Nutrient Effects on the Nervous System
Compound	Deficiency	Overabundance	Sources	Comments
Vitamins
Vitamin A (Retinol)	Vision problems such as night blindness (nyctalopia). Night blindness is the inability of the eyes to adjust when a person goes from a lighted area to a dark area. changes in the skin and mucous membranes; decreased sense of taste	Nausea, fatigue, headache; toxic in large amounts	Sweet potato, dairy products, beef liver, raw carrots	One to five million people have a vitamin A deficiency.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)	Beriberi = loss of motor coordination; paralysis; pain in arms and legs; headache. Loss of myelin sheath; attacks motor and sensory axons of the neuron.	None known	Pork, liver, grains, wheat germ, dried beans	Deficiency seen most often in alcoholics
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	Visual problems: burning, itching of the eyes, sensitivity to light; burning sensations around the mouth; peripheral nerve damage	None known	Beef liver, milk, yogurt	Little is lost during cooking, but it is sensitive to light.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)	Pellegra = mental problems (disorientation, confusion, depression, memory deficit, mania, paranoia); digestive problems; skin problems.	Liver damage; flushing of the skin	Beef, corn, peanuts	Important for releasing energy from carbohydrates, fats and proteins
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid)	Although rare, fatigue, burning sensations on hands and feet, and headaches may occur	None known	Beef liver, yogurt, egg yolks, wheat, rice	Found in many different foods so a deficiency is rare.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)	Abnormal touch sensations, mania, convulsions; abnormal EEG recordings	Rare problems	Ham, eggs, potato, oatmeal, chicken, banana	Alcohol can interfer with vitamin B6 metabolism. Involved with the production of numerous neurotransmitters.
Vitamin B9 Folic Acid	Peripheral nerve problems, memory disorder, convulsions. Involved with neural tube defects: spina bifida, anencephaly	None known	Spinach, yeast, brocolli	One of the most common vitamin deficiency. Prevents spinal tube defects.
Vitamin B12 Cobalamin	Mainly causes blood disorders. Neurological signs include memory problems, pain, abnormal touch sensations and movement problems including weakness. can occur. Degeneration of white matter in the cerebral hemispheres, optic nerves, spinal cord.	None known.	Beef liver, clams, oysters, tuna	Affects myelin formation
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)	Scurvy = joint pain, open sores, weight loss	Digestive problems	Citrus fruit	Used in the production of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.
Vitamin D (Calciferol)	Help body bring in calcium, so low Vitamin D may lead to low calcium levels. This may cause seizures. Rickets = malformation of bones, sweating, restlessness	Excessive calcification of bones and soft tissues; toxic in large amounts	Tuna, salmon, milk fortified with Vitamin D	Vitamin D can be produced by the body by a reaction with ultraviolet light in the skin.
Vitamin E (Tocopherol)	Affects peripheral nerves and the nerve supply to muscle. Walking and balance problems, eye movement problems.	Few effects known	Corn oil, wheat germ, sunflower oil, milk	Enhances the effects of vitamin A; protect fatty acids; good for cell membranes
Minerals
Copper		Wilson's disease - genetic disorder that causes a build up of copper and results in mental and movement problems.	Beef liver, oysters, crab	The highest concentration of copper in the body is found in the kidney; the second highest concentration is found in the brain.
Iron	Anemia = reduction in the amount of oxygen in the blood. Oxygen is necessary for the conversion of glucose into energy.		Animal protein, beans, rice, corn, apricots, liver	Most common nutritional deficiency in the world; highest brain levels found in the basal ganglia
Magnesium	Muscle spasms, anxiety, headache, insomnia, cramps	Respiratory problems	Wheat germ, almonds, corn, peanuts	Assists in energy regulation of cells; activates enzymes
Manganese		Sleep problems, cramps	almonds, grains
Selenium	Cardiac problems	CNS damage
Oysters, liver, lobster
Zinc	Taste and smell loss, hallucinations, depression. Zinc deficiency during pregnancy can cause brain defects.	Muscle pain, headache, flu-like symptoms	Oysters, egg, lobster, shrimp	The hippocampus has a high concentration of zinc.
Lead		Intracranial hypertension, headache, fatigue, memory and concentration problems; paralysis; gout; Lead is neurotoxic and can also damage the kidneys.	Old paint, older plumbing, glazes, leaded gasoline.
Cadmium		Neurotoxic; possible learning problems.	Industrial pollution; cigarette smoke.
Other
Biotin	Movement problems, visual problems, may be involved in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome	None known	Egg yolk, liver	Eating uncooked egg white can lead to deficiency in biotin.
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