B vitamins play several roles in how the brain functions. The USDA explains that all of the B vitamins are important for brain health. They may be able to assist with preventing or delaying symptoms of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the September 2010 "Publication for Peer Reviewed Science."
B6
B6, also known as pyroxidine, is needed in the brain for generation of neurotransmitters to allow for communication between cells. "Arthritis Today" explains that B6 improves blood flow and possibly improves memory. B6 is found in meat and poultry in the highest amounts, but is also present in eggs, fish, beans, peas, whole grains and cereals.
Folic Acid
Folic acid is a vitamin also known as B9 and is responsible for creation of red blood cells which is important especially in brain development for infants. Folic acid is also important for adults in regulating mood, sleep and appetite -- all of which originate in the brain. Sources of folic acid include fortified cereals, fortified orange juice, beans, spinach, wheat bran and whole grains.
B12
B12 or is critical to the nerves as well as for cognitive function. A study in the September 2008 journal "Neurology" even found brain shrinkage in elderly patients with diets low in B12 after assessing their diets for five years. Though more research needs to be completed, researchers feel that cognitive impairment and B12 are related. B12 is found in fortified cereals, fortified soy milk, sardines, salmon, halibut, within multivitamins and can be taken alone as a supplement.
Choline
Choline is an essential nutrient similar to the B vitamins and is typically seen grouped with them. The body does not produce choline, so it must be obtained from dietary sources. It is critical to brain health as it functions as a component within brain cell walls. Choline is needed to form acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter needed for cell signaling to occur in the brain. It is found in peanuts, beef liver, broccoli and eggs.
References
- USDA: Nutrition and Brain Function Boosting Our Knowledge of Brain Food
- Arthritis Today: Brain Food Got Brain Fog? Pick Up a Fork
- "Neurology"; Vitamin B12 status and Rate of Brain Volume Loss in Community-dwelling Elderly; Vogiatzoglou, et al.; 2008
- "Publication for Peer Reviewed Science"; Homocysteine-Lowering by B Vitamins Slows the Rate of Accelerated Brain Atrophy in Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial; David Smith, et al.; 2010
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