Your brain is so vastly complex that is hypothesized to be able to store 100 terabytes of information, that is 100,000 gigabytes! The average computer can only hold 500 gigabytes of storage. When it comes to being able to recall all of this information it is vital for you to have the appropriate amount of vitamins and minerals for healthy development of this massive hard drive. Vitamins were discovered around the late 1800s and popularized in the 1920s by Casimir Funk and originally called “vitamine” before vitamin.
The reason that vitamins benefited humans so radically is due to most humans on Earth not getting the enough essential; vitamin C, B12, D, along with many others. It has been shown that a lack of B12 in the body can cause the early onset of Alzheimer’s, a debilitating disease that strips you of your memory and currently has no cure. The mechanism of action behind this correlation is that B12 has been shown to decrease levels of homocysteine which is one of the main factors for the loss of memory. Most people get their daily allotment from various forms of fish, poultry, and meat products. This can be a problem if you are a vegetarian or live in a lower economic country that does not have access to higher quality meals.
Arguably one of the most important vitamins has to be Vitamin C. Vitamin C is peculiar in the way that the body does not store it, it only comes from foods that we consume. It is vital for maintaining the production of neurotransmitters, tendons, ligaments, skin, and helps to metabolize proteins. When someone is at a high level of Vitamin C deficiency they are very susceptible to the condition called scurvy. Someone that has this ailment would exhibit signs of swollen bleeding gums, the opening of healed wounds, and can be fatal if left unchecked. Scurvy primarily affected sailors due to their lack of being able to consume meats on their long voyages. Most one a day vitamins contain enough Vitamin C to be able to combat these issues.
We have a tremendous amount of gratitude that we owe to Casimir Funk and his team of scientists that made vitamins an easy to consume product. Without his hard work the number of malnourished people would be dramatically higher and along with that an increase in mortality rate.
Interested in Casimir Funk still? Here is a link with more INFO.
Clinical Director Therapist
Lana Reihani, LPCC, is a Clinical Mental Health Therapist, Clinical Supervisor, and Clinical Director with Sage Neuroscience Center. She is passionate about strengthening evidence-based clinical practices with radical empathy and a touch of humor, delivered with safety, equality, and diversity in mind. In her free time, Lana loves to learn, cook, find the best light for selfies, share amazing memes, and watch trashy reality TV.
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