Micronutrients and Brain Function

 By Karie N. Anderson  

Have you ever heard the phrase “Put your thinking cap on?” The ability for the brain to process information, to think, to learn, to remember and problem solve is cognition, and micronutrients, specifically minerals, vitamins, and micronutrients, are both directly and indirectly involved in a number of cognitive processes.  

In this month’s The Linus Pauling Institute’s Research Newsletter, there is a fascinating article by Victoria Drake, Ph.D. titled “Micronutrients and Cognitive Function.” This article provides an excellent summary about the effects of supplementing with micronutrients including minerals, trace elements, and vitamins on cognitive (related to one’s thought process) function. 

Maintaining optimal nutritional status; that is, ensuring a good, daily intake and balance of essential minerals, vitamins, and nutrients we know is not only critical for growth and development and maintaining good health, but it’s also necessary for normal cognition or thinking. 

The brain, states Drake, “is a highly metabolically active tissue that needs a constant supply of glucose (sugar) to meet energy needs.”¹

 Have you ever noticed that when you or your children are studying for a test or working hard on a project that commands all of your attention that you feel famished? When the brain is working hard, it needs energy, i.e., glucose to perform its critical functions. That’s why that after-school snack, provided it is a healthy choice, can provide extra “brain power.” Glucose metabolism, states Drake, involves several minerals such as magnesium, iron, manganese plus the vitamins thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid that complete the metabolism of glucose so that the brain has enough energy to perform its crucial functions. 

Another important factor involved in cognition is proper blood supply. Proper blood supply is constantly delivering oxygen, glucose, and macronutrients—all the elements the brain requires so it can do its job. Good nutrition—ensuring a balance of micronutrients—can help maintain blood supply to the brain, states Drake, which, in turn, may lower the risk of stroke. “Stroke,” states Drake, “is a pathological condition that results from impaired blood supply to the brain.”¹ In this capacity, micronutrients including B-vitamins are needed to synthesize various neurotransmitters in the brain, vitamin C is needed for the synthesis of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, zinc is required for functioning of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, aspartate, and gamma-aminobutryic acid or GABA. 

A third aspect whereby micronutrients can influence cognition is through protecting the integrity of the myelin sheath over nerves. The myelin sheath, made up of lipids and proteins, surrounds and insulates nerve fibers and allows nerves to act as conduits in the body’s electrical system, meaning it allows for rapid neurotransmission.¹ B vitamins including folate and B-12 thiamin help maintain the membrane potential and proper conductance of the nerves. 

A deficiency of micronutrients can have far-ranging and long-lasting impacts on cognitive function. Below is a brief list of certain micronutrients, specifically minerals and trace elements, the role they perform in the body, and the effects of inadequate or poor status on cognition. 

Calcium:
Calcium ions, states Drake, regulate a number of physiological processes including neuronal gene expression and the neuronal secretion of neurotransmitters.¹ Calcium is found mostly in the bone in the body and a small amount circulates in the bloodstream. Interestingly, whenever these levels of calcium fall too low, the body will pull or leach calcium from the bones in order to maintain blood levels. So, while a calcium deficiency may not affect cognition, it can adversely affect health later in life. A lifetime of poor calcium intake can increase one’s risk of osteoporosis. 

Iodine:
Iodine is needed for the synthesis of thyroid hormones, which, in turn, are needed for the myelination of the central nervous system. Iodine is necessary for the normal development of the brain. A deficiency of this mineral during critical periods of development in gestation can result in mental retardation and lesser neurodevelopmental deficits.  

Iron:
Iron is an element contained in hundreds of proteins and enzymes involved in multiple aspects of cellular metabolism. Iron is needed for proper development of oligodendrocytes (the brain cells that produce myelin) and numerous enzymes that synthesize neurotransmitters. Iron deficiency during pregnancy and childhood is consistently one of the top global health problems. An iron deficiency during pregnancy can have serious consequences for both mother and infant including permanent learning and memory deficits. 

Magnesium:
Magnesium participates in more than 300 metabolic reactions, many of which are needed for normal brain function. Overt magnesium deficiency has been induced experimentally and results in tremor, muscle spasms, and tetany (involuntary muscle contractions).

Selenium:
Selenium, a trace element, is needed for glutathione peroxidases important antioxidant enzymes in the brain and other tissues. In studies, a selenium deficiency in the brains of lab animals may be linked with a reduced antioxidant capacity in the brain. 

Zinc:
Zinc is found in high levels in the brain where it performs catalytic, structural and regulatory roles in cellular metabolism.¹ In the brain, zinc is bound to proteins but free zinc is present in synaptic vesicles and performs a role in neurotransmission mediated by glutamate and gamma-aminobutryic acid (GABA). Even short-term deficits of zinc have been shown to impair certain measures of mental and neurological function while long-term deficits of zinc, especially during gestation, results in malformation or deficits in attention, learning, memory and neuropsychological behavior. 

To learn more about the role of micronutrients and cognition, go to the Micronutrient Information Center: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/cognition.html. 

Sources:
1. Drake, V. (2011, Spring). Micronutrients and Cognitive Function. The Linus Pauling Institute Research Newsletter, 12-15.

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