Brain Nutrition

A quick list from a really good blog post on Wholistic Matters Blog from Standard Process on what you can do nutritioally for brain health! Click the Wholistic Matters link for the complete article, quick easy read.

“A handful of plants common in the diet as well as individual vitamins and minerals have been identified as supportive of brain function by promoting both (nerve growth factor) NGF and (Brain-derived neurotrophic factor) BDNF.”

• Mushrooms: Lion’s Mane (Hericium erinaceus) is a type of medicinal mushroom shown to stimulate NGF and increase brain plasticity, which allows the brain to adapt to change and a variety of stimuli.₁₀ In addition, Lion’s Mane improves memory and has BDNF-like activity in the hippocampus, which supports memory.₁₁
• Green Tea has shown to improve NGF function. Whole green tea extract may work better than certain isolated forms and has been proven to allow low levels of NGF to increase to 25 times higher.₁₂
• Blueberries contain anthocyanins, which are known for their antidiabetic, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-obesity properties.₁₃ Specifically for the brain, one study found that anthocyanins raise BDNF levels to enhance memory.

Other herbs, vitamins, and foods shown to improve BDNF function:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea)
• Saffron (Crocus sativus)
• Magnolia
• Vitamin D
• Magnesium
• Zinc