Top Ten Brain Health Supplements

In the first edition of the Structural Brain Health series we set a simple foundation of self-care. Health habits that direct our mind+body systems on a course towards complete, holistic, natural health aka “deep health”:

In last week’s edition of the Structural Brain Health series we began building the first floor, of Brain Health Nutrients, atop that foundation:

Most of these nutrients (micronutrients with a couple exceptions) were known to have stand-out brain health and longevity benefits well before Martha Clare Morris developed the MIND diet in 2015.

We’ll break down each of the above nutrients individually in great detail in future BrainHealth.news editions. Please stay tuned.

Having identified the high-proof whole food nutrients yielding brain health advantages based on Morris’ MIND diet research last week, now we can explore which nutrients to consume as whole foods vs. as nutraceutical compound isolates (supplements).

Again, supplements should supplement (enhance, augment, optimize) nutrition. Not merely compensate for a sub-optimal or less healthy diet. (Even if that’s not a bad reason to take supplements.)

Despite what many ardent social influencers, including some high-profile medical researchers and practitioners, may say, enhancing your brain's long-term health and near-term performance isn't best achieved merely by taking a daily capsule or scoop of powder. No matter how "athletic" or green it is.

To list nutrients that are best consumed as supplements, let’s start by eliminating nutrient compounds that can, and should, be consumed as whole foods:

The MIND diet foods, such as nuts, legumes, fruits, and colorful vegetables, typically provide us very sufficient amounts of boron.

Whole food sources are generally considered more beneficial than isolated flavonoid supplements, such as curcumin in turmeric, due to their nutrient matrix and phytochemical synergy effects.

The MIND diet provides ample polyphenol-rich foods such i.e. berries, tea and dark chocolate. Research findings broadly support dietary intake over isolated extracts.

Leafy greens, legumes, and other MIND diet staples normally provide ample amounts of folates.

Requirements are typically met through simple iodized salt. Seaweed (i.e. sushi wrap, dried snacks) and seafood (esp. haddock, cod, shellfish and shrimp) provide ample amounts. Too much iodine can be as problematic as not enough.

The MIND diet provides entirely sufficient amounts of iron. As with iodine, too much can be as problematic as not enough. The exceptions are during pregnancy, menstrual cycle, and endurance sports, during which supplementation is recommended.

Our body produces carnitine from lysine and methionine, amino acids provided by a wide variety of foods in a MIND-friendly diet, i.e. dairy, meats, soy, nuts, seeds and oats. On a personal note, I’ve supplemented L-Carnitine previously for energy and potential hormonal benefit but stopped for lack of any subjective improvement. Findings in some research corroborates my anecdotal experience.¹

Our body produces carnosine from beta-alanine and histidine, amino acids provided by many high protein foods in the MIND diet. Similarly to carnitine, the effectiveness of supplementing carnosine has proven limited². A common exception however is sports performance, where supplementing beta-alanine (carnosine precursor) can be particularly useful.

This, at long last, leaves us with the remaining nutrient compounds that are best consumed as nutraceutical compound isolates (supplements) for optimal brain health and neurocognitive performance:

Whole foods alone, even with frequent meat or fish meals, don’t normally saturate creatine capacity in brain tissues. A daily dose builds brain energy reserves up to meet spikes in demand. Those of us who consume little or no meat (vegetarians, vegans and pescatarians to some degree) benefit most from supplementation.
Dose: 5g/day for baseline. Up to 25g infrequently and not all at once each day (to avoid gastrointestinal stress), up to 7 consecutive days for expected peak performance exertion.^3-5

Dietary choline gets drawn down across the whole body, so an isolated dose of citicoline or alpha-GPC (forms that cross the blood-brain barrier) raise its bioavailability to brain cells for under spikes in cognitive load. Those of us who consume little or no eggs (vegetarians, vegans) benefit most from supplementation.
Dose: Citicoline 250–500 mg/day. Alpha-GPC 300–600 mg/day. (Not both/day.)

Supplementing our diet sustains tyrosine reserves to keep the underlying reserve that dopamine and norepinephrine draw on ahead of peak cognitive demand, to keep focus fueled.
Dose: 100–150mg/day.

A purified, concentrated dose achieves our targeted high dose without increasing mercury and PCB levels carried in fish flesh. Augmented doses of DHA isolates build supple, fluid brain cell membranes that facilitate efficient neurotransmission through synaptic enrichment. EPA isolates protect from neuroinflammation resulting in improved near-term mood and reduced long-term cognitive decline. Those of us eating little or no fish (vegetarians, vegans) benefit most by taking algal (algae sourced) oil or powder. Algae-sourced DHA adds an ALA to DHA conversion pathway efficiency.
Dose: 1–2 g/day (EPA+DHA).^6-9

My dear, patient reader has processed a lot here. Likely without the help of optimal amounts of the nutrients above. Plus I’ve already passed the target word-count per edition. Yet I believe my educated, highly intelligent reader is wondering “are these are the only nutrients I need to optimize brain health and cognitive performance?” Answer: No. Not even close. But we’ve built our home of Structural Brain Health on a solid

Next week we’ll inventory, analyze and concatenate the top ten brain health and cognitive performance supplements based on a range of popular and authoritative (peer-reviewed science) research sources.

For next weeks inventory of expert’s brain health supplement recommendations, I plan to include influencers in health/wellness, as well as prominent low-profile researchers, too busy doing and publishing research to be active on social (ad) platforms.

I want to know what sources you think should be included - who do you trust the most for brain health and cognitive performance supplement recommendations?

Footnotes