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Your brain is the control center of your body–from keeping your heart pumping to keeping your lungs breathing, it is important to follow a diet that ensures your brain is in peak working condition. With working from home and colder weather on the way for many of us, finding motivation to be productive is hard enough—when your body is lacking in what it needs to begin with, your brain function, as well as your ability to focus, will take a major hit. In some cases, supplementation can be an excellent resource to make up for what you might be missing in your diet.
It’s first important to get to the root cause of what is causing your poor focus to determine whether or not supplements are the right choice for you. “Poor focus in adults can arise from a number of factors including poor sleep hygiene, fatigue, overwork and over-scheduling, along with mental health concerns like ADHD, anxiety and depression,” says Dr. Alfiee M. Breland-Noble, psychologist, founder of mental health nonprofit the AAKOMA Project, and Nature Made Wellness Ambassador. It’s important to rule out any underlying conditions by consulting with your doctor before you make any major change in your health regimen.
Your body relies on a delicate balance of vitamins and minerals to function at its best, and you can get an extra boost of those necessary nutrients by adding supplements to your daily wellness routine. But, Dr. Alfiee cautions people to look at the full picture when adding any supplements to their routine. “Vitamins are important and they work best when used in conjunction with healthy lifestyle choices and behaviors.” It’s important to look at the whole picture of your lifestyle before trying to reverse any symptoms with one single pill. “For example, it’s important to practice good sleep hygiene, to pace ourselves in taking on commitments, and to set healthy boundaries.”
According to Dr. Alfiee, there are a number of vitamins that have been shown to sharpen focus. She shared some of the most common one she recommends for sharpening your mind and nourishing your brain.
Vitamin E
“From a behavioral health perspective regarding eating patterns, Vitamin E is an antioxidant which has some support for reducing something called oxidative stress (related to brain health) and can be found in nuts (e.g. almonds) and green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach).” You can buy Vitamin E capsules from any health food store, and can load up on it naturally by eating nuts and leafy greens.
Vitamin B
“Research on B vitamins suggests that they are linked to supporting energy development necessary for developing new brain cells, and they can be found in seafood and citrus fruits.” Consider starting a B-Complex supplement, which typically combines all 8 B Vitamins into one easy pill, so you can get the unique benefits of each one.
Vitamin D
“Vitamin D has been associated with healthy brain aging in clinical research and can be found in different types of milk.” If you don’t like taking pills, many health food stores also sell drops that you can add to food or take by mouth.
Magnesium
“Clinical research suggests that magnesium works as an enzymatic system activator, which is important for proper brain function,” Dr. Alfiee says. Like Vitamin E, magnesium is most commonly found in green leafy vegetables.
While supplements can bridge the gap between what you need and what you have, there are a number of lifestyle changes you can make, coupled with supplementation, that will keep you feeling and thinking your best. “Limiting intake of junk foods and increasing consumption of foods associated with brain health overall are a good bet for positive behavioral change.” Better brain health is key for improving focus, so eating foods listed above, like leafy greens, nuts, and citrus fruits, is crucial for a sharp mind. Consult your doctor and consider adding these supplements to your diet as an extra support.
