Submitted by: Kevin P. Green

We all want our brains to function like a well-oiled machine, but unfortunately, we don t always do everything that we should to make sure that happens. Proper nutrition, adequate physical activity, plenty of sleep, and intellectually stimulating activities are all incredibly important to help keep your brain in tip-top shape.

Part of a sound nutritional plan for excellent brain health is making sure that you consume the proper balance of vitamins and minerals to allow your body to function efficiently. There are certain vitamins that have been shown to play important roles within the central nervous system. A deficiency of any of these vitamins can have detrimental effects on a wide range of cognitive functions. Should the diet not contain adequate amounts of these crucial components, a general purpose multivitamin might be in order. As always, consult with a health professional prior to starting any dietary supplement, both to assess your current state of health, and to make sure the supplement you have in mind is appropriate for you and your situation.

Here are five essential vitamins that make sure that your brain works the way it s supposed to:

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Vitamin B6 Vitamin B6 has quite a bit of activity in the brain. By aiding the conversion of L-tryptophan into seratonin, B6 plays an important role in mood stabilization. Low levels of seratonin are associated with several health conditions, including depression, mood disorders, and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder.

Vitamin E Women are probably familiar with vitamin E because this is a common ingredient in many body lotions and skin creams. Aside from being great for complexion, scar healing, and as a wrinkle reducer, Vitamin E is also a powerful antioxidant that can help clear toxins from your brain.

Vitamin C Found commonly in oranges and many other citrus fruits, vitamin C is very popular. Vitamin C is a powerful ingredient that can help with brain function along with many other critical processes in the body. Vitamin C works with Vitamin E and the combination have powerful antioxidant activity.

Vitamin B-12 One of the most important roles of vitamin B12 is to aid with the production of red blood cells which carry oxygen throughout the body. Studies have shown that B12 is also active within the central nervous system, and elderly people with higher levels of B12 were six times less likely to experience brain shrinkage than those who were deficient in B12.

Vitamin B-1 Vitamin B-1, or thiamine as it is more commonly known, plays an important role in the central nervous system by allowing neurotransmitters, or brain chemicals, to work the way that they re supposed to. Thiamin directly affects acetylcholine, and when it is in short supply, can have significantly detrimental effects on memory, as well as neuron loss due to oxidative stress. Adequate levels of thiamine are vital for warding off long term brain damage which people who are deficient in thiamine, like alcoholics, can suffer from.

Make it a point to include these five important vitamins in your dietary plan to ensure a healthy brain and nervous system for years to come.

About the Author: Kevin Green has studied memory and brain function for years and has created a resource to help people enhance their recall abilities at

LearnToImproveYourMemory.com

. Sign up to receive a free 10 part mini-course at

learntoimproveyourmemory.com/memory-supplements

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Source:

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