Brain fog—the feeling of mental fuzziness or inability to think clearly—isn’t technically a medical condition, but it’s 100 percent real and disruptive. Nobody wants to walk through their day in a cloud of confusion, struggling to write a coherent email or stay focused on a task.
Brain fog can have a variety of culprits, and many are hiding in your diet. As such, getting enough of certain vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats could actually be the key to clearing mental cobwebs before they even accumulate.
So, what does a brain fog-busting diet look like? Here are five nutrients experts recommend getting your fill of in order to keep brain fog at bay.
- ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Maggie Moon, M.S., R.D., is a Los Angeles-based registered dietitian and author of The MIND Diet. Dr. Samantha Khamo, N.D., is a naturopathic doctor and associate staff physician at Sonoran University.
1. Vitamin D
The more we learn about it, the more it seems there’s nothing vitamin D doesn’t do. Research abounds on its impact on everything from immune health to bone strength. Yet another potential benefit of this dietary multitasker: more mental clarity. “Vitamin D is essential for brain health, so it may help with brain fog,” says Maggie Moon, M.S., R.D., Los Angeles-based registered dietitian and author of The MIND Diet. Vitamin D crosses the blood-brain barrier, where it helps work against plaque formation and supports healthy cellular function and balance, research suggests.
Despite its presence in some foods (and that perennially available source, the sun), many people are deficient in vitamin D. “It can be difficult [to get enough] without regular sun exposure and because of the relatively few foods it’s found in,” Moon points out.
Your move? At your next medical checkup, consider having your vitamin D levels tested. If they’re low, Moon recommends talking to a registered dietitian about food, lifestyle, and supplement options to boost them (The Vitamin Shoppe’s Healthy Awards members get free nutrition coaching). No matter where your levels fall, you can always eat a vitamin D-rich diet by focusing on foods like rainbow trout, salmon, tuna, tilapia, fortified milk, yogurt, and UV-treated mushrooms. Of course, do your best to get outside in the sunshine, too!
2. Vitamin B12
A bit of this brain-boosting B vitamin might be another weapon against foggy thinking. Vitamin B12 deficiencies are associated with mild cognitive impairment, so it stands to reason that getting enough of this nutrient could curb the tide, Moon says.
“Adequate B12 prevents homocysteine buildup, which is linked to an increased risk of dementia,” she explains. “Some of the data is mixed, but several studies show that increasing B12 improves memory and cognition.”
In the U.S., most people aren’t outright deficient in vitamin B12. However, supplementation could be helpful for the 12 percent of adults who are insufficient (meaning their numbers are lower than optimal). Women, people with lower socioeconomic status, and older adults are especially likely to fall into this category, according to Moon.
To get your fill, focus on foods like oysters, nutritional yeast, salmon, tuna, yogurt, eggs, fortified cereals, and plant milk. “If your diet falls short, supplemental B12 is well absorbed and most people can get what they need from a multivitamin,” Moon notes.
3. Iron
Though you might think of iron as the mineral that fortifies your blood, that’s not all it does. Iron is intricately involved in memory and brain health. “Iron is a key factor in transporting oxygen throughout the body, including the brain,” says Dr. Samantha Khamo, N.D., a naturopathic doctor and associate staff physician at Sonoran University. “Without enough oxygen circulating through the bloodstream, and ultimately to the brain, you can develop memory difficulties and brain fog.”
Read More: How to Take Your Iron: The When, Why, Where, And What
Iron is also a co-factor in generating neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, Khamo says. If a lack of iron causes low production of these beneficial neurotransmitters, you might experience poor focus, mood dysregulation, and memory difficulties.
Her solution: “Aim to consume your iron through foods, if you can.” Animal proteins like beef, lamb, turkey, and chicken are all rich in heme iron, the kind our bodies absorb most readily. Other sources include lentils, beans, quinoa, spinach, and tofu, which contain less effectively absorbed non-heme iron.
That said, if you’ve been diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia (or iron deficiency without anemia), supplementation may be right for you. Check in with your healthcare provider about your best approach, since iron supplementation requires some care.
4. Omega-3s
Fun fact: Your brain is mostly fat! “The brain is 60 percent fat, and 20 to 30 percent of that is omega-3s, so getting enough omega-3 fatty acids is an important part of brain health maintenance,” says Moon. These omegas, particularly EPA and DHA, nourish brain cells’ structure and facilitate communication between them, adds Khamo. “This can help with learning, memory, and blood flow to the brain,” she says.
All sorts of delicious foods contain omega-3s, with fatty fish like salmon and other types of seafood being the best sources of EPA and DHA, specifically. Otherwise, you can get your fill of omega-3s from walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and edamame. If these omega-3-containing foods don’t make their way onto your plate, consider upping your intake with a supplement.
5. Magnesium
Magnesium for your cranium? Yes, please! “Magnesium is needed for making neurotransmitters like GABA that impact mood, anxiety, and focus,” says Khamo. An imbalance in these neurotransmitters can contribute to brain fog and mood swings, she says. Magnesium’s ability to ease stress (a common underlying factor behind brain fog and general fatigue) adds to its helpfulness here.
Read More: 6 Possible Culprits Behind Your Brain Fog
There’s even more to magnesium’s potential for brain fog-busting, too. “It also contributes to producing the energy source ATP that our brain and entire body need to function,” Khamo says. “Without adequate ATP, cognitive function can start to decline.”
Food sources of magnesium include leafy greens (think kale, spinach, and arugula), nuts and seeds, chickpeas, black beans, salmon, and mackerel. If you choose to supplement, research indicates that magnesium l-threonate may have the greatest impact on cognitive health.
The Bottom Line
Though diet choices are not the only contributor to brain fog, good nutrition is always worth exploring as a line of defense. Try ramping up the important nutrients above as part of your prevention strategy. “No matter the cause (or causes) of your brain fog, good nutrition can only help support you feeling your best,” says Moon.