Brain supplements are the nutrients or drugs that help in boosting your brain function. They may also help in reducing decline in brain function due to age factor. These supplements boost your memory, alertness, focus, motivation and overall mental health. Many of the nutrients required by brain exist naturally like those found in fruits vegetables and meat. Some of the supplements are produced naturally within your body. Aged people are often found to have benefited from brain supplements.
Let’s discuss about some of the top brain boosters that have been used widely to enhance brain functions.
Fish Oils
Fish oils contain two types of omega-3 fatty acids named Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). These fatty acids have been considered as improving mental health.
DHA helps in maintaining structure and function of your brain as it accounts 25% of the total fat and 90% of omega-3 fat found in the brain cells. It helps in boosting memory and reflexes in healthy people. It’s also observed to benefit people having slight decline in brain function.
EPA on the other hand is associated with improving mood in people suffering from depression. Omega-3 fatty acids can also be obtained by eating oily fish per week. If this is not possible then consuming could be beneficial too. 1 gram of combined DHA and EPA is a recommended dose to main mental health.
Resveratrol
It’s an antioxidant found in fruits like blueberries, raspberries and grapes. It’s also found in chocolates and peanuts. It’s observed that Resveratrol is helps in prevention of retrogression of hippocampus, a vital part of the brain associated with memory.
Effects of resveratrol in animals was also observed. In animals it can improve memory and brain function. A study on small group or people showed that consuming 200mg of resveratrol per day fir 26 weeks helped in improving memory. More study has to be done to find the clear effects of resveratrol on humans .
Caffeine
Caffeine is a natural stimulant found in coffee, tea and dark chocolate. If you’re getting caffeine through eating these then you won’t need to have supplements.
Caffeine helps to make you feel relaxed and less tired. Some studies have shown that caffeine can improve reaction times memory and brain functions. 200-40mg per day is a recommended intake of caffeine. Too much consumption of caffeine can lead to sleep disorders and anxiety.
Ginkgo Biloba
It’s an herbal supplement obtained from Ginkgo biloba tree. It increases blood flow to the brain ensuring each cell has abundance supply of blood. It helps in boosting memory and focus. It also helps reducing age related decline in brain function.
Creatine is an amino acid found naturally in muscles and in little amount in the brain. It helps in energy metabolism.
It’s also found in foods like meat, fish and egg. People who don’t eat meat can consume supplements to meet the levels of required creatine. It also helps in improving memory and thinking skills. Meat eaters usually don’t need to consume supplements.
Bacopa Monnieri
It’s another herbal medicine made from the herb Bacopa monnieri. It’s widely used in medicine practices like Ayurveda and helps improving brain functions.
It’s observed to benefit both healthy people and people suffering decline in brain functions. Consumption of 300mg per day for four to six week is necessary to see the results. Bacopa monnieri is recommended to be consumed with food to avoid diarrhoea and upset stomach. It’s observed that recommended intake of this supplement can help improving memory and thinking skills. Optimum amount would definitely prove to be beneficial.
