ANSWER
Ageing, nutrition and health status are the important factors affecting immune competence and cognitive performance17. The aging immune system loses the ability to protect against infections and cancer while declined cognitive function may eventually result in neurodegenerative diseases9,33.
Vitamins are micronutrients which are essential for the maintenance of immune system and plays crucial role over the long run in supporting brain health. Here’s a summary of what science has found.
Vitamins | Description |
Vitamin A |
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Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) |
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Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) |
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Vitamin B3 (Niacin) |
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Vitamin B5 (Pantothetic Acid) |
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Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) |
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Vitamin B8 (Biotin) |
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Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) |
|
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) |
|
Vitamin C |
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Vitamin D |
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Vitamin E |
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Vitamin K |
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References
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2Boucher, B. J. (2012). The problems of vitamin d insufficiency in older people. Aging and disease, 3(4), 313–329.
3Carr, A., & Maggini, S. (2017). Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients, 9(11), 1211. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9111211
4Dehghani-Samani, A., Kamali, M., & Hoseinzadeh-Chahkandak, F. (2020). The Role of Vitamins on the Prevention and/or Treatment of COVID-19 Infection; a Systematic Review. Modern Care Journal, 17(3), e104740. https://doi.org/10.5812/modernc.104740
5Fata, G., Weber, P., & Mohajeri, M. (2014). Effects of Vitamin E on Cognitive Performance during Ageing and in Alzheimer’s Disease. Nutrients, 6(12), 5453-5472. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu6125453
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7Gasperi, V., Sibilano, M., Savini, I., & Catani, M. (2019). Niacin in the Central Nervous System: An Update of Biological Aspects and Clinical Applications. International Journal Of Molecular Sciences, 20(4), 974. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20040974
8Gheita, A. A., Gheita, T. A., & Kenawy, S. A. (2019). The potential role of B5: A stitch in time and switch in cytokine. Phytotherapy Research, 34(2), 306-314. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6537
9Gómez-Gómez, M., & Zapico, S. (2019). Frailty, Cognitive Decline, Neurodegenerative Diseases and Nutrition Interventions. International Journal Of Molecular Sciences, 20(11), 2842. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20112842
10Hemilä, H., & Chalker, E. (2013). Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (1), CD000980. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub4
11Hosomi, K., & Kunisawa, J. (2017). The Specific Roles of Vitamins in the Regulation of Immunosurveillance and Maintenance of Immunologic Homeostasis in the Gut. Immune network, 17(1), 13–19. https://doi.org/10.4110/in.2017.17.1.13
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14Köbe, T., Witte, A., Schnelle, A., Grittner, U., Tesky, V., & Pantel, J. et al. (2016). Vitamin B-12 concentration, memory performance, and hippocampal structure in patients with mild cognitive impairment. The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, 103(4), 1045-1054. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.115.116970
15Lewis, E., Meydani, S., & Wu, D. (2018). Regulatory role of vitamin E in the immune system and inflammation. IUBMB Life, 71(4), 487-494. https://doi.org/10.1002/iub.1976
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17Maggini, S., Pierre, A., & Calder, P. (2018). Immune Function and Micronutrient Requirements Change over the Life Course. Nutrients, 10(10), 1531. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10101531
18Mehta, V., Desai, N., Perwez, A., Nemade, D., Dawoodi, S., & Zaman, S. (2017). ACE Alzheimer’s: The Role of Vitamin A, C and E (ACE) in Oxidative Stress induced Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal Of Medical Research And Innovation, 2(1), e000086. https://doi.org/10.15419/jmri.86
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20Namazi, N., Larijani, B., & Azadbakht, L. (2019). Vitamin K and the Immune System. Nutrition And Immunity, 75-79. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16073-9_4
21Ono, K., & Yamada, M. (2012). Vitamin A and Alzheimer’s disease. Geriatrics & gerontology international, 12(2), 180-188. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0594.2011.00786.x
22Patassini, S., Begley, P., Xu, J., Church, S., Kureishy, N., & Reid, S. et al. (2019). Cerebral Vitamin B5 (D-Pantothenic Acid) Deficiency as a Potential Cause of Metabolic Perturbation and Neurodegeneration in Huntington’s Disease. Metabolites, 9(6), 113. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo9060113
23Presse, N., Belleville, S., Gaudreau, P., Greenwood, C., Kergoat, M., & Morais, J. et al. (2013). Vitamin K status and cognitive function in healthy older adults. Neurobiology Of Aging, 34(12), 2777-2783. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.05.031
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