Brain Vitamins: Vitamin C

Keep cool. Be mindful. Try this mindfulness technique: Eat an orange slowly, segment by segment. Focusing on the taste, touch, sight and smell of the orange will help reduce stress. And don't forget all of the benefits of vitamin C, as well.

May. 1, 2015 Be Brain Fit

It’s nearly impossible to get brain-healthy nutrition from diet alone these days.

Stress, sugar, caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, medications, and poor digestion are just some of the issues that increase your need for vitamins.

There’s an abundance of evidence that taking the right vitamins can improve how well your brain works now … and protect it from mental decline in the future.

These brain vitamins can even make you happier and help you live longer.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is the most popular single vitamin supplement. And for good reason. It’s safe, inexpensive, and there are few things this powerhouse vitamin can’t do! It’s widely taken to prevent, or at least minimize, the discomforts of the common cold. It’s a natural antihistamine used by millions to reduce allergy symptoms.

Studies suggest it can help prevent both heart disease and cancer. And, of course, it’s the cure for scurvy, a former scourge among sailors and pirates.

In a recent study, subjects randomly given vitamin C reported feeling happier, often within as little as one week. Since vitamin C specifically increases the neurotransmitter serotonin — the “happy molecule” — it may act as nature’s own natural antidepressant.

Vitamin C protects against age-related brain degeneration, including dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and strokes. To take full advantage of Vitamin C’s benefits, 2,000 mg is the recommended daily dosage.