How Nutrition and Deficiencies Impact Brain Function
— By Brian Mears, DNAP, APRN, CRNA, PMHNP-BC
Your brain can’t thrive on empty.
Every organ in your body requires fuel — and your brain is no exception. In fact, your brain uses more energy than any other part of your body. When it doesn’t get the nutrients it needs, it doesn’t just slow down — it begins to misfire.
Many symptoms that are diagnosed as depression, anxiety, or even ADHD may actually stem from nutritional imbalances, deficiencies, or toxicities (Rao et al., 2008). But these often go overlooked in traditional psychiatry.
At Alleviant, we ask different questions — because we know that brain function and nutrition are deeply connected.
What Your Brain Needs (And What Happens Without It)
The brain relies on a delicate balance of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, and antioxidants to function properly. When that balance is off — whether due to poor diet, digestive issues, chronic stress, or toxic exposure — symptoms appear.
Common nutrient deficiencies linked to mental health symptoms include:
Vitamin B12: low energy, irritability, poor memory (Mikkelsen et al., 2016)
Magnesium: anxiety, insomnia, muscle tension
Zinc: poor appetite, brain fog, low motivation
Omega-3 fatty acids: depression, mood instability (Jacka et al., 2017)
Vitamin D: fatigue, seasonal depression, emotional flatness
Iron: low energy, depression, trouble focusing
These aren’t just supplements — they’re essential tools your brain needs to think, feel, and regulate.
The Overlooked Role of Toxicities
Just as deficiencies harm the brain, so do toxic exposures. We are surrounded daily by substances that disrupt brain chemistry, including:
Mold
Heavy metals (like mercury, lead, aluminum)
Pesticides and herbicides
Industrial chemicals
Artificial additives and preservatives
Endocrine disruptors found in plastics and cleaning products
These toxins don’t just affect the body — they inflame the brain, interfere with neurotransmitter signaling, and contribute to cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms (Grandjean & Landrigan, 2014).
How Alleviant Addresses Nutrition, Deficiencies, and Toxicities
We don’t believe in band-aid solutions. That’s why every Alleviant care plan includes an evaluation of how internal imbalances may be affecting mental health.
Our approach includes:
Spectral EEG (sEEG): to visualize how nutritional and toxic influences are disrupting brainwave activity
NeuroSync™: to help resynchronize affected brain regions after the root causes are addressed
Health Coaching: to identify and correct dietary gaps, eliminate toxins, and rebuild a brain-healthy lifestyle
Lab testing and supplementation: when deeper analysis of deficiencies or heavy metals is needed
Whole-person therapy: because emotional and physical healing go hand in hand
You’re Not Lazy. You’re Not Crazy. You Might Be Depleted.
If your brain feels slow, sad, foggy, or overwhelmed — it’s not your fault.
You may simply be missing the nutrients your brain needs to function. And the good news is, that’s fixable.
You don’t have to live in a depleted state. Let’s nourish your brain so you can finally thrive.
References
Grandjean, P., & Landrigan, P. J. (2014). Neurobehavioural effects of developmental toxicity. The Lancet Neurology, 13(3), 330–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(13)70278-3
Jacka, F. N., O’Neil, A., Opie, R., Itsiopoulos, C., Cotton, S., Mohebbi, M., … & Berk, M. (2017). A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression (the ‘SMILES’ trial). BMC Medicine, 15(1), 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-017-0791-y
Mikkelsen, K., Stojanovska, L., Tangalakis, K., Bosevski, M., & Apostolopoulos, V. (2016). Cognitive decline: A vitamin B perspective. Maturitas, 93, 108–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2016.08.001
Rao, T. S. S., Asha, M. R., Ramesh, B. N., & Jagannatha Rao, K. S. (2008). Understanding nutrition, depression and mental illnesses. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 50(2), 77–82. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.42391