Do you have trouble focusing? Do you often experience brain fog that makes it difficult for you to perform your daily tasks? There exist a plethora of reasons why you may be struggling with your ability to focus, but nutrient deficiencies caused by gaps in your diet could be part of the problem. In this article, we will examine three examples of liquid vitamins and minerals that could help improve your concentration when taken regularly: magnesium, vitamin D, and B complex vitamins.

Magnesium

The fourth most abundant mineral in the human body, magnesium is well-known for a variety of functions, from regulating blood pressure to improving the quality of your sleep. It should come as no surprise that it can also assist with your levels of concentration. But how does magnesium help you focus? After all, many different factors can affect your ability to remain focused, making concentration a complicated ordeal at times. 

One of the main ways that magnesium contributes to better concentration is by lowering stress levels. As you probably know, stress often leads to symptoms of anxiety which can impair both your memory and your ability to focus your attention on a particular task. This stress response is caused by the release of hormones like cortisol and norepinephrine, resulting in more alertness and the flight-or-fight instinct. Magnesium prevents the release of these hormones, thus lowering the risk of distraction due to increased anxiety from stress (1). In fact, low levels of magnesium are often linked with stress or a higher susceptibility to develop stress reactions (2).

Vitamin D

Aside from stress, another leading cause of inattention for many individuals is depression or depressive symptoms. You probably know vitamin D as the sunshine vitamin, the one that you take alongside calcium to preserve and maintain strong bones. But this powerful nutrient also has an important impact on your mental health. Studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency may be linked with depression, especially in those who have recently given birth or who suffer from a medical condition such as gout, stroke, or multiple sclerosis (3). 

One of the many possible symptoms of depression is lack of motivation and the inability to concentrate. Even if you have not been officially diagnosed with depression, you may still experience depressive symptoms like these on occasion. A potential cause for these feelings could be vitamin deficiency, particularly vitamin D. If you suffer from depression or have problems focusing, you may want to talk to your doctor about a supplement containing vitamin D, as it could help reduce the severity of your symptoms when utilized properly. 

B Complex Vitamins

If stress, anxiety, or depression are not the cause for your lack of concentration, then your brain may simply not have enough fuel. Much of the fuel for your neurological function comes from a family of vitamins known as the B complex vitamins. Made up of 8 distinct water-soluble vitamins, each with their own unique role in the body, these nutrients are often associated with energy boosts and increased cognitive function. The names of these nutrients are as follows: thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folic acid (B9), and cobalamin (B12). They all come from different aspects of your diet, ranging from animal products like meat, eggs, and dairy to plant-based foods like mushrooms, beans, and leafy greens.

The reason that B complex vitamins are so important for concentration is that nearly all of them play some role in the healthy functioning of your brain. Vitamins B1, B6, and B12 in particular have all been linked with maintaining higher moods and reducing the severity of depressive symptoms. They are needed for the production of mood regulating hormones like serotonin as well as the breaking down of a potentially harmful chemical known as homocysteine, which may lead to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive decline. In fact, one study performed in 2021 indicated that individuals who had lower amounts of vitamin B12 in their bodies experienced more problems with attention and memory than those with higher amounts (4). 

If you often have trouble concentrating and you suspect that you could be deficient in the B complex vitamins, vitamin D, or magnesium, you may want to consider trying a multivitamin. However, remember that it is important to speak with your doctor before starting any new supplement regimen.

Resources

1. “Magnesium For Focus. Does Magnesium Help With Focus?” Natural Calm Canada, 3 April 2018, https://naturalcalm.ca/how-new-calm-balance-helps-with-focus.
2. Kubala, Jillian. “6 Best Evidence-Based Supplements for Brain Fog.” healthline, 26 August 2021, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamins-for-brain-fog.
3. Shoemaker, SaVanna. “Is a Vitamin D Deficiency Causing Your Depression?” healthline, 12 January 2022, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/depression-and-vitamin-d.
4. Nalder, L et al. “Vitamin B12 and Folate Status in Cognitively Healthy Older Adults and Associations with Cognitive Performance.” The Journal of Nutrition, Health, & Aging, 2021, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33575718.