What Are the Best Vitamins for Brain Fog?

You find yourself in your kitchen, unsure what ingredient you were looking for. You read and reread the same passage in a book, frustrated that your brain doesn’t seem to register the words. Perhaps you’ve heard from loved ones or the news about the rise of brain fog in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether you’re experiencing brain fog symptoms or want to protect your brain, our guide unpacks the research-backed anti-inflammatory supplements that can help boost your brain health and prevent cognitive decline. 

Table of Contents:

• What is Brain Fog?
• What Causes Brain Fog?
• How Can Vitamins and Supplements Help with Brain Fog?
• What are the Best Vitamins for Brain Fog?
• What are Other Ways to Deal with Brain Fog?
• Clearing the Fog

What Is Brain Fog?

Brain fog, also known as mental fog, is a term used to describe a range of cognitive symptoms that impact thinking, memory, and concentration. Brain fog can occur for several reasons, including illness, medication side effects, or as a symptom of an underlying condition. While brain fog may be temporary, duration varies by person and can cause frustration and hardship by making ordinary daily tasks difficult. Brain fog symptoms can include but are not limited to:

• Inability to concentrate or focus
• Frequent distractibility or confusion
• Forgetfulness and memory loss
• Difficulty multitasking 
• Fatigue

What Causes Brain Fog?

While common and frustrating, brain fog is not yet considered a formal medical diagnosis. Brain fog can also be caused by multiple medical and lifestyle factors. Possible triggers for brain fog and temporary cognitive impairment can include:

• Lifestyle and stress
• Lack of sleep
• Nutrient, vitamin, and mineral deficiencies
• Gut health imbalances
• Hormonal changes
• High toxic burden
• Mitochondrial Dysfunction
• Aging-related cognitive decline 

How Can Vitamins and Supplements Help with Brain Fog?

While every person and experience of brain fog is unique, vitamins and supplements can help with brain fog by giving your brain the ingredients and fuel it needs to power and repair itself and your body’s most essential functions. Your brain is your body’s command center and it deserves evidence-based vitamin, mineral, and supplement support.

What Are the Best Vitamins for Brain Fog?

Luckily, there’s never been a better time to be alive for targeted brain health support. Many research-backed vitamins and supplements linked to improved cognition are widely available and affordable. Here’s an overview of the most evidence-based vitamins and supplements to help with brain fog:

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine is widely recognized for its role in enhancing muscle energy metabolism, but emerging research indicates it also offers significant cognitive benefits, particularly under conditions of sleep deprivation. A study published in Scientific Reports demonstrated that a single high dose of creatine improved cognitive performance and altered brain energy metabolism in sleep-deprived individuals. Participants exhibited enhanced processing capacity and short-term memory, with effects peaking four hours post-ingestion and lasting up to nine hours.

Magnesium Threonate

Magnesium is another superhero mineral that both supports brain functions and benefits other organs and systems throughout the body. Known for its calming effect, magnesium is one of the foundations of the nervous system, including nerve function and structure. While low magnesium levels are associated with poor mood and nervous system function, high levels of magnesium are anti-inflammatory and support the creation of new neural pathways in the brain and improve mood. Make sure to look for Magnesium Threonate which crosses the blood-brain barrier to optimize cognitive function.

The brain also cannot produce critical neurotransmitters like GABA, known for its calming effect, and serotonin, known for mood, without magnesium. In addition to supplements, you can increase your magnesium intake through foods like nuts, seeds, dark leafy greens, and legumes.

Vitamin C

While most famous for its immune-boosting and topical skin applications, Vitamin C is a tried and tested antioxidant that prevents damage to cells by scavenging free radicals. A promising new study in older adults indicates that vitamin C supplements can improve cognitive function in a short period of time while studies in animals continue to demonstrate that vitamin C protects the brain through its antioxidant activity.

B-Complex

While a B-complex refers to eight important B vitamins, vitamin B-12 is perhaps the most famous of the bunch. The brain depends on a full spectrum of B vitamins to support neurotransmitter production, energy metabolism, and myelin formation, the protective coating around nerve cells. While Vitamin B-12 is essential for myelin synthesis, taking all B vitamins together ensures that levels remain balanced and bioavailable, preventing imbalances that could hinder absorption or function. Research shows that B-vitamin deficiencies—especially B12, B6, and folate—are linked to cognitive decline, and supplementation with a B-complex is more effective than taking a single B vitamin alone. One study found that older adults with healthy B-vitamin levels had significantly better cognitive function than those with deficiencies, reinforcing the need for comprehensive B-complex support.

L-theanine

L-theanine is the amino acid that naturally occurs in green and black tea and certain mushrooms. This powerhouse amino acid can help brain fog by improving stress, one of the common causes and contributors to brain fog. One study also demonstrated that L-theanine is good for overall cognition, improving reaction time and memory in older adults. 

Rhodiola Rosea

Rhodiola rosea is a powerful adaptogen that helps combat mental fatigue, stress, and cognitive overload. Traditionally used in Eastern European and Chinese medicine, rhodiola has been shown to improve resilience to stress, enhance focus, and reduce symptoms of burnout. One clinical study, The effectiveness and efficacy of Rhodiola rosea L.: A systematic review of randomized clinical trials, found that participants who supplemented with Rhodiola reported faster mental processing, better concentration, and reduced brain fog. A featured ingredient in BodyBio Calm, rhodiola's role in increasing dopamine sensitivity, which can improve motivation and cognitive function.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom 🍄

Lion’s Mane is a functional mushroom known for its ability to stimulate nerve growth factor (NGF), support neuroplasticity, and protect brain function. Studies show it may help improve memory, reduce brain fog, and even regenerate neurons in aging brains. Lion’s Mane has been widely researched for its role in enhancing cognitive performance and addressing neurodegenerative issues. Regular supplementation can support long-term brain health while improving short-term mental clarity.

Iron

Our bodies need oxygen to survive. But our cells cannot get the oxygen they need without iron. Hemoglobin in our blood depends on iron to transport essential oxygen throughout our bodies. As a result, iron deficiency can cause fatigue, headaches, weakness, and sometimes brain fog because our cells are not getting the oxygen they need to work properly. This has striking implications for treating and preventing brain fog as an estimated 80% of the world’s population may be iron deficient according to the World Health Organization. However, it’s important to consult your physician and get an iron blood panel before starting iron supplementation as iron at high doses can be toxic. Instead of supplementing iron directly, it may be more beneficial to supplement the cofactors (selenium, vitamin C) that support iron utilization in the body.  

Omega-3s

Omega-3s are essential fatty acids that help our brains and bodies sustain nerve function. Getting enough omega-3 fatty acids through food or supplements is critical because our bodies cannot produce omega-3s on their own. Preliminary research demonstrates that DHA omega-3 supplements may improve multiple neurological conditions and offer protective brain benefits while other research shows promising implications for omega-3s and other health issues. While two servings a week of fatty fish should be enough to get adequate omega-3s for brain health, supplementing with fish oil that has omega-3s can be an equally effective, efficient, and affordable choice. 

Butyrate

Butyrate is an example of targeting brain fog at the gut level. A postbiotic that fuels gut cells, butyrate also impacts the brain through the brain-gut axis, including positively impacting the microbiome, neurotransmitters, and other essential brain functions. The body quickly absorbs butyrate into the bloodstream, deploying it to benefit other health and organ systems from blood sugar to insulin. Win-win.

Phosphatidylcholine (PC)

Another innovative approach to ensuring your brain and body get essential fatty acids is through phospholipids, which can be found in BodyBio PC. This proprietary complex provides the building blocks for every cell in the body. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is known for its support of cell membrane repair and maintenance, including neurons by allowing the free flow of nutrients into cells.* Supplementing with PC targets brain fog at the cellular level.*

Many biohackers, including Dr. Andrew Huberman, recommend Alpha-GPC for optimizing mental clarity and peak performance, a choline-containing compound that serves as a direct precursor to acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter essential for learning, memory, and focus. While Alpha-GPC is a short-term booster for acetylcholine production and cognitive function, Phosphatidylcholine (PC) offers a more comprehensive and long-term approach to brain health. PC is the fundamental building block of cell membranes, supporting neuronal repair, membrane fluidity, and overall cognitive longevity, whereas Alpha-GPC only provides temporary neurotransmitter support without addressing cellular health. Taking BodyBio PC ensures sustained cognitive function by nourishing brain cells at a foundational level, rather than just stimulating neurotransmitter activity.

NAD+ 

NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) is a coenzyme essential for cellular energy, mitochondrial function, and DNA repair. As we age, NAD+ levels decline, leading to reduced cognitive function, increased oxidative stress, and brain fog. 

For NAD+ to be efficiently utilized by the body, it requires a healthy cellular environment—which is where Phosphatidylcholine (PC) comes in. PC is an essential phospholipid that supports cell membrane integrity, ensuring that neurons and other cells can properly absorb and utilize NAD+ for mitochondrial function. Without sufficient PC, NAD+ precursors may not be fully effective, as cell membranes must be intact for efficient ATP production and neuroprotection.

What Are Other Ways to Deal with Brain Fog? 

In addition to research-backed vitamins and supplements, your everyday lifestyle can both prevent and help heal any brain fog. Powerful actions you can take to improve and protect your cognitive function include:

• Eat a nutrient-dense diet with healthy fats, proteins, and fiber
• Stay hydrated to support blood flow to the brain
• Prioritize sleep (7–9 hours per night) to enhance memory and focus
• Manage stress through mindfulness, meditation, or deep breathing
• Exercise regularly to boost circulation and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)
• Reduce sugar & processed foods that contribute to inflammation

Clearing the Fog

It can be easy to take our mental clarity for granted or trust that our brain cells are getting the support they need to fire away optimally. But we all need a little help sometimes. Whether you’re experiencing brain fog or feeling motivated to protect your brain health, evidence-backed vitamins can help support your brain and ensure you feel focused, clear, and calm. Affordable science-backed supplements and vitamins are a great place to start when it comes to investing in your brain health. If symptoms worsen or persist, please consult your physician for additional support. You deserve to feel your best.

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