The Best Supplements for Your Brain: Improving Memory, Cognition and Focus

It’s odd, but when we think about supplements for our body, we often forget that the brain is the single most important part of our body. We tend to consider the brain and the body separately, when in fact they act as one cohesive functioning unit. The brain must be functioning optimally in order for the body to perform well. Likewise, if the body is not up to par, the brain sends signals that leave us feeling upset, depressed, or feeling any number of other negative emotions. Here we discuss how to keep our brain functioning at the highest levels, and which supplements to take to help us in this area.

An herb that can help with memory, cognition and focus is gingko biloba. This is because this herb helps increase blood flow to the brain, which obviously helps in all areas. This herb has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, and is now popular in western cultures as well.

It is cultivated for use of its leaves in supplements, and most known for its use in helping improve memory or staving off memory loss. However, as mentioned, it increases the brain’s blood flow and will be beneficial to the brain for a great number of reasons, not just to help with memory. Ginkgo biloba also helps protect against oxidative cell damage caused by free radicals.

DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, is also extremely important for the brain. It is one of the omega-3, essential fatty acids, and that found most commonly in fish oil. Suffice it to say that fish oil and all of the omega-3 fatty acids are good for the brain, but DHA in particular is most important. It has been studied for its effects in delaying or preventing Alzheimer’s disease. DHA deficiency is almost always seen when looking at the brain of someone who has severe cognitive dysfunction. DHA deficiencies are also common in people with severe cases of depression.

DHA is so crucial to a well-functioning brain, in fact, that new studies are cropping up all the time in relation to an infant’s developing brain and the role DHA plays in it. In fact, for almost the last ten years, DHA has been added to many popular infant formulas so that these formulas mimic human milk more closely. Studies have shown that formula-fed infants who receive additional DHA, whose diets would otherwise be deficient in this EFA since they are not breast-fed, have superior brain development than those infants who remain on a formula-based diet without DHA.

Vitamins C and E are two antioxidant powerhouses that are not just good for the body but very beneficial to the brain as well. Vitamin C has long been known for its role in fighting off everything from the common cold to more serious immune disorders and infections, since it is such a powerful force against free radicals. Did you know it is just as beneficial in this role for the brain? In fact, a recent study indicated that the IQ scores of children are increased when they are supplemented with higher levels of vitamin C.

Vitamin E is another wonderful antioxidant that has long been taken for everything from heart disease prevention to wound healing. However, this vitamin also has been found to help with one’s memory and prevention of memory loss. It helps to guard the brain from attacks by free radicals, and more specifically protects the brain’s fatty membranes. Since it is a fat-soluble vitamin, it is important that Vitamin E be taken with food. It is difficult to get enough of it from the average diet, since many western diets are low in fat nowadays and Vitamin E is most prevalent in nuts, seeds and oils. A supplement of 400 IUs is often recommended.

Two other herbs that are not as widely used but that do show great promise for clarity and focus are gotu kola and ginseng. As you may have guessed, these herbs are more popular in the Eastern hemisphere and have been used for a long, long time in Asian countries to improve brain function.

Gotu Kola is thought to improve memory as well as increase mental clarity and focus, and helps reduce blood pressure. Perhaps the reduction in blood pressure works in tandem with a greater sense of calm, to help better one’s focus. The popular herb ginseng — while giving you physical stamina and mental energy — is also thought to improve mood and stress response, which may very well enable someone to concentrate better and focus more. Research is beginning to show that the effect on the brain of these two herbs is not simply a byproduct of the effect the herbs have on the body. Rather, they directly benefit the brain and its cognitive function.

Adding these herbs and supplements to your daily routine can do wonders to enhance your brain power. Over time, you just may find your clarity, cognition and focus to be back to where it used to be!

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