How many times have you found your attention wavering from the task at hand? Do you often come back from work, or an important exam, wishing that you had fared better? An important question that people ask is, are supplements worth taking to improve your mental performance?
The mental performance here could refer to various cognitive functions, such as improving your processing skills, memory, creativity, your analytical abilities, and so on.
The answer is yes; it is possible to improve your cognitive functioning with the help of these supplements. There are plenty of mental performance boosting supplements on the market, such as Mind Lab Pro and Alpha Brain.
Supplements provide some important nutrients that you may have been missing out on in your diet. These would include quantities of vitamins, minerals, and herbs. They have been specifically designed keeping in mind that your body might not be receiving optimum nourishment through your regular meals.
It has been observed that improper diet and nutrition can cause several psychological conditions. These include depression, memory loss, lack of concentration, anxiety, and so on.
What is the Connection Between Supplements and Better Mental Performance?
The link between what you consume and your mental performance is connected to the relationship between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract. Consuming nutritionally appropriate food affects the production of useful chemicals, and the brain receives the signals accordingly.
This is reflected in the mood of the person, as well as their mental performance. In case the person sticks to a diet of nutrient-rich food, they are likely to experience better conditions of mood and an improved cognitive state.
This isn’t very easy if the food that the person consumes is not nutritious. This can happen due to the age of the person or other circumstances. This is when they are advised to take supplements to improve their cognitive functioning.
What are Some of the Essential Nutrients in Supplements?
Below, we have discussed some of the nutrients which are usually found in supplements and which are known to improve your mental capacity significantly:
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
This is a nutrient that is regularly found in fish oil. However, if you are not a regular consumer of fish, you might consider taking a few supplements for this. The reason that it is so essential for consuming it is that the body cannot naturally manufacture this fat on its own.
The benefits of Omega 3 acids are multi-faceted. They have a beneficial impact on your memory, brain functioning, and even the time taken to respond to stimuli.
Omega 3 acids improve the health of the baby both during pregnancy as well as during the early growing stages. Other potential benefits of omega 3 acids are reduction of the chances of Alzheimer’s or even dementia and depression.
Vitamin B12
Getting adequate amounts of Vitamin B12 improves your memory. Also, it improves your grasping capacity, making it easier for the consumer to understand concepts faster. It is reported that it has a positive impact on your mood and also works with symptoms of depression.
In the case of older citizens, there might be a deficiency in Vitamin B 12 due to problems in the digestive system or an inability to absorb the nutrients. This makes the vitamin an essential ingredient when it comes to taking supplements.
Vitamin D
While Vitamin D is something that is more frequently associated with the well-being of bones, it is also crucial for the proper functioning of the brain. Maintaining healthy levels of the vitamin is important for preventing the onset of Schizophrenia, Dementia, Alzheimer’s, or depression.
The lack of vitamin D typically happens in older citizens who might be unable to go out for a walk or have trouble consuming some regular foods such as egg yolk, fish, etc.
Anti-oxidants
They are recommended for fighting inflammation in all sorts of medical conditions.
Thus, if these essential nutrients are missing from your diet, it is all the more essential to compensate for them by the consumption of supplements.
How Long Does it Take for the Changes to Take Place?
It may take a week, or more, depending upon the number of changes that you are making in your diet, the number of supplements that you are taking, and also the lifestyle changes that you are making. While significant transformation does not happen overnight, conscious improvements in lifestyle will certainly lead to better mental performance over some time.
Conclusion
Maintaining a healthy diet might not always be possible. This can have lasting effects on not just your mood but your ability to process things in general. The difficulties can range from mild conditions such as memory loss to major conditions such as impairment in cognitive abilities or Schizophrenia. While you need to consult your doctor in these cases, you can certainly take some of these supplements to help you out with the problems.