Nourish a Resilient Brain

With a few key supplements and herbs, you can enhance your brain health and help set yourself up for a sharp memory well into the future.

- By Erin Macdonald, RDN, and Tiffani Bachus, RDN, Photography by Yacobchuk/Gettyimages.com, Illustrations by Daria Ustiugova/Gettyimages.com, Tada/Gettyimages.com

While the human brain averages a weight of just three pounds, it is estimated to contain around 100 billion neurons interconnected by trillions of synapses, where nervous impulses pass from one neuron to another. Needless to say, the brain is a complex and important organ.

However, brain aging affects everyone differently. Studies show that some 70-year-olds can perform just as well as 20-year-olds on cognitive tests. Increasingly, research suggests that memory loss isn’t inevitable, as parts of the brain appear to be able to continually grow new cells and re-form their synaptic connections throughout your life.

If you’re hoping to keep your mind sharp for many more years, the following may be some key dietary supplements and herbs to include in your brain-healthy diet.

Magnesium L-threonate

In studies, this variety of the mineral magnesium has been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier. Once in the brain, it appeared to improve learning and memory by enhancing neuronal plasticity and synaptic density. Neuronal plasticity refers to the ability to form new synapses and get rid of old synapses, while synaptic density refers to the number of synapses in the brain.

TRY: Now Foods Magtein Magnesium L-Threonate, $26, nowfoods.com

Vitamin B12