Basic vitamins, in the right amount, are key to a good memory, but many of us are deficient. Learn how to use foods and supplements to boost your memory.
If your memory is troubling you, it’s possible your brain simply isn’t getting enough of the basic nutrients it needs to function the way it should.
Being low in critical vitamins can affect not only your ability to remember, but also to focus, learn, and think clearly in general.
Your brain needs all kinds of vitamins to work properly, but some are more important for your memory than others.
Let’s take a look at vitamins A to K to see how important each of them are for memory.
We’ll also cover the surprising ways these vitamins affect your ability to deal with chronic stress, overall mental well-being, and even how happy you feel.
And lastly, we’ll reveal the best food sources of these vitamins and how supplementation can help you fill any gaps in your brain’s nutritional needs.
B Complex Vitamins: For Stress and Memory Loss Protection
The “B” in B complex doesn’t stand for brain, but perhaps it should.
B vitamins have been called the “happy vitamins” or “anti-stress vitamins” since they can improve your mood and increase your tolerance to stress.
An important role of B vitamins for brain health is the production of neurotransmitters vital for a good state of mind.
If you have a serotonin deficiency, you may suffer from anxiety, insomnia, low self-esteem, negative thoughts, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or SAD (seasonal affective disorder).
Without adequate GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), you may find yourself easily stressed, overstimulated, and overwhelmed.
Dopamine helps you get focused.
A sign that you need more dopamine is relying on pick-me-ups like caffeine, sugar, and chocolate to get you through the day.
Taking B complex vitamins can improve your neurotransmitter balance and your mental well-being.
Three of the B’s may be the best vitamins for improving memory over the long haul.
A major Oxford University study found that taking vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid together reduced brain atrophy, improved brain function, and dramatically reduced brain shrinkage in the part of the brain most affected by Alzheimer’s disease. (4)
These results are so promising that some experts are hopeful that the B vitamins may ultimately be used as an inexpensive Alzheimer’s treatment.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Is Common
If your memory is poor or you’re in a constant state of brain fog, you may have a vitamin B12 deficiency.
This is one of the most common vitamin deficiencies in the US with an estimated 40% of adults being deficient. (5)
Vitamin B12 deficiency is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly.
This may be the most important of the B vitamins for memory and overall brain function.
A chronically low B12 level can lead to a wide spectrum of neurological disorders including cognitive decline, dementia, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. (6)
It can ultimately cause brain atrophy and shrinkage, and that’s as harmful as it sounds. (7)
Two particularly high-risk groups are seniors, who often have poor B12 absorption, and vegetarians, since B12 is found only in animal products.
If you are a vegan, be aware that 90% of vegans are B12-deficient. (8)
If you suspect you are deficient, have your B12 level checked.
If it’s low, vitamin B12 supplements can bring your levels back to normal quickly.
But not all B12 supplements are equally good.
Find a supplement with the best-absorbed forms of vitamin B12, methylcobalamin or adenosylcobalamin.
It’s generally recommended that you take all the B vitamins together in a balanced B complex formula.
This is the way they occur together in nature and work synergistically in food. (9)
Best Food Sources of B Vitamins
Sources: Green leafy vegetables, legumes, fruit, eggs, fish, poultry, bananas, carrots, spinach, peas, and potatoes.
Vitamin B12 can be found in all animal products — meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy.
Vitamin C: A Natural Antidepressant and Brain Protector
Vitamin C, the most popular vitamin supplement, is often taken to prevent or minimize the discomforts of the common cold and allergies.
But its effects on the brain are less well known and few people take it as a memory vitamin.
By increasing the neurotransmitter serotonin, the “happy molecule,” vitamin C acts as a natural antidepressant. (10)
This vitamin protects against age-related brain degeneration, including dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke. (11)
The brain is particularly susceptible to free radical damage because of its high oxygen usage.
Vitamin C is one of the most potent antioxidant vitamins, neutralizing this damage.
Vitamin C also acts as a powerful detoxifier that readily crosses the blood-brain barrier to remove heavy metals like lead, mercury, and aluminum from the brain. (12, 13)
Vitamin E: Good for the Brain, Good for the Heart
Vitamin E is a group of 8 naturally occurring forms of the vitamin.
Vitamin E supplements are usually taken for heart health.
Given the rule of thumb that “what’s good for the heart is good for the brain,” you’d be right to assume that vitamin E is also good for your brain. (22)
The main brain benefit of vitamin E is helping prevent mental decline as we age, particularly when it’s paired with vitamin C.
Vitamin E plus C is a promising combination for memory loss.
It’s correlated with maintaining a good memory, slowing memory loss, and even lowering the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia by roughly 60%. (23)
Vitamin E can minimize the damage caused by a stroke. (24)
By redirecting blood supply, it can prevent brain cells from dying after the event. (25)
The best vitamin E supplements contain the “d” form, such as d-alpha tocopherol, rather than the “dl” forms which are synthetic.
Best Food Sources of Vitamin E
Sources: Seeds, nuts, avocados, olive oil, shrimp, green leafy vegetables, and broccoli.
Vitamin K: A Neglected Vitamin for a Good Memory
You don’t hear much about vitamin K from the mainstream media, making vitamin K the “neglected vitamin.”
But that doesn’t mean it’s not important.
Vitamin K plays essential roles in blood clotting. (26)
It puts calcium where it belongs — in your bones — and keeps it from depositing in your arteries.
Vitamin K also helps keep your brain sharp as you age and boosts the speed of brain functions. (27, 28)
It can improve your ability to remember words — a big problem for many of us as we get older. (29)
It’s thought that vitamin K may play a role in preventing Alzheimer’s since patients are often deficient. (30)
In general, deficiency is not a problem in healthy adults.
At-risk groups are people taking warfarin and anti-cholesterol medications.
And since some vitamin K is created in our intestines, people who have taken a lot of antibiotics are also at risk. (31)
NOTE: If you take a blood-thinning medication, you should not take a vitamin K supplement as it may interfere with your medication.
Best Food Sources of Vitamin K
Sources: Green leafy vegetables, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, parsley, celery, asparagus, and fermented foods like sauerkraut.
Vitamin A: One Supplement You Should Skip
There are two main forms of vitamin A found in food, retinol and carotenes.
Beta-carotene is a well-known carotene. (32)
One of the most important functions of vitamin A involves vision.
In many developing countries, vitamin A blindness is a major problem.
But in industrialized countries, vitamin A deficiency is rarely a problem.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that accumulates in your body; you can definitely get too much if you take supplements.
The Vitamin D Council advises against taking cod liver oil or supplemental vitamin A, since either can interfere with vitamin D formation. (33)
Too much vitamin A also reduces neuron creation which can lead to depression. (34)
According to the Mayo Clinic, too much vitamin A can cause increased pressure in the brain, psychiatric disorders, depression, suicidal thoughts, coma, and even death. (35)
A safe dose of vitamin A is generally considered to be 10,000 units per day.
So don’t toss out your multivitamin if it contains this amount or less. (36)
But there is no need to take a separate vitamin A supplement unless you’ve been diagnosed with a deficiency.
Eating foods high in beta carotene will not cause vitamin A toxicity. (37)
Beta carotene is turned into vitamin A in the body on an as-needed basis so it’s safe to consume.
Best Food Sources of Vitamin A / Beta Carotene
Sources: Sweet potatoes, carrots, green leafy vegetables, winter squash, and cantaloupe.
Multivitamins: An Easy Way to Preserve Your Memory
You don’t have to take multiple separate vitamin pills to keep your brain working well.
The Harvard School of Public Health advises all adults to take a multivitamin supplement as insurance to fill any nutritional gaps. (38)
And so do we.
Taking a high-quality multivitamin supplement should meet most of your brain’s vitamin needs.
Buying Memory Vitamins You Can Trust
Since high quality in a supplement is so important, let’s talk about how to choose a vitamin brand that’s effective.
Taking any supplement is a matter of trust.
You trust that it contains what it says on the label — no more and no less.
But as you read with the vitamin D study above, that’s definitely not always the case.
You also trust that the ingredients are in a form usable by the body and in a dosage that will actually deliver the desired benefits.
But how do you know that all of that is in your supplement, for sure?
The truth is, you don’t.
That’s why you need to buy your vitamins from a company you can trust.
This rarely means picking up some inexpensive product at your local drug, grocery, or even vitamin store.
Review the checklist in the article below to find vitamin supplements that work (and don’t waste your money).
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Disclaimer: The facts and opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. Picasso Creative Writing does not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this article.
