The nutritional psychiatrist indicates which is the number one vitamin to keep the brain young and healthy. We review which foods are the ones that provide the most these micronutrients
What you eat and drink can benefit or affect brain health and mental function. Getting the right nutrients helps your brain function properly and can also help prevent cognitive decline.
The brain suffers the consequences of a bad diet, researchers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico point out that eating foods high in fat or sugar may be associated with a state of inflammation of the hippocampus, a brain region related to the establishment of short-term memory .
Harvard nutrition experts list green vegetables, fish, berries, and nuts among the best brain foods.
Among the nutrients to keep the brain young and healthy, B vitamins are a group of vitamins that Dr. Uma Naidoo, nutritional psychiatrist, brain expert, and faculty member at Harvard Medical School, prioritizes the most.
B vitamins include: vitamin B1, vitamin B2 or riboflavin, vitamin B3 or niacin, vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid, vitamin B6 or pyridoxine, vitamin B7 or biotin, vitamin B9 or folate, vitamin B12 or cobalamin.
Depression and poor memory are included among the symptoms of vitamin B deficiency. Scientific reviews indicate that B12 together with folic acid can help prevent developmental disorders of the central nervous system, mood disorders and dementias.
The National Institutes of Health agree that some studies indicate that people with higher levels of vitamin B6 in their blood have better memories.
There are a variety of foods that are rich in B vitamins that can be added to a healthy diet.
Foods with B vitamins
1. egg
An egg is a food rich in beneficial nutrients for the brain, it contains 33% of the recommended daily value of vitamin B7, it is also a source of vitamin B12. It is a food that provides complete protein, choline and a variety of vitamins and minerals.
2. Tuna
Tuna is rich in vitamin B12; three ounces of tuna provides 385% of the recommended daily value. It also provides 53% of vitamin B6 and 54% of niacin or vitamin B3.
3. Salmon
A three-ounce serving of salmon provides 108% of the daily value for vitamin B12, 54% niacin, 53% vitamin B6 and 17% biotin.
4. Yogurt
Natural yogurt is not only a source of calcium and protein, it also provides vitamin B12. One cup can provide 54% of the daily value for vitamin B12.
5. Spinach
Spinach is one of the best sources of folate or vitamin B9. Half a cup of boiled spinach has 33% of the recommended daily intake of folate.
6. Chicken breast and turkey breast
Three ounces of turkey breast provides 63% of the daily value of niacin, 25% of vitamin B6 and 14% of the daily value of vitamin B12. Three ounces of chicken breast provides 64% of the daily value of niacin and 29% of vitamin B6, according to data from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.