Have you ever walked into a room intending to get something, but by the time you get there, you have no idea what you went for?
We’re all forgetful sometimes, but keeping your memory sharp takes constant exercise (yes, you need to exercise your brain just like your muscles) and a curated stack of brain-boosting nutrients.
Memory loss and cognitive decline are two conditions that are challenging to reverse, so staying on top of them is essential—and what better way to do that than through nutrition?
This article breaks down what you need to know about brain-boosting nutrients and gives you the ultimate duo to kick your brain into high gear.
In a hurry? Then be sure to check out the best omega-3 supplement and ultramodern nootropic for the ultimate brain boost today!
The Basics Of Brain Health
Changes to the brain are a normal part of aging, but several factors can accelerate memory decline and cognitive impairment. Just as you take care of your body to maintain physical health, you must care for your brain to support mental health.
The vast majority of the brain comprises fat—about 60%—and the remainder is a combination of water, protein, carbohydrates, and salt 1. As the old homeopathic saying goes, “treat like with like”—if you want to keep the brain healthy, you have to supply it with fat, which is critical in a brain-boosting diet.
But new research finds that the condition of your blood vessels says a lot about the overall health of your brain. Several factors, like smoking, hypertension, and diabetes, which affect the vascular system, can increase the risk of cognitive issues. Long-term, these factors can cause brain deterioration and increase the risk of developing cognitive decline.
A study published in the European Heart Journal looked at MRIs from over 9,000 people between the ages of 44 and 79 to determine the links between vascular risk factors (smoking, high cholesterol, BMI, etc.) and brain structures involved in complex thinking 2. These areas have been shown to deteriorate as dementia develops.
Researchers found that smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes had the most significant associations with brain atrophy and gray and white brain matter loss. But all the studied factors, except high cholesterol, were, to some degree, involved in declining brain health.
Brain health is more than just eating well and taking supplements—it’s also about caring for your brain physically and mentally.
If you want to support your brain as you age and minimize the risk of cognitive impairment, here are four things you need to be doing in addition to supplementing with brain-specific nutrients:
- Move more: Physical activity doesn’t just benefit you physically but also mentally. More active people perform better on memory tests and see growth in brain areas related to memory. That’s because movement helps reduce inflammation in the brain and stimulates growth factors that promote the development and function of neural cells.
- Get enough sleep: The brain undergoes a cleaning during sleep, which helps to clear out all of the ‘gunk’ that accumulates in the brain during awake hours. Getting 7-9 hours of good quality sleep each night is critical for strengthening cognitive processes and enhancing memory and knowledge.
- Eat well: Foods that are good for the heart and generally good for the brain. Load up on colorful fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, lean proteins, and complex carbs rich in phytonutrients that support brain health. Stay away from sugar, processed and refined grains, industrial seed oils, and processed meats.
- Exercise your brain: Simulating your brain by learning and discovering is one of the best ways to create new neural pathways and promote brain resiliency. And it may also help to ward off the symptoms of dementia, like memory loss. Find new ways to challenge your brain daily, even if it’s something as quick as a puzzle.
The Best Vegan Memory-Boosting Nutrients
1. Omega-3s
Everyone knows omega-3s and other healthy fats for heart health, but they’re also some of the best supplements for supporting the brain. The brain is composed mainly of fat, so feeding it with EFAs is a must—especially DHA.
A large body of evidence shows the benefit of EPA and DHA for brain health. DHA plays a vital role in maintaining the structure and function of your brain, comprising roughly 25% of the total fat in your brain and over 90% of the omega-3s in your brain 1, 3.
It affects neurological function through its role in signal transduction, neurotransmission, neurogenesis, myelination, membrane receptor function, synaptic plasticity, modulating neuroinflammation, and supporting membrane 3.
On the other hand, EPA is also critical for promoting brain health and can protect the brain against free radical damage and aging because of its powerful anti-inflammatory properties 4.
While both EPA and DHA are essential for the brain, DHA significantly benefits thinking skills, memory, and reaction times and supports overall brain function.
2. Phosphatidylserine
Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a phospholipid that is an essential component of nerve membranes; it covers and protects cells to ensure proper neurotransmission.
Because aging is linked to biochemical alterations and structural deterioration that can interfere with neurotransmission, PS supplementation may help slow, halt, or reverse those changes to protect and preserve nerve cell function 5.
Studies have shown benefits for cognitive functions like short-term memory, long-term memory consolidation, memory formation, memory retrieval, information recall, focus and concentration, reason, problem-solving, and more. It also sports locomotor functions like rapid reactions and reflexes.
3. Citicoline
You may have come across choline before—found in egg yolks and many supplements, but citicoline may be new. Also known as cytidine diphosphate-choline (CDP-Choline), citicoline is a naturally occurring compound that serves as the building block of cell membranes.
It is an intermediate in converting choline to phosphatidylcholine, and by boosting choline levels, you increase the substrate to form acetylcholine.
Acetylcholine (Ach) is a neurotransmitter that plays a significant role in regulating memory and mood 6. Research links a higher choline intake to improved brain functions such as memory and information processing, better long-term verbal memory, and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s 7-9.
4. Maritime Pine Bark
Yes, you guessed right—we’re talking about actual pine bark as a powerful memory booster. Maritime pine bark is isolated from the bark of the maritime pine tree. MPB is a concentrated source of phytochemicals that exhibit potent biological and physiological properties, especially when protecting the brain.
Cognitive impairment and deterioration are two hallmark symptoms associated with aging, and alterations to brain structure, neural activity, and biochemical profile are major contributing factors to functional losses and reduced cognitive ability.
However, MPB possesses potent antioxidant and biomodulating properties that offer protection against free-radical induced brain damage.
It acts as a radical scavenger to protect DNA from damage, enhance the synthesis of antioxidant enzymes, and protect other endogenous antioxidants from oxidative damage.
Want a bigger brain boost? Try this power duo!
Performance Lab Mind + Performance Lab Omega-3
Your brain works tirelessly every day from the day you’re born to the day you pass—and if you want it to perform optimally throughout your entire life, you need to take care of it. While that means implementing what we talked about above, it also means feeding it with the best nutrients.
Performance Lab Mind is the cleanest and most effective nootropic supplement on the market designed to take your brain health and function to the next level. It’s also the only nootropic that enhances cognitive function while supporting recovery from intense mental exertion.
Mind features Cognizin® citicoline, eco-friendly Sharp-PS® Green phosphatidylserine, and the highest-potency Maritime Pine Bark Extract. It’s a revolutionary stim-free brain formula that promotes peak human performance no matter the circumstance.
By enhancing performance-driven cognitive functions—speed, focus, energy, memory, motivation, and more—Mind supports daily function and helps you bounce back from periods of high stress to avoid burnout.
And when you combine Mind with Performance Lab Omega-3, you’re getting full-spectrum coverage for ultimate brain performance. EPA and DHA are two of the essential fats supporting cell membrane fluidity, permeability, and function.
Higher omega-3 blood levels have been linked to better attention, processing speed, recall, enhanced brain health and mental performance, and more balanced moods.
But unlike conventional fish oil supplements that are low potency, contaminated, unsustainable, and may cause gastric distress, PL Omega-3 is clean. It’s sourced from the original aquatic source of EPA and DHA: algae.
With no mercury, heavy metals, PCBs, or toxic contaminants, algae oil supplied high-potency, ultra-clean EPA and DHA for advanced brain health and overall foundational support.
And don’t forget to keep your nutrient stores topped up for maximum cognitive performance with Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi.
It’s the most innovative and effective multivitamin on the market, providing 100% RDI of 17+ essential vitamins and minerals tailored to men’s and women’s specific needs.
And with NutriGenesis technology, each nutrient is complexed with cofactors to boost absorption and enhance bioactivities. So, where your diet may fall short of nutrients promoting brain health, Multi will keep you covered.
References
- Chang CY, Ke DS, Chen JY. Essential fatty acids and human brain. Acta Neurol Taiwan. 2009;18(4):231-241.
- Cox SR, Lyall DM, Ritchie SJ, et al. Associations between vascular risk factors and brain MRI indices in UK Biobank. Eur Heart J. 2019;40(28):2290-2300.
- Weiser MJ, Butt CM, Mohajeri MH. Docosahexaenoic Acid and Cognition throughout the Lifespan. Nutrients. 2016;8(2):99.
- Bozzatello P, Brignolo E, De Grandi E, Bellino S. Supplementation with Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Psychiatric Disorders: A Review of Literature Data. J Clin Med. 2016;5(8):67.
- Glade MJ, Smith K. Phosphatidylserine and the human brain. Nutrition. 2015;31(6):781-786.
- Poly C, Massaro JM, Seshadri S, et al. The relation of dietary choline to cognitive performance and white-matter hyperintensity in the Framingham Offspring Cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;94(6):1584-1591.
- Nurk E, Refsum H, Bjelland I, et al. Plasma free choline, betaine and cognitive performance: the Hordaland Health Study. Br J Nutr. 2013;109(3):511-519.
- Spiers PA, Myers D, Hochanadel GS, Lieberman HR, Wurtman RJ. Citicoline improves verbal memory in aging (published correction appears in Arch Neurol 1996 Oct;53(10):964). Arch Neurol. 1996;53(5):441-448.
- Little A, Levy R, Chuaqui-Kidd P, Hand D. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of high-dose lecithin in Alzheimer’s disease. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1985;48(8):736-742.
