As we age, memory is one of the first things to decline. Many people turn to supplements specifically designed to support brain function and memory to combat this. But few people realize how closely gut health is linked with cognitive performance – meaning that taking a gut health supplement can effectively maintain and improve your brain function. In this article, we’ll explore how gut health supplements can support your brain functioning and memory and provide insight into some of the best gut health supplements available today.
What is the link between gut health and brain function?
The connection between our digestive system and the brain has been studied extensively in recent years, and scientists now agree that there is a very close link between them. This understanding comes from around 80% of serotonin (a neurotransmitter responsible for regulating mood) produced in the gut. In addition, inflammation in the digestive system, caused by poor dietary choices or imbalances in gut bacteria, can lead to mental fatigue, impaired concentration and difficulty focusing – all issues that directly affect cognitive performance.
How can gut health supplements help with brain function?
Gut health supplements help support cognitive performance by providing essential vitamins and minerals for healthy digestion. These include probiotics (the live cultures of bacteria found in yogurt), prebiotics (indigestible fibers that act as food for probiotics), omega-3 fatty acids (which reduce inflammation throughout the body) and other micronutrients such as magnesium and zinc. Ensuring that these nutrients are properly absorbed through your digestive tract enables your body to absorb the vital nutrients required for optimal cognitive performance, leading to improved concentration and reduced fatigue.
What are the benefits of taking a gut health supplement for memory?
Taking a daily gut health supplement has many benefits when it comes to memory retention and recall:
– Improved concentration:
As mentioned above, poor digestion can lead to fatigue, making it difficult to focus on tasks at hand or remember important details as it is difficult to store information in long-term memory banks correctly. Taking a daily gut health supplement will help to ensure that you have enough energy left over after meals so that you can concentrate fully on what needs to be done without letting your mind wander easily.
– Reduced stress levels:
Stress hormones such as cortisol are known to inhibit proper digestion; if left in the body for too long, they can cause inflammation, which inhibits nerve cell communication – making it harder for memories formed during stressful events or periods of anxiety to be correctly stored in the long-term memory banks where they should reside permanently, ready to be recalled when needed later. Taking a daily gut health supplement helps to naturally reduce stress hormone levels, giving memories formed under duress a greater chance of being correctly stored before fading away entirely over time due to their anti-inflammatory properties.
– Increased mood stability:
Poor digestion affects both physical well-being (due to nutrient deficiencies causing fatigue/lack of energy/sleep disturbances etc.) and mental well-being; when combined with high-stress levels, this can lead to depression or anxiety-related issues, further reducing the ability to effectively retain new information, leading to short-term memory loss over time if not addressed promptly via dietary changes/supplementation etc. A good quality daily probiotic ensures adequate amounts of serotonin reach receptors throughout the body, aiding natural production & helping to improve mood stability, promoting improved cognitive performance, subsequently increasing the capacity to store & recall information correctly over time if taken consistently.
What are the best gut health supplements available today?
When it comes to choosing a good quality daily gut health supplement, it’s essential to consider the ingredients used to manufacture the product, i.e., look for those that contain clinically proven strains such as Lactobacillus Acidophilus & Bifidobacterium Longum, amongst others, alongside additional beneficial ingredients such as Vitamin D3, Magnesium, Zinc & Omega 3 fatty acids where possible. Additionally, look for ‘certified organic’ products wherever possible as these tend to contain higher quality raw materials than non-organic counterparts.
Finally, always check the label to ensure the product doesn’t contain artificial colors/flavors, preservatives etc. Some popular online brands include Renew Life Ultimate Flora Probiotic, Garden Of Life Primal Defense Ultra & MegaFood MegaFlora.
