Looking to keep your head in top shape? Before you take the bottle of supplements, focus on maintaining healthy habits.
“Most people can keep their brains young and healthy by adopting a few healthy lifestyle routines—no supplements required!” said Kim Yawitz, RDa registered dietitian and gym owner. “Regular exercise, frequent mental stimulation, an active social life, adequate sleep, and a healthy diet all go a long way toward helping you stay mentally alert as you age,” he says, adding that many of the commonly used nutrients like Supplements for brain health can be found in the Mediterranean diet:that has been linked with better cognitive function in older adults.
Still, Yawitz says supplements could be helpful if your diet lacks certain vital nutrients. She warns, however, that getting too much of some of these nutrients can do more harm than good. “For this reason, it’s always best to check with your doctor before taking any new supplements.”
“While all of these brain health supplements are great on their own, I wouldn’t recommend taking them all at once! Talk to your doctor about which ones you should take,” she repeated. amy gorinMS, RDNan inclusive plant-based dietitian in Stamford, CT, and owner of Plant Based with Amy. Gorin added that if you’re pregnant or nursing, she should discuss this with her doctor to determine which ones are safe for you. Read on for six supplements to consider for brain health.
“Folate is a B vitamin that is believed to reduce systemic inflammation—a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia,” says Yawitz, pointing to a Systematic review and meta-analysis from 2021 in which adults with Alzheimer’s disease were 88 percent more likely to be folate deficient. “By contrast, those who regularly met the recommended daily amount of folate were 56 percent less likely to have Alzheimer’s disease than those who didn’t get enough,” he added of the research.
“A folic acid supplement can help you cover your bases if you don’t eat a lot of beef liver, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, and other folate-rich foods, but more isn’t necessarily better!” Yawitz says. (You can refer to the 20 Best Folate-Rich Foods for more information on dietary sources of the nutrient). Again, don’t go overboard with folate-rich foods or folate supplements: “Researchers don’t know for sure whether folic acid supplements improve brain health in adults who get enough B vitamins in the diet, and there are some evidence that getting too much folate may actually increase the risk of cognitive decline,” according to Yawitz.
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Gorin tells us that bacopa extract is a traditional Ayurvedic herb that may benefit the brain by helping to protect itself. “In a 2021 study in Journal of Functional Foods, researchers found that twice-daily supplementation with bacopa extract benefited emotional well-being,” says Gorin, adding, “The suggested dose for this supplement is one vegetable capsule, which contains 450 mg of bacopa extract. This isn’t something you can easily get from food.” Also known as bacopa monnieri, there are many reasons dietitians call it one of the best supplements for dementia.
Another Gorin favorite is Mag L-threonate, which she describes as “a really great supplement because it’s a specific type of magnesium that can help with memory and cognition.” She notes that “it was discovered by researchers at MIT, and research in Innovation in Aging suggests it may help improve cognitive functioning in many patients.” Gorin also notes that the suggested dose is two capsules, and you can’t get this type of magnesium from food.
If you want to live a longer and healthier life, making fish oil part of your routine could be beneficial. “Fish oil contains EPA and DHA, which are omega-3 fatty acids that promote brain health,” Yawitz said, noting a 2012 study in which “older adults with lower amounts of DHA in their blood had smaller brain volumes and performed significantly worse on cognitive tests than those with normal DHA levels, even without having been diagnosed with dementia.”
Yawitz also referred to another 2021 study including only octogenarians, which found that “those with the highest amount of EPA in their blood were 24 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and dementia than those with the lowest EPA levels.” However, Yawitz acknowledges that it is controversial whether or not fish oil supplements help brain health. “Unless his doctor recommends taking fish oil, he can probably eat fatty fish (like salmon) a couple of times a week.”
Gym rats have probably heard of this one, but others may also want to check out this supplement. “Creatine monohydrate is a substance that helps your muscles and brain generate more energy. It’s a popular supplement among bodybuilders looking to put on some muscle, but some studies suggest it may also support brain health,” Yawitz tells us. “The body makes some creatine, and omnivores can get more by eating animal protein. But there is some evidence that creatine levels decline with age and that dietary creatine does not significantly affect the amount of creatine in the brain.” The bottom line, Yawitz says, is that research is currently mixed as to whether creatine supplements improve cognition, and researchers have not identified an ideal dose for brain health. “But it has a good record in terms of safety and might be worth adding to your routine, especially if you lift weights,” he adds.
One more thing to consider: “In a recent pilot studyolder adults who took 5 grams of creatine per day had significant improvements in cognitive performance after 16 weeks,” says Yawitz. “But there’s a catch: The subjects in this study also performed resistance training exercises (something you should do anyway to have a healthier life). brain!).”
There are so many amazing benefits of vitamin D, and boosting your head may just be one of them. “Amyloid plaques are proteins that increase the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease when they accumulate in large numbers. Some studies suggest that vitamin D may support brain health by helping the immune system remove amyloid plaque from the brain,” says Yawitz.
“In a 2022 studyadults with vitamin D deficiency were 54 percent more likely to have dementia compared to those with normal vitamin D levels. In fact, the researchers in this study estimated that 17 percent of dementia cases could be prevented just giving supplements to those who are vitamin D deficient,” he says, adding that it’s a good idea to have your doctor test your vitamin D levels to determine if they’re low or not. “High-dose vitamin D supplements can cause problems health, especially if you already get enough vitamin D from sunlight or dietary sources like egg yolks, fatty fish, and fortified milk and juices.
