” My head is cloudy, unclear… And some kind of mental block, lethargy… Like a fog in my head… And weakness… It becomes hard for me to concentrate, hard to read (and I have stopped doing that), hard to just keep up a conversation. I've stopped even trying to remember people's names – I forget them the moment I meet them. I feel tired all the time. I thought it would go away – just rest. But it only gets worse…”
That's roughly how one of my patients described his symptoms in search of the cause of his condition.
Inability to concentrate, confusion, forgetfulness, low energy levels, constant fatigue, wandering thoughts or feelings of hangover are the main manifestations of the condition called brain fog.
The reasons for this condition are mostly lifestyle related. In fact, there are 4 main causes of brain fog: what you eat, how you sleep, how you move and what you think.
Therefore, by adjusting your lifestyle, you will be able to think clearly and deal effectively with the problems you face every day.
At the same time, you may lead a balanced and quite healthy lifestyle, but your thinking is still cloudy and your brain foggy.
Well, our brains need a number of essential nutrients to function properly, and a lack of some of them can also manifest as brain fog.
With that in mind, I'm going to walk you through the 4 most critical nutrients that will help you fight brain fog:
Vitamin B12
If your memory is "gone," and your brain is foggy, you may have a vitamin B12 deficiency. This is one of the most common vitamin deficiencies, with about 40% of adults being deficient.
No kidding, the situation is very serious – vitamin B12 deficiency leads to a whole range of neurological and mental disorders. The elderly (poor absorption) and vegetarians (B12 is only found in animal products) are at particular risk.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D lifts your mood, improves your memory, and dispels fog in your head. It also helps fight depression.
More than 1 billion people are vitamin D deficient.
The sun is the best source of vitamin D, but not all people can get enough. Therefore, taking extra of this vitamin is a good solution.
In addition, vitamin D is important for normal sleep. Thus, additional intake of this vitamin can have a cumulative effect.
Magnesium
If your mind is foggy and you feel tired all the time, magnesium can be an essential supplement for your brain.
According to statistics, about 75% of people are deficient in this mineral. Meanwhile, it is involved in over 600 enzymatic reactions, including protein synthesis and energy metabolism.
Magnesium's main purpose for the brain is to increase its neuroplasticity. This ability to repair broken connections between cells, damaged areas, especially under stress. It also helps fight fatigue because it participates in the formation of ATP molecules. These molecules are an ideal and universal source of energy for cells.
Where can you get magnesium? Nuts, grains, chocolate, oatmeal, fish, seafood, and green leafy vegetables are rich in it.
Iron
Certain patients who complain of constant fatigue, weakness, and head fog are found to have an iron deficiency.
Maintaining adequate levels of iron in the blood plays an important role in the formation and functioning of the central nervous system.
Iron is one of the main trace elements in our body. It directly affects the formation of hemoglobin and the function of the hematopoietic system. Thanks to iron, our brain and whole body get oxygen.
The body is not able to produce iron on its own; it can only process this trace element through food.
From animal foods, the most iron is found in meat, seafood, fish and eggs. Of plant foods, legumes, vegetables, and greens provide a good supply of this trace element. Peas, beans, lentils, other legumes and broccoli are especially rich in iron.
To increase iron levels, nutritionists recommend combining animal and plant foods in your diet. This will help improve iron absorption.
What methods do you have for dealing with brain fog?
If you don't have any, describe how you feel. What can you compare your fog in your head to?
I'm waiting to hear from you… Bye!