Essential Nutrients For Your Brain

Honeybrains Blog

Essential Brain Nutrients

The nutrients your body and brain need most, and simple ways to get more of them every day.

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Essential brain nutrients include color pigments, Omega healthy fats, fibers, minerals, and vitamins. These nutrients support the body systems that feed and protect the nervous system. Most of us need more essential brain nutrients in our daily diet.

Eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and Omega 3 fats with healthful garnishings like herbs, spices, fermented foods, and pure sweeteners from nature is a delicious and proven way to get more of the nutrients your body and brain need.

Color pigments

Color pigments are organic compounds that give flowers, fruits, vegetables, and even butterflies their vivid colors. The red in tomatoes comes from lycopene. The yellow of egg yolk comes from lutein. The orange of squash comes from beta-carotene.

These pigments are good for the body and brain because they help keep the circulatory system free of inflammation and help protect synapses, your dynamic nerve endings. Their chemical structure allows them to absorb extra energy, which helps reduce inflammation. Any natural, colorful food, beverage, or garnishing can be a good source of color pigments, including coffees, teas, chocolates, honey, herbs, and spices.

Omega 3 and 6 healthy fats

Omega 3 and Omega 6 are unsaturated fats that help form the backbone of all the cell membranes in the body and brain. The types of fats we eat shape the fats that become part of our cells. When cell membranes are built with healthy fats, our cells, organs, and body can function better.

Unsaturated fats are especially helpful because their shape makes membranes more flexible, and that flexibility helps cells work more efficiently. The average American diet usually provides enough Omega 6, but not enough Omega 3. Good sources include fish, nuts, seeds, avocado, and grass-fed dairy or meats. Walnuts are also a strong source of Omega 3 and can help improve the balance.

Fiber

Dietary fiber is the naturally occurring carbohydrate found in plant foods. It moves through the digestive system without being absorbed into the blood, which means it has no calories. In fact, fiber may help boost metabolism and reduce calorie absorption.

Getting more fiber supports digestive, circulatory, and metabolic health, all of which directly affect brain health. Fiber also slows digestion, which helps the body get more nutrients from food, and it feeds the beneficial bacteria in the intestines. These bacteria help digest food and also release hormones that support the brain.

Most adults need at least 30 grams of fiber each day, yet many people average closer to 15 grams. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains are all excellent sources of fiber.

Minerals

Minerals are inorganic substances that carry an electrical charge. They are found in water, soil, plants, and the human body. Their charge and concentration across cell membranes affect the efficiency of many biological processes.

The minerals most important for the brain include iron, magnesium, and potassium. Iron is critical for early brain development and is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide. Magnesium supports every metabolic process in the body and brain. Potassium helps regulate fluid levels and supports healthy blood pressure.

Good food sources include grass-fed meats, spinach, kale, greens, nuts, seeds, fish, soybeans, dark chocolate, salmon, apricots, and pomegranates.

Vitamins

Vitamins B12 and B9, also known as folic acid, along with Vitamin D, are especially important for the body and brain. Vitamins B9 and B12 are water-soluble vitamins that help fight inflammation and support the formation of neurotransmitters like dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts more like a hormone. It enters the nucleus of our cells and helps switch on genes involved in learning and growth.

Folate can be found in greens, citrus, and poultry. Vitamin B12 is found in grass-fed meats, eggs, oatmeal, salmon, avocados, whole grains, and legumes. Vitamin D can come from fatty fish, fortified tofu, pumpkin seeds, and sunlight.

How do I know if I am getting enough?

Most of us are not getting enough essential nutrients in our daily diet. Your body and brain may need far more color pigments, Omega 3s, fiber, minerals, and vitamins than they currently receive. A few simple blood tests can help you understand whether your nutrient levels are where they need to be.

A brain-supportive Vitamin B12 level is at least 400 ng/L. Homocysteine, a marker tied to B12 metabolism and circulatory health, should be below 10 umol/L. Vitamin D should be at least 30 ng/mL. You may need to supplement if you take antacids, are not exposed to sunlight regularly, or rarely eat fish. Omega intake should also be part of your routine, with a strong focus on Omega 3.