<P> Insufficient intake of selected vitamins, or certain metabolic disorders, may affect cognitive processes by disrupting the nutrient - dependent processes within the body that are associated with the management of energy in neurons, which can subsequently affect synaptic plasticity, or the ability to encode new memories . </P> <P> Choline is an essential nutrient and its primary function within the human body is the synthesis of cellular membranes, although it serves other functions as well . It is a precursor molecule to the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine which serves a wide range of functions including motor control and memory . Choline itself has also been shown to have additional health benefits in relation to memory and choline deficiencies may be related to some liver and neurological disorders . Because of its role in cellular synthesis, choline is an important nutrient during the prenatal and early postnatal development of offspring as it contributes heavily to the development of the brain . Despite the wide range of foods that choline is found in, studies have shown that the mean choline intake of men, women and children are below the Adequate Intake levels . Women, especially pregnant or lactating women, older people, and infants, are especially at risk for choline deficiency . </P> <P> B vitamins, also known as the B - complex, are an interrelated group of nutrients which often co-occur in food . The complex consists of: thiamine (B), riboflavin (B), niacin (B), pantothenic acid (B), pyridoxin (B), folic acid (B), cobalamin (B), and biotin . B vitamins are not synthesized in the body, and thus need to be obtained from food . B - complex vitamins are water - soluble vitamins, which means that they are not stored within the body . In consequence, the B vitamins need ongoing replenishment . It is possible to identify broad cognitive effects of certain B vitamins, as they are involved in many significant metabolic processes within the brain . </P> <P> This vitamin is important for the facilitation of glucose use, thus ensuring the production of energy for the brain, and normal functioning of the nervous system, muscles and heart . Thiamine is found throughout mammalian nervous tissue, including the brain and spinal cord . Metabolism and coenzyme function of the vitamin suggest a distinctive function for thiamine within the nervous system . The brain retains its thiamine content in the face of a vitamin - deficient diet with great tenacity, as it is the last of all nervous tissues studied to become depleted . </P>

How is the relationship between the concepts of cognition and nutrition best expressed