There are three key environmental factors which influence your brain: diet, sleep and stress – all of which you can enhance through lifestyle improvements.

Diet and brain health

Your diet is hugely important for good brain health and brain function. Long-chain omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium, calcium, fibre, and vitamins B1, B9, B12, D and E are all important components of a healthy diet.

Plant compounds like the anthocyanins, found in purple fruit and vegetables, exhibit a significant neuroprotective role, mainly due to their well-recognised antioxidant properties. Consuming anthocyanin-rich fruits and supplements may boost learning ability, memory and motor skills.

Sleep and brain health

Sleep is critical for short- and long-term brain health and function. You need seven to nine hours per day. Improving the quality of your sleep is arguably the single most effective thing that you can do to reset your brain, recharge your body, and improve your health and mental state.

We experience different types of sleep, REM and non-REM and both types are important in different ways for sorting and retaining memory, both before and after an event. Environmental factors can also affect your sleep including consuming caffeine and alcohol.

Stress and brain health

Finally, prolonged exposure to stress and worry can lead to poor brain health. Worry is the result of a constant chatter between a number of different brain regions. The complexity of this means that often behavioural changes, including diet and sleep, can help as much as pharmaceutical support.

There are many tools you can use to help your mind switch off and reduce stress, including meditation, exercise, social contact, and reducing screentime. It’s really important that you do what you can to bring more calmness into your life and you will know your own best pathway on this front.

Filling in the missing pieces

A good quality multi-purpose brain health supplement can complement what you do on an everyday basis to improve your brain health. Zestt Wellness’ Insight Brain Health and Acuity lozenges contain anthocyanins from organic blackcurrants. They also contain the ashwagandha root, a traditional Ayurvedic medicine, which is highly recognised in modern science. These plants combine to improve oxygen flow into the brain and regulate serotonin and dopamine levels. They also have important antioxidant properties to mop up the damage from oxygen and stress-induced compounds.

Anna Campbell is a scientist, with a PhD in Plant Biotechnology and a lifelong love of plant bioactives. She is the co-founder of Zestt Wellness, a company with the purpose of “changing lives with scientifically proven, natural products.”