The Best Brain Vitamins for Studying on the Market Right Now

Benjamin Martin - 15 June 2021

The links between nutrition and brain health are only recently becoming apparent.

Just as a runner needs to eat lots of carbohydrates before a big run, so should you feed your brain before an activity that requires optimal brain function.

We asked our team of experts what are the 16 best vitamins and minerals for your brain if you aim to increase brain function, cognition, mental performance, concentration and focus.

By the time you have read this article, you will know the best vitamins and minerals to feed your brain and also the best sources for them.

Not only can these vitamins and minerals help with concentration, focus and general mental performance, but they can also help sustain and even improve long-term brain health.

Contents

• Vitamins for the brain
• The 16 best vitamins for studying
• Conclusion: the best vitamins for the brain

Vitamins for the brain 

Vitamins and minerals are nutrients that are vital for bodily processes and must be acquired from diet or supplements. Certain vitamins are necessary for proper brain function, making them brain vitamins.

These vitamins can help with concentration and many other psychological functions and can be useful for both adults and children.

Click on each supplement or scroll down for more information.

The 16 best brain vitamins for studying

• Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
• Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
• Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)
• Vitamin B6 (Pyroxidine)
• Vitamin B7 (Biotin)
• Vitamin B9 (Folic acid)
• Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)
• Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)
• Choline
• Gingko Biloba
• Vitamin E
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Zinc
• Probiotics

1. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)

Riboflavin works as a brain vitamin because it helps the nervous system function normally.

Moreover, B2 also helps maintain red blood cells and vision, and this brain vitamin can also protect cells from oxidative stress.

It’s also quite common to be deficient in B2, particularly amongst teenage girls, young women and women over 65 living at home.

2. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Riboflavin works as a brain vitamin because it helps the nervous system function normally.

Moreover, B2 also helps maintain red blood cells and vision, and this brain vitamin can also protect cells from oxidative stress.

It’s also quite common to be deficient in B2, particularly amongst teenage girls, young women and women over 65 living at home.

3. Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

B3 that also goes by niacin is another brain vitamin, as it helps maintain psychological function and function of the nervous system.

Niacin is also a very effective vitamin for concentration.

4. Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)

Another significant brain vitamin is pantothenic acid or B5. B5 is an essential vitamin that helps with brain function and the synthesis of some neurotransmitters, while also aiding energy‐yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

It can thus help your brain and body’s energy levels and is a very useful vitamin for your brain.

5. Vitamin B6 (Pyroxidine)

Pyroxidine helps maintain energy‐yielding metabolism and supports the immune system.Other aspects of pyroxidine make it a brain vitamin: specifically, it aids in regular nervous system function, psychological functions and the regulation of hormonal activity.

Furthermore, Tyrosine is also extremely helpful for those who are under a high amount of stress or are sleep deprived, as it can increase alertness, memory and learning.

6. Vitamin B7 (Biotin)

Biotin is another brain vitamin that helps stabilise stress and balance your mood.

Moreover, this brain vitamin can help with the function of the nervous system and regular psychological function, making it important for your brain.

7. Vitamin B9 (Folic acid) 

Folic acid helps reduce tiredness and maintain psychological function along with many other benefits.

It's found in foods like liver and dark green vegetables (broccoli, spinach and the much-maligned Brussels sprout).

8. Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)

B12 - or cobalamin - works as a brain vitamin as it can help psychological function and the nervous system.

Moreover, this brain vitamin can contribute to the reduction of tiredness, fatigue and the normal function of the immune system.

9. Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)

Vitamin C is another important vitamin for the brain, that helps the nervous system function properly, and also contributes to psychological function.

This brain vitamin also has numerous other benefits, including helping the immune system during and after exercise, helping maintain normal energy-yielding metabolism, and increasing iron absorption.

10. Choline

While not strictly a vitamin, choline is vitamin-like, according to academic sources.

Choline is a good brain vitamin because it’s necessary to produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Acetylcholine helps regulate mood, intelligence and cognitive processes.

11. Ginkgo Biloba

Not a vitamin either, ginkgo supplements are believed to be able to help your mental performance and brainpower, and may even support your memory.

Ginkgo is found in supplements on its own or in brain supplement stacks.

12. Vitamin E

Vitamin E is an antioxidant, similar to amino acids like Alcar, and is thus a good brain vitamin for studying as it may help your brain's performance. It's found in nuts and seeds.

13. Iron

Iron contributes to normal cognitive function and the immune system. As a result, iron can act as a brain vitamin, particularly because many people are deficient in it.

14. Magnesium

Magnesium also functions as a brain vitamin, because it helps maintain regular psychological and nervous system function.

15. Zinc

Zinc is known to have good properties for general health. And, as zinc has been linked to beneficial effects for the brain, it may also be classified as a brain vitamin.

Zinc is thought to have a role in cognitive stability, and it may also help memory formation. It’s believed that zinc promotes communication between neurons and the hippocampus in the brain, two very important components of the brain.

This makes Zinc an important brain vitamin.

16. Probiotics

Probiotics such as Acidophilus have been in the news recently because scientists, doctors and nutritionists have been finding more and more links between the gut and the brain.

Ever had a gut feeling about something?That's the most obvious way the gut communicates with the brain, but recent research suggests what's going on in the gut can affect mood, memory, concentration and mental performance.

This is the reason why probiotics are becoming a staple in biohacker toolkits.

Conclusion: the best brain vitamins for studying

In a world which continues to become increasingly competitive, it is only natural that we are searching for ways to get the most out of our body and brain.

Food which used to be full of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients is losing these due to the widespread use of chemical fertilisers. The fruit and vegetables that are grown today have 10-25% less nutritional value than those grown even 30 years ago.

This has caused the growth of a booming supplement industry that provides all the nutrition you might need.

If you are looking to boost your brain, we would highly recommend opting for natural brain vitamin supplements over any pharmaceutical products. Natural brain vitamin supplements provide you with a range of great benefits with no unpleasant side effects.

Read more about how our favourite brain power supplement can improve your brain power.

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