Mind and Memory

Nutrients support healthy brain function

Magnesium and vitamins enhance memory

Raising magnesium levels in the brain and neurons appears to improve memory. In this study, 102 healthy men and women, aged 18 to 65, took a placebo or 400 mg of magnesium L-threonate, 80 IU vitamin D, 12 mg vitamin C, 4 mg vitamin B6, and 50 mg phosphatidylserine, half in the morning, half at bedtime.

Before the study and after 30 days, doctors administered the Clinical Memory Test, measuring several domains of cognition: remembering 12 words from a list of 24; associating pairs of related words, and pairs of unrelated words; remembering 15 familiar, everyday images; recognizing abstract graphics; linking face portraits with the surname, career, and hobby shown before; as well as general cognition and memory.

In all measures, the magnesium group saw scores improve by 35.6 to 60.9 percent, while the placebo group did not improve. Doctors said the threonate form of magnesium is highly bioavailable.

^{Reference: Nutrients; 2022, Vol. 14, No. 24, 5235}

Flavonols preserve cognition

Older adults with higher flavonols in the diet slowed age-related decline in cognition. The study included 961 men and women, average age 81, without dementia, who answered a dietary questionnaire and took cognitive and memory tests annually.

After an average of seven years of follow-up, those who got at least 15 mg of total flavonols per day—equal to a cup of dark, leafy greens—had higher scores on 19 cognitive tests, and a slower rate of cognitive decline per decade, compared to those who got the least flavonols; about 5 mg per day. Particular components of flavonols varied in their effect on cognition, with kaempferol having the greatest benefit, followed by myricetin, and quercetin.

Discussing the findings, doctors said the results build on prior research showing flavonols are bioactive and possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties that influence cognition.

^{2nd Reference: Neurology; 2023, Vol. 100, No. 7, 201541}

B-vitamin multi-nutrient improves attention

Modern Western diets have insufficient essential nutrients including vitamins B, C, D, and E, leading to poor long-term health. In this study, 141 men and women, average age 53, with diets that were either optimal or suboptimal, took a placebo or a daily supplement containing vitamins B1, B2, and B12, bacopa monnieri, and ginkgo biloba extract.

After 12 weeks, doctors evaluated cognition and mood, expecting to find a benefit in those with suboptimal diets who received the supplement. Instead, only those with the optimal diets saw improvements in attention-performance tests of reaction time, immediate and delayed recognition, and working memory.

Doctors believe the additional nutrients in optimal diets enhance metabolism of nutritional supplements, particularly the B vitamins.

^{Reference: Nutrients; November, 2022, Vol. 14, No. 23, 5079}

Mushrooms & Mind

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University compared diet and mental health in more than 24,000 adults who participated in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2005 and 2016. Overall, those who consumed an average of 4.9 grams per day of any kind of mushroom were 69 percent less likely to have depression compared to those who ate fewer mushrooms, or who ate no mushrooms at all.

Mushrooms contain an important antioxidant amino acid, ergothioneine, which doctors believe may protect against cell damage; and vitamin B12, which has anxiety-fighting properties; also compounds containing nerve-growth factors; and other antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients.

^{Reference: Journal of Affective Disorders; 2021, Vol. 294, 686-92}

BetsyHealth Note: This article is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before trying a supplement, especially if you have a medical condition, including being pregnant or nursing, take prescription or over-the-counter medications, or are planning on having surgery.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: