What to feed the brain: supplements from which there will be no harm, and the benefit is quite likely
How to protect your brain from aging
The Best Brain Boosting Supplements
By Maggie Spilner, Fitness, Walking and Yoga Expert (Stop Aging Now, March 12, 2009)
Translation: Gerovital.Ru
According to statistics, every 8th American over the age of 65 suffers from Alzheimer's disease, but this devastating disease is not part of the normal aging process, and it can be prevented!
Old age is possible and inevitable, but memory loss and Alzheimer's disease can be avoided. This conclusion was reached by the staff of the Foundation for the Study and Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease from Tucson, Arizona (Alzheimer's Prevention and Research Foundation in Tucson, Arizona).
Currently, more and more research is aimed at studying ways to prevent Alzheimer's disease. By exercising and following a diet low in saturated and transgenic fats, sugar and high-grade flour products, as well as rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fresh fruits and vegetables, you can reduce inflammation that determines the development of Alzheimer's disease.
These same lifestyle changes will protect you from heart disease and diabetes. By avoiding the devastating consequences of these two 21st century killers, you will also not give offense to your brain. Even if it is "littered" with plaques indicating Alzheimer's disease, with a healthy heart and no diabetes, you will feel quite well, because the brain is able to create additional blood flow to replace what was lost! And in some cases, it is the circulatory disorders due to mini-strokes (and not plaques) that cause the onset of dementia.
In a 10-year study of nuns conducted by David Snowden, MD, 678 nuns bequeathed their brains to science after death. Scientists who studied their brains found that in some cases, quite healthy women's brains were filled with plaques, while women with a clear memory disorder had fewer of these plaques. Based on the data obtained, the researchers concluded that such differences can be explained by physical activity, nutrition, education and active mental activity.
While television commercials are trying to convince us that the prescription drug Aricept is the only way to fight Alzheimer's disease, we are talking here more about the money spent by pharmaceutical companies than about the available research on alternative or natural treatments. In addition to a healthy lifestyle, some dietary supplements can support and improve brain function.
The supplements recommended by the Foundation for the Study and Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, founded by Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD, author of Brain Longevity, largely coincide with the supplements described by Jean Carper in the book Your Miracle Brain.
If you are concerned about how the work of your brain changes with age (and who is not interested?!), then consult with a knowledgeable doctor or other nutrition specialist who will help you choose what is best to take.
Below is a list of the main useful supplements and an explanation of why they help.
1. A complex multivitamin preparation (It must contain at least 400 mcg of folic acid and 500 mg of vitamin C.)
The reason: Folic acid reduces the level of homocysteine, a known risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Dr. Snowdon found that the greatest damage to the brain is associated with a low content of folic acid in the blood, and vice versa: the least damage was noted at its high concentration. It is recommended to take 400-1000 mcg. Folic acid should be consumed together with vitamin B12.
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and promotes the transmission of messages through the brain. Sufficient vitamin C levels are associated with a 20% reduction in the risk of Alzheimer's disease. The recommended dose is 500-1000 mg.
2. Coenzyme Q10
Reason: CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant and energy booster in cells, especially the heart and brain. Aging is accompanied by the loss of CoQ10, and without it, your brain cannot work at full capacity. We recommend taking 100-200 mg of this compound. CoQ10 has been very well studied, and its effectiveness and safety have been proven.
3. Alpha Lipoic acidReason:
This powerful antioxidant has many beneficial properties, including preventing stroke and protecting the nerve cells of people with diabetes. In addition, alpha-lipoic acid also belongs to one of the few nutrients that increase the level of the antioxidant glutathione in brain cells. Low levels of glutathione precede chronic diseases, including degenerative brain disorders and early death. We recommend taking 50-200 mg of alpha lipoic acid daily. Diabetics may need 200-600 mg.
4. Ginkgo biloba The reason: The ability of ginkgo biloba to stabilize and improve memory, even in people with Alzheimer's disease, has long been known.
Scientists explain this by the fact that this supplement promotes blood thinning. A recent study has shown that ginkgo biloba is useful for stroke – it prevents and reduces the damage caused by it. It is recommended to take 120 mg daily. In general, ginkgo helps only every second person. If you have not noticed any improvement in 4-6 weeks of taking ginkgo, the dose of the supplement can be doubled. If this does not help, then it means that your body does not perceive it.
5. PhosphatidylserineThe reason: Scientists have found that phosphatidylserine "postpones" the expected deterioration of certain aspects of memory for 12 years.
Those who took 100 mg of phosphatidylserine 3 times a day during meals for 12 weeks showed 30% better results in testing memory and learning ability. The data obtained are confirmed by many other studies. During one of them, phosphatidylserine had a positive effect on patients with mild to moderate forms of mental disorder. However, in severe forms of Alzheimer's disease, it has not shown high efficacy. It works best when taken at the first signs of the disease. We recommend taking 100 mg of phosphatidylserine twice a day.
6. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, one of the omega-3 fatty acids)
The reason: In 2007, researchers from Tufts University reported that docosahexaenoic acid, which is part of fish oil, is able to protect the brain from dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Among a large group of older Americans, people with the highest levels of DHA had a 2-fold lower risk of dementia in the next 9 years than people with the lowest concentration of this acid. The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is 39% less. The study participants with the highest DHA content took 180 mg of DHA every day or ate fish 3 times a week. In this study, another important fatty acid that is part of fish oil, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), did not demonstrate any action.
7. Acetyl-L-carnitine The reason: Acetyl-L-carnitine protects the brain from oxygen deficiency, supports energy-producing mitochondria, improves mental and physical health.
It is effective for mild mental disorders that can become harbingers of Alzheimer's disease. In studies that proved this, participants took 1500-4000 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine daily, in 2-3 doses. However, we recommend no more than 1000 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine per day without medical supervision.
Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru17.03.2009