5. Vitamin E

Vitamin E recently got a huge amount of press due to its antioxidant activity. As an antioxidant, one of the best qualities of Vitamin E is that it is fat-soluble. This is hugely important for protecting cell membranes (since they are composed of fatty acids) from free radical damage. Unlike Vitamin C which is water-soluble, Vitamin E can help keep the cell membranes in good shape.

Our body tissues are composed of fatty compounds but the brain is exceptionally rich in it. This means the brain is highly prone to free radical damage because of its composition. As such, the brain requires large amount of antioxidant protection – even more so because it utilizes a great deal of oxygen and blood, making it more at risk to oxidative damage. Increased intake of Vitamin E will help protect the brain from cellular degeneration. Essentially, a healthy dose of Vitamin E can boost cognitive function and delay nerve-cell aging.