The psychologist warned that some people are more at risk than others
A psychologist has said that if you’re deficient in a vital vitamin, you may be mistaking signs and symptoms for “dementia”, noting that a lack of these essentials can “mimic” the disease. Speaking on BBC Morning Live, Kimberly Wilson discussed brain fog alongside TV presenter, Louise Minchin, who spoke about the menopause and how she has been impacted by the symptom.
Talking about brain fog, Kimberly said that this can happen at any time such as “when you’re driving and you might not remember where you’re going. You can lose track of time and it can be really distressing.
“With menopausal women, it can be frightening because we know women have twice the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and if you know that, and then you have these brain fog symptoms, you can start to worry that they’re a symptom of something much more sinister when they’re not necessarily. So it’s a really significant issue.”
What causes brain fog?
Discussing what people can do to help this symptom, she says that it is good to find out what the cause is. But “there are so many different causes of brain fog.
“It could be hormonal or tiredness. Alcohol, certain drugs and antihistamines can cause brain fog, so because there are so many different causes” she said that there are different treatments and interventions to help you manage the symptoms.
Can Vitamin D help brain fog and can a lack of it mimic dementia?
Urging people to include vitamin B in their diets, she warns that this is “really important for your brain” warning that a “deficiency can mimic dementia – so it’s really crucial” to get these levels up and include foods high in vitamin D in your diet.
Sources, according to the NHS, include:
- oily fish – such as salmon, sardines, herring and mackerel
- red meat
- liver (avoid liver if you are pregnant)
- egg yolks
- fortified foods – such as some fat spreads and breakfast cereals
The psychologist noted that vegans could be at risk as many of our vitamin D sources comes from animals, urging them to ensure their diet includes enough. She further said: “As your age, your ability to absorb B12 goes down so people who are older, might be at risk of deficiency.”
Brain fog friendly food
Taking about whole-grain bread, rice, pasta, apples and live yogurt, she says these can all help as it’s gut a friendly food. She explains: “What we think is the underlying cause of a lot of different experiences of brain fog is something called inflammation – so that is turning up of the immune system.
“You see in lots of different ways such as aches and pains and s that swelling. That’s all a sign of inflammation.
“But what can happen is that you can have inflammation in the body which can cross over into the brain and cause what’s called neuro-inflammation and that can interfere with the brain chemical signalling with one another.
“And so one of the very important things that your gut does is when you eat a fiber – and only 8% or 9% of the UK population eats to recommended amount of fiber – is your microbes break it down and they produce anti-inflammatory compounds, so we think for some people eating plenty of fiber and eating a balanced diet will be really supportive.”
Polyphenols
The expert also recommends polyphenols, which include foods like blueberries, green tea, beans, raspberries, aubergines and carrots, She explained: “When your body breaks them down, you can increase the flexibility of your blood vessels, so that increases the amount of oxygen, nutrients and glucose to your brain and that can help your cognitive function.”
Something high in polyphenols is green tea, but many people hate the taste. So to keep it in your diet but avoid drinking it, Kimberly suggested: “Throw in a green teabag if you’re making pasta or rice into the pot, boil it and throw it away. And you’ve got all the nutrients without the flavour” with the hosts calling this a “genius” idea.