Natural Insight
Boost your Brain
By Sabeen Faquir
At the pharmacy, a customer came in wondering about the benefits of fish oil for memory. I’m here to tell you they are profound! And it’s not only fish oils that can help with brain functions like memory and mood, but vinpocetine, and B vitamins too!
In one study, subjects were given the concentrated fish oil supplement DHA in capsule form and revisited after 12 months. In the double blind, placebo-controlled group, the fish oil group showed significant improvement in short-term and working memory, immediate verbal memory, and delayed recall capability (Lee et al). In another study, rats were trained in an 8-arm radial maze and subjected to transient, global cerebral ischemia or TGCI. They were then given 3 different regimens of 300mg/kg/day of DHA orally and it was found that the groups given fish oil from 3 days prior to ischemia until 4 weeks post-ischemia or from 3 days prior to ischemia until 1 week post-ischemia experienced a complete abolition of amnesia (Bacarin et al).
Vinpocetine is another alternative to help support brain health. It was found to help protect neurons from damage that cause dementia. In the study, it was found treatment of agomelatine (a melatonin receptor helper) and vinpocetine reduced induced learning and memory deficits in mice (Gupta et al). It also limited cholinergic dysfunction, oxidative stress, and tissue damage.
Like Gingko Biloba, vinpocetine increases blood flow to the brain and is contraindicated with medications that slow blood clotting like aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn, others), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, warfarin (Coumadin), and others. But unlike Gingko, it is not contraindicated with anticonvulsants, antidepressants, diabetes medicines, drugs that affect the liver and supplements like garlic, saw palmetto, and St. Johns wort. For a more complete list of interactions with Ginkgo Biloba, check WebMD’s page on Ginkgo interactions.
The vitamins B function in brain health in a number of ways. Specifically, vitamin B3 is a precursor to tryptophan, a feel good neurotransmitter and vitamin B6 helps the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin, another feel good transmitter. Toxicity is acknowledged for vitamin B6 when taken chronically in a dose of 1-6mg per day for 12 to 40 months (NIH). And, some people experience a flush from vitamin B3. So, the best idea is a B complex delivering 1mg or less of vitamin B6 and 100mg or less of vitamin B3 (Ehrlich).
B vitamins are so influential for brain health that another study limits the benefits of omega 3 fatty acids to those subjects with good vitamin B status (Jerneren et al). In the study, the cognitively impaired participants with high omega-3 fatty acid levels exhibited a slowed mean brain atrophy rate by 40.0% compared with the placebo group. B vitamin treatment included daily high dose B vitamin supplementation with 0.8mg folic acid, 20mg vitamin B-6, and 0.5mg vitamin B-12. If you’re thinking about your brain health, talk to your doctor.
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Sabeen is currently an MPH student at NOVA Southeastern University. She is an evidence-based health writer able to decipher and convey first hand research to an informed audience. Sabeen was inspired to write about natural alternatives to health after working for a science and health information dispensing company that also sold vitamins and supplements.
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Disclaimer: The statements in this article are not intended to treat, prevent, diagnose, or cure disease
Sources
Fredrik Jernerén, Amany K Elshorbagy, Abderrahim Oulhaj, Stephen M Smith, Helga Refsum, and A David Smith. Brain atrophy in cognitively impaired elderly: the importance of long-chain ?-3 fatty acids and B vitamin status in a randomized controlled trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. April 15, 2015
Gupta, Surbhi; Singh, Prabhat; Mohan Sharma, Brij; Sharma, Bhupesh. Neuroprotective Effects of Agomelatine and Vinpocetine Against Chronic Cerebral Hypoperfusion Induced Vascular Dementia. Current Neurovascular Research, Volume 12, Number 3, August 2015, pp. 240-252(13)
Lai Kuan Lee, Suzana Shahar , Ai-Vyrn Chin, Noor Aini Mohd Yusoff. Docosahexaenoic acid-concentrated fish oil supplementation in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI): a 12-month randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Psychopharmacology. February 2013, Volume 225, Issue 3, pp 605-612
Cristiano Correia Bacarin, Marco Aurélio Mori, Emilene Dias Fiuza Ferreira, Cássia Valério Romanini, Rúbia Maria Weffort de Oliveira, Humberto Milani. Fish oil provides robust and sustained memory recovery after cerebral ischemia: Influence of treatment regimen. Physiology & Behavior. Volume 119, 2 July 2013, Pages 61–71
Steven D. Ehrlich, NMD. Vitamin B3 (Niacin). University of Maryland Medical Center. . Last reviewed on 8/6/2015
National Institute of Health (NIH). Vitamin B6: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet. . Reviewed September 15, 2011