Five Vitamins That Can Help Maintain Mental Health
We all know that the way we eat can impact on our physical health and wellbeing, but it can be easy to forget that we eat also changes the way that our brain functions. Your brain needs certain vitamins to function properly. Without these, you can experience a range of neurological and emotional problems. If you’re feeling low on energy or sad, most of us don’t look to our diet for the solution. As well as improving your health, hair, and skin, these vitamins can have a positive impact on your mental health.
B-Vitamins
B vitamins are an essential part of getting energy from food, building vital molecules, and for regulating the metabolism of neurotransmitters, like serotonin. All B vitamins can alleviate the symptoms of depression, stress, and mental decline from age.
Lots of vegetables are high in B vitamins, including spinach, broccoli, turnips, and beetroot. B-12 can only be found in animal products, such as fish, milk eggs. If you’re vegan, it’s worth taking a b-12 supplement. Invest in quality vitamins to feel any gaps in your diet from Douglas Labs vitamins.
Selenium
Selenium is great for the immune system but also works to fight inflammation and support cognitive function.
The food with the highest concentration of selenium is the brazil nut. You can eat just one or two brazil nuts a day to get your recommended amounts of selenium. Be careful, as high doses of selenium are toxic.
Low selenium levels, especially in young people, can put you at a higher risk of depression.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for maintaining mental health. Lacking vitamin D is believed to be the cause of ‘winter blues’ when we feel low in the winter months.
A deficiency in vitamin D has been linked to depression and other mental illnesses, so it’s definitely important.
The best source of vitamin D is the sun. If you’re aren’t able to get much sun during the day, you can replace it with a vitamin D supplement. Many breads, cereals, and milks are fortified with vitamin D too.
Magnesium
Magnesium has a lot of important roles in caring for health. It activates over 300 different enzyme reactions in the body. It is also needed for nerve transmission, muscle contraction, blood coagulation, energy production, nutrient metabolism, and bone and cell formation.
Magnesium is also effective against stress. Low levels of magnesium have been linked to increased adrenaline and cortisol, which are part of the fight or flight reaction to stress.
Magnesium can be found in spinach, kale, chard, pumpkin seeds, yogurt, and almonds.
Turmeric
Turmeric has a lot of health benefits. It contains bioactive compounds with powerful medicinal properties, as well as a natural anti-inflammatory compound.
Turmeric is also effective against depression, anxiety, mood swings, and ADHD. This because turmeric increases the bioavailability of DHA, which is crucial for brain function.
You can buy turmeric as root, or as a powder to use in soups, or as tea, to help you get enough.
