute to brain and overall health. To ensure that you take in all the vitamins your brain and body need and in the optimal dosage, we recommend including a daily multivitamin that contains everything you need.

Your Lifestyle Affects Your Brain, Too

Along with these vitamins, it is also essential to pay attention to your lifestyle. Getting enough quality sleep is critical to your overall health and more so for your brain health. Exercise is another factor that most of us do not take into account when it comes to brain health. Cardio-intensive workouts like aerobics, running and swimming are great for brain health as they cause the body to pump more blood to the brain.

Exercising your brain

While diet and exercise are important to brain health, there are many targeted brain exercises that you can do to boost your brain health directly and to enhance your memory. The following exercises can improve your cognition:

Testing Recall 

Offer your brain mental stimulation by memorizing things and then trying to recall them. For example, memorize and recall lists of interesting things like your weekly grocery list, holidays and recognitions, players on your favorite sports team, or lyrics from your favorite songs. 

Learn! 

Not surprisingly, learning something new like a musical instrument or a new language can help sharpen the brain and improve your cognitive ability. Similarly learning to cook a new cuisine also sharpens different parts of your brain as cooking uses multiple senses like smell, taste, sight, and touch. You could also take up a new hobby which involves using fine motor skills, like. knitting, painting, or sketching.

Mental Math

Do simple calculations and daily math in your head rather than reaching for your calculator every time. 

Brain Training Apps

Yep, there’s an app for that too. And why shouldn’t there be? Brain training apps are perfect for when you’re waiting at the doctors office, during your lunch break, or standing in line at the DMV! The cool thing about these apps is that they improve emotional awareness as well as memory and sharpness! 

These brain games improve problem-solving, attention spans, and thinking! Some apps that come highly recommended are Lumosity, Fit Brains Trainer, CogniFit, and Happify! Check your mobile phone’s app store for these and others. 

In conclusion

If you support your brain with the right diet and supplements, exercise and stimulus, it will reward you with better cognitive abilities, enhanced memory and aid in the proper functioning of all your body’s systems. Remember, your brain works around the clock – 24/7 -- without a break, and thus, it is very important that it is taken care of properly by living a healthy lifestyle and providing it with all the essential nutrients and vitamins it needs. 

Key Nutrition can help with the right vitamins, the rest is up to you. Check out our line of premium-quality whole food multivitamins today!