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Aging may be inevitable, but
memory loss and Alzheimer’s are not. That’s the conclusion
of the Alzheimer’s Prevention and Research Foundation in
Tucson, Arizona. More and more research is pointing to ways
your lifestyle can prevent Alzheimer’s.
By exercising and following a healthy diet — one low in
saturated and trans-fats, refined sugars and white flour
products, and rich in
omega-3 fatty acids,
fresh fruits and vegetables — you can reduce the
inflammation that can play a role in the development of
Alzheimer's.
These same lifestyle
changes protect you from heart disease and diabetes.
Avoiding the ravages of these two 21st century killers also
protects your brain. It seems that even if your brain has
been inundated with the plaque that signals Alzheimer’s, you
may function just fine if you remain heart healthy and free
of diabetes because your brain is able to create
supplementary circulation to replace what is lost! In some
cases, loss of circulation from mini strokes may be what
sets dementia in motion — not the plaques themselves.
In the 10-year Nun Study,
conducted by David Snowden, MD, 678 nuns donated their
brains to science when they died. Researches who examined
the brains found that some that were loaded with plaque
belonged to women who showed no evidence of dementia, while
some with lesser amounts of plaque showed a crippling level
of cognitive impairment. Because such complete records had
been kept on these women, researchers were able to attribute
some of the differences to exercise, eating habits,
education and continued learning.
While TV commercials may have you believing that the
prescription drug Aricept is the only pill you can turn to
to combat Alzheimer's, that has more to do with the money
drug companies have to throw around than the research
available on alternative or nutritional treatments. In
addition to healthy lifestyle practices, certain supplements
can help sustain and help promote good brain function as we
age.
The supplements recommended by the Alzheimer’s Prevention
and Research Foundation, founded by Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD,
author of
Brain Longevity,
are the same as many of the supplements covered extensively
in Jean Carper’s book,
Your Miracle Brain.
Dramatic new scientific evidence reveals how you can use
food and supplements to: maximize brain power, boost your
memory, lift your mood, improve IQ and creativity, prevent
and reverse mental aging. If you’re concerned about brain
function as you age, (and who isn’t?) talk to a
knowledgeable doctor or other health practitioner who’s
nutrition-oriented to help you make decisions about what to
take.
Here’s a list of the major helpful supplements and some of
the reasons they’re helpful. For more detailed information
read our special report,
Natural Ways to Prevent Alzheimer's
(free online).
1. A Comprehensive Multivitamin (Make sure
it contains at least 400 mcg of folic acid and 500 mg of
vitamin C.)
Reason:
Folic acid
reduces homocysteine, a known risk factor for heart disease
and strokes. Dr. Snowdon discovered that the greatest brain
damage was associated with the lowest blood levels of folic
acid and the least brain damage with the highest levels.
Folate, or folic acid, is a B vitamin found in foliage
plants. Folic acid functions in many body processes,
including cell division, energy production, nervous system
growth and maintenance, production of neurotransmitters and
red blood cells. Folic acid is critically important in
suppressing homocysteine, a blood protein linked to heart
disease, strokes and dementia. Folic acid also reduces the
risk of birth defects and certain cancers. Research suggests
getting adequate folic acid can slow age-relate declines in
cognitive function.
Folic acid should be taken
with
vitamin B12.
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that helps maintain
healthy nerves and red blood cells. Vitamin B12 is also
needed to make DNA, the genetic material found in all cells.
Dietary vitamin B12 is found primarily in animal-based
foods. In older people, a vitamin B12 deficiency is most
likely to occur due to problems absorbing the vitamin
because of low stomach acid. Symptoms of a vitamin B12
deficiency can include depression, memory loss, numbness and
tingling, and trouble with balance and walking. Vitamin B12
is generally considered safe, even in large doses. It is
usually used in combination with other B vitamins.
Methylcobalamin is the type of vitamin B12 that used most
efficiently in the central nervous system. Methylcobalamin
is the type of vitamin B12 that is administered to people
with B12 deficiencies.
Vitamin C
is a potent antioxidant and promotes the transmission of
messages through the brain. Adequate vitamin C is associated
with a 20% reduction in risk of Alzheimer’s. Vitamin C is an
essential nutrient involved in many of the body's important
metabolic processes. Vitamin C is probably best known for
its role as an antioxidant and in proper immune function. A
vitamin C deficiency leads to poor immunity, loose teeth,
hemorrhaging in the skin and muscles, and eventually, death.
Vitamin C deficiencies are not common, but can be
overlooked.
2. CoEnzyme Q10 (CoQ10) -
Watch Video on CoEnzyme Q10 Ubiquinol
Reason: CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant and
energy booster within all cells, particularly in the heart
and brain. Aging is accompanied by a loss of
CoQ10 and
without it, your brain can’t work at full power. Coenzyme
Q10 (CoQ10) is a potent antioxidant and energy booster
within all cells, particularly in the heart and brain.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) helps cells make ATP (adenosine
triphosphate), the fuel for all cell activity and thus, all
life. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) levels decline dramatically with
age, and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is also depleted by the use of
cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. Low levels of coenzyme
Q10 (CoQ10) are associated with muscle pain and weakness,
and a higher risk of congestive heart failure, heart
attacks, chest pain, chronic inflammation and high blood
pressure.
3. Alpha
Lipoic Acid
Reason: This potent antioxidant has many
positive effects, including preventing stroke damage and
protecting the nerve cells of diabetics. But
alpha lipoic acid
is also one of the few nutrients you can take orally that
raises levels of the antioxidant glutathione in brain cells.
Low levels of glutathione predict chronic diseases,
including degenerative brain disorders and early death.
Alpha lipoic acid occurs naturally in the body. Alpha lipoic
acid was originally thought to be a vitamin, but alpha
lipoic acid was reclassified upon the discovery that it is
created in the bodies of humans and animals. Alpha lipoic
acid is involved in the production of energy from
carbohydrates. Alpha lipoic acid may improve insulin
resistance and glucose use. Research shows that alpha lipoic
acid may also be also useful in the treatment of nerve and
eye damage. Alpha lipoic acid has been used for dementia,
chronic fatigue syndrome, HIV/AIDS, cancer, liver disease,
cardiovascular disease, and Lyme disease. Alpha lipoic acid
may also enhance the antioxidant action of vitamin E,
vitamin C, and glutathione, and prevent oxidative damage to
nerves and the brain.
4. Gingko Biloba -
Watch Video on Gingko Biloba
Reason:
Ginkgo Biloba
has long been associated with stabilization or improvement
in memory and reasoning even with Alzheimer’s patients.
Scientists think it’s because it may have a blood thinning
effect. A recent study showed that ginkgo biloba has a
protective effect during a stroke — it can help prevent or
diminish stroke related brain damage. The leaves of the
ginkgo tree have a long history of use in the Orient to
prevent memory loss and age-related mental decline. Ginkgo
biloba is a strong antioxidant, shown to retard nerve cell
degeneration, protect brain cells from neurotoxins, reduce
inflammation and improve blood flow. In studies, ginkgo has
been shown to improve memory and mood, with few side
effects. Ginkgo seems to help both older and younger people,
and may also help to relieve depression and stress.
5. Phosphatidyl Serine
Reason: Investigators in one study
determined that
phosphatidyl
serine shaved 12 years off
the normal expected decline in specific aspects of memory
performance. Those who took 100 mg of phosphatidyl serine
three times a day, with meals for 12 weeks scored 30% higher
on memory and learning tests. Many other studies have
corroborated these types of findings. In another study it
worked just as well for people with mild to severe cognitive
impairment. With advanced Alzheimer’s patients, it has not
proven very effective. It works best when taken at the first
signs of the disease. Phosphatidyl serine, or PS for short,
is a member of a class of chemical compounds known as
phospholipids. PS is an essential component in all our
cells; specifically, it is a major component of the cell
membrane. The cell membrane is a kind of "skin" that
surrounds living cells. Besides keeping cells intact, this
membrane performs vital functions such as moving nutrients
into cells and pumping waste products out of them. PS plays
an important role in many of these functions.
6. DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid) -
Watch Video on Super Omega-3 Fatty
Acids
Reason:
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is the major fatty acid
in fish oil that helps protect brains against dementia and
Alzheimer's disease. DHA is used during the first four
months of life to enhance mental development. Evidence shows
DHA is also helpful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes,
coronary artery disease, attention deficit-hyperactivity
disorder, macular degeneration, and depression. In
combination with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), DHA is also
used for a variety of heart conditions, asthma, cancer, hay
fever, lung diseases, and lupus. EPA and DHA are also used
in combination for migraine headaches, skin problems,
Raynaud's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, bipolar disorder,
and ulcerative colitis. In a study at Tufts University,
reported in 2007,
DHA
was identified as the component in fish oil that protects
brains from dementia and Alzheimer’s. Among a big group of
elderly Americans, those with the highest blood levels of
DHA were about half as apt to develop dementia and 39% as
apt to develop Alzheimer's as those with lower blood levels
of DHA over a nine-year period. The top 25% of those with
the highest blood DHA got about 180 mg DHA a day, or three
servings of fish a week, researchers said.
In this study, the other
major fatty acid in fish oil,
EPA,
had no effect. EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is a major
component of fish oil used to reduce inflammation in the
body. EPA is used in combination with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
for a variety of heart conditions, Alzheimer’s disease and
dementia, asthma, cancer, hay fever, lung diseases, and
lupus. EPA and DHA are also used in combination for migraine
headaches, skin problems, Raynaud's syndrome, rheumatoid
arthritis, bipolar disorder, and ulcerative colitis.
Research shows that increased consumption of EPA-containing
fish oil may slightly decrease the risk of death in patients
with coronary artery disease, reduce risk for dementia,
improve symptoms of recurrent depression, help psoriasis,
and lead to a modest improvement in aggressive behavior in
people with personality disorders.
7. Acetyl-L-Carnitine -
Watch Video on Acetyl-L-Carnitine
Reason: Acetyl-L-carnitine occurs naturally
in the body and is also found in animal products, primarily
red meat. Acetyl-L-carnitine helps the body burn fat for
energy. Acetyl-L-carnitine also improves the body’s
production of an important neurotransmitter, acetylcholine,
and may reduce oxidative damage in the brain. Several
studies have shown that there may be some positive effects
of acetyl-L-carnitine supplementation in Alzheimer's
patients. Other research suggests that acetyl-L-carnitine
may help slow age-related mental decline, protect the brain
after a stroke, and improve blood flow to the brain.
Acetyl-L-carnitine might also be effective in the treatment
of diabetic and chemotherapy-induced neuropathy and in the
regeneration of nerves in the arms and legs. Acetyl-L-carnitine
can protect the brain from neurotoxicity and oxygen
deprivation, preserve cells energy-producing mitochondria
and rejuvenate mental and physical function. It appears to
be effective in mild cognitive impairment, which may be an
early signal of Alzheimer’s, as well as early stages of
Alzheimer’s. Dosages for studies have been in the 1,500 –
4,000 mg range, divided into two or three doses. However, we
recommend no more than 1,000 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine a day
without medical supervision.
The Anti-Aging
Bottom Line: It is estimated that 1 in 8 Americans
over the age of 65 suffer from Alzheimer's, but this
devastating disease is not a normal part of aging
and can be prevented! Act now to protect your brain with
exercise, a healthy diet and brain boosting supplements!
Stay sharp and make the
changes necessary to provide mental health and long life.
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