Enhance brain function with more vitamins

Professor David Kennedy, Director of the Brain Performance and Nutrition Research Centre, and Professor of Biological Psychology at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom, visited Australia last week explaining how his research into nutrients and their impact on brain function could help with Australia’s aging population. Professor Kennedy gave us a unique insight into how vitamins enhance brain performance, why Australians need to moderate their diet and how you can your enhance concentration and stamina.

What’s the role of vitamins in optimal brain function?
Vitamins are a group of 13 micronutrients that have to be obtained from the diet. They are absolutely essential for every physiological process in the body. In terms of brain function they are required for diverse roles ranging from general cellular energy production, through protective roles as anti-oxidants, to direct involvement in the synthesis and use of all of the brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, that drive brain function. Several vitamins even bind to their own brain receptors and directly affect function.

What are the best vitamins to increase your brain function?
A lot of the research in this area has just concentrated on supplementing people with two or three B vitamins, with generally very inconclusive results. This is probably because all of the vitamins are important, and for any individual the most important vitamins will be those that are at less than optimum levels. This might account for the more favourable research emerging that suggests improved brain function when people are given multi-vitamins.

How has the modern diet impacted on brain function?
Living organisms can synthesise vitamins, but by a process of evolution humans and other animals have lost the ability to make a selection of vitamins, which differ depending on the species. This is because vitamins are ubiquitous in our natural diet, and it’s easier and more advantageous to just get them from food rather than making them. Unfortunately, our human diet has changed dramatically since agriculture was developed 12000 years ago, and we now eat a lot of high-energy, micronutrient depleted foods, rather than the diet of vegetables with a bit of meat of our pre-agricultural ancestors. This divergence between what we should eat and what we do eat might account for the less than optimal levels of vitamins we see in developed societies.

Related links:
Bananas help stop a stroke
Why diet drinks and health waters are bad for you
Four steps to a better relationship

What daily changes should we make to our life to improve life expectancy?
In terms of diet we should eat more fruit and vegetables and avoid eating too many those high-energy, low-nutrient foods. Unfortunately we really like eating the things that aren’t so good for us (I certainly do) so taking a multi-vitamin might fill the micronutrient gap. Exercise is also key to increasing life expectancy and delaying age associated declines in mental performance.

How might Australians enhance their concentration and stamina?
The answer to this is really the same as the last question. If you feel that you don’t have an optimum diet then a multi-vitamin/mineral will make sure you’re bridging any gaps in your micronutrient status.

Dementia has become an increasing problem in our growing population. Is there anything we can do to prevent it?
The evidence points to relationships between the levels of individual vitamins and cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly. Suboptimal vitamin status throughout the lifespan probably leads to an accumulation of wear and tear on the brain (and other organs) so it’s important to have a healthy diet, or take supplements if you feel they are necessary, throughout your life.

Can you give us an insight into your day-to day life?
In work terms I’m mainly office bound – keeping an eye on how our various research projects are progressing and doing lots of academic writing – so I spend a lot of time in front of my computer. I try to balance that with plenty of exercise and as a good a diet as I can manage, although I do like all of the stuff that isn’t so good for you. I’ve got two young children, so they take up a lot of my spare time and keep me on the go.

Eat more, weigh less
10 foods to boost your brain power
Superfoods to get you through the winter