Archive for the 'brain health' Category

Brain Health: Brain Inflammation

Published on December 19, 2011 in brain health and healthy aging spotlight. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each week, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Brain Health: Brain Inflammation

The human brain seems to develop a state of chronic low-grade inflammation after a number of decades of life.34 The ravages of free radical accumulation become detectible with increasing age. In this state, the chemical messages being exchanged by the activated immune system of the brain have the side-effect of occasionally interfering with neuronal function.35 Therefore, the dietary agents that help modulate free radical production, contained within fruits and vegetables, and fish, in particular, may be useful in helping your brain ward off some of the influences that could be contributing to its accelerated aging. Adding several brain health boosters to your daily regimen, in the form of dietary supplements, can provide further support in your quest to protect the fundamental functions of the brain throughout life.

Brain Health Boosters

  • B-Vitamins
  • Magnesium
  • Zinc
  • Iron
  • N-Acetylcysteine
  • Fish Oils
  • Phosphatidylserine
  • Ginkgo biloba leaf extract
  • Glycerophosphocholine (GPC)
  • Choline
  • Vinpocetine
  • Acetyl-L-Carnitine
  • Vitamin E
  • Selenium
  • Vitamin C
  • Quercetin
  • Resveratrol
  • Pomegranate Juice
  • Carotenoids
  • Pycnogenol
  • Fruits and Vegetables

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Blood Sugar – Healthy Support for Optimal Levels

References:
34. Chang RC, Chen W, Hudson P, Wilson B, Han DS, Hong JS. Neurons reduce glial responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and prevent injury of microglial cells from over-activation by LPS. J eurochem 2001;76:1042-1049.
35. Stella N, Estelles A, Siciliano J, Tence M, Desagher S, Piomelli D, Glowinski J, Premont J. Interleukin-1 enhances the ATP-evoked release of arachidonic acid from mouse astrocytes. J Neurosci 1997;17:2939-2946.

Brain Health: Neuroprotection

Published on December 16, 2011 in brain health and healthy aging spotlight. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each week, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Brain Health: Neuroprotection

Neuroprotection is a term that describes mechanisms to protect the brain from oxidative damage.23 The brain is an organ that is especially sensitive to oxidative stress, and many of the biochemical and metabolic changes that accumulate with advancing age act to increase the oxidative stress on the human brain. Increased oxidative stress has a harmful impact on cognitive functioning and, as discussed above, is a major cause of brain aging.

The need for additional neuroprotection will accompany any situation in which brain metabolism is increased – such as during learning, thinking or any of the other cognitive processes. There is evidence suggesting that inadequate neuroprotection is part of the set of factors that can impair learning, memory, attention and concentration. On the other hand, increasing neuroprotective capacity may be able to prevent these impairments and could even foster the repair of oxidative damage in the brain.

Vinpocetine
Vinpocetine is a substance that protects neurons from oxidative damage. In addition, vinpocetine acts as a cerebral vasodilator that enhances circulation to the brain. Increased oxygen and nutrient supply to the brain can enhance cognitive functioning ability; in several experiments, 10 mg of vinpocetine has increased the ability to distinguish discrete sensory data, reduced reaction time and enhanced short-term memory functions (retention and recall).24,25 Furthermore, vinpocetine has been found to have free radical scavenging effects at concentrations that are achievable in humans, with dose-dependent antioxidant activity capable of protecting the integrity of brain tissues.26 The dual action of vinpocetine to enhance brain oxygenation and support antioxidant protection of brain structures makes vinpocetine a unique nutrient for cognitive support.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine
Acetyl-L-carnitine is a modified version of L-carnitine that is transported into the brain where it acts as a strong antioxidant. This property was demonstrated in research published recently in Neuropharmacology.27 In that experiment, nerve cells became more resistant to oxidative attack when acetyl-L-carnitine was available to them.

The neuroprotective properties of acetyl-L-carnitine are associated with beneficial effects on cognitive functioning. As shown in a “gold standard” randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial, elderly men and women with very mild age-related cognitive decline who supplemented their diets with 2000 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine enjoyed significant improvements in short-term memory, long-term memory, attention span and verbal fluency.28,29 A meta-analysis including 21 clinical trials using acetyl-L-carnitine was published in 2003. The results showed that the nutrient had significant positive benefits when compared to placebo treatment for supporting cognitive ability in humans.30

Vitamin E
Because it acts within cell membranes, vitamin E has the potential to play a major neuroprotective role in the human brain. Scientists have reported that the ability of elderly men and women to perform on tests of cognitive functioning was greatest in those with the highest daily consumption of vitamin E.31 The recently-published results of a detailed analysis of published studies show that daily dietary supplementation with 200 IU to 400 IU of vitamin E reduce the risk of certain neurological concerns characterized by oxidation of neuronal membrane lipids.32 Given its antioxidant prowess, vitamin E plays an essential role in supporting brain function.

Selenium
The water-soluble counterpart to vitamin E, selenium is a required activating agent for a set of antioxidant enzymes that contribute to the neuroprotection of the human brain.33 The activity of these powerful quenchers of free electrons depends on the amount of selenium that is available as a cofactor through the diet and through dietary supplements.

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Brain Inflammation

References:
23. Joseph JA, Shukitt-Hale B, Casadesus G. Reversing the deleterious effects of aging on neuronal communication and behavior: Beneficial properties of fruit polyphenolic compounds. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;81(Suppl.):313S-316S.
24. Coleston DM, Hindmarch I. Possible memory-enhancing properties of vinpocetine. Drug Develop Res 1988;14:191-193.
25. Subhan Z, Hindmarch I. Psychopharmacological effects of vinpocetine in normal healthy volunteers. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1985;28:567-571.
26. Horvath B, Marton Z, Halmosi R, Alexy T, Szapary L, Vekasi J, Biro Z, Habon T, Kesmarky G, Toth K. In vitro antioxidant properties of pentoxifylline, piracetam, and vinpocetine. Clin Neuropharmacol 2002;25(1):37-42.
27. Picconi B, Barone I, Pisani A, Nicolai R, Benatti P, Bernardi G, Calvani M, Calabresi P. Acetyl-L-carnitine protects striatal neurons against in vitro ischemia: The role of endogenous acetylcholine. Neuropharmacology 2006;50:917-923.
28. Passeri M, Iannuccelli M, Ciotti G, Bonati PA, Nolfe G, Cucinotta D. Mental impairment in aging: Selection of patients, methods of evaluation and therapeutic possibilities of acetyl-L-carnitine. Int J Clin Pharmacol Res 1988;8:367-376.
29. Passeri M, Cucinotta D, Bonati PA, Iannuccelli M, Parnetti L, Senin U. Acetyl-L-carnitine in the treatment of mildly demented elderly patients. Int J Clin Pharmacol Res 1990;10:75-79.
30. Montgomery SA, Thal LJ, Amrein R. Meta-analysis of double blind randomized controlled clinical trials of acetyl-L-carnitine versus placebo in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s disease. Int Clin Psychopharmacol 2003;18(2):61-71.
31. Ortega RM, Requejo AM, Lopez-Sobaler AM, Andres P, Navia B, Perea JM, Robles F. Cognitive function in elderly people is influenced by vitamin E status. J Nutr 2002;132:2065-2068.
32. Etminan M, Gill SS, Samii A. Intake of vitamin E, vitamin C, and carotenoids and the risk of Parkinson’s disease: A meta-analysis. Lancet Neurol 2005;4:362-365.
33. Schweizer U, Brauer AU, Kohrle J, Nitsch R, Savaskan NE. Selenium and brain function: A poorly recognized liaison. Brain Res Rev 2004;45:164-178.

Essential Brain Nourishment: GPC Promotes Mental Processing

Published on November 10, 2011 in brain health and healthy aging spotlight. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each week, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Essential Brain Nourishment: GPC Promotes Mental Processing

The results of several studies indicate that GPC promotes effective mental performance. For example, GPC has enhanced the balance between the various types of brain waves, has decreased reaction time (reflecting faster mental reactions) and has supported cell-to-cell communication within the brain of middle-aged men and women. These physiological effects have been expressed as improvements in mental functioning abilities in elderly men and women consuming 1200 mg of GPC daily.21 The author of an extensive analysis of published randomized placebo-controlled human clinical trials published in Mechanisms of Ageing and Development concluded that daily dietary supplementation with 1200 mg of GPC promotes healthy memory and attention processes in the human brain and supports emotional stability.22

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Neuroprotection

References:
21. De Jesus Moreno Moreno M. Cognitive improvement in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s dementia after treatment with the acetylcholine precursor choline alfoscerate: A multicenter, doubleblind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Clin Ther 2003;25:178- 193.
22. Parnetti L, Amenta F, Gallai V. Choline alfoscerate in cognitive decline and in acute cerebrovascular disease: An analysis of published clinical data. Mechs Aging Dev 2001;22:2041-2055.

Essential Brain Nourishment: GPC Supplies Choline to the Brain

Published on October 21, 2011 in brain health and healthy aging spotlight. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each week, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Essential Brain Nourishment: GPC Supplies Choline to the Brain

The first step in the recycling process is to break down phosphatidylcholine into its individual components, one of which is L-a-glycerophosphocholine (GPC).18 As research published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry has shown, the choline from GPC can be recovered by the cell and reused to produce fresh phosphatidylcholine where it is needed.19 In addition, the choline that is released from GPC within the neuron can be used to produce acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter chemical without which much of your brain activity would be impossible.

GPC Works with Choline

If for some reason not enough choline is available to support the need for new acetylcholine, brain cells will “cannibalize” their own membranes, tearing out phosphatidylcholine to get at its choline. The results of a study published recently in Mechanisms of Ageing and Development show that, within brain cells, supplemental GPC is a better source of choline than is dietary choline.20 Adequate GPC availability prevents neuronal self-destruction from occurring.

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Essential Brain Nourishment: GPC Promotes Mental Processing

References:
18. Zaccheo O, Dinsdale D, Meacock PA, Glynn P. Neuropathy target esterase and its yeast homologue degrade phosphatidylcholine to glycerophosphocholine in living cells. J Biol Chem 2004;279:24024-24033.
19. Fernandez-Murray JP, McMaster CR. Glycerophosphocholine catabolism as a new route for choline formation for phosphatidylcholine synthesis by the Kennedy pathway. J Biol Chem 2005;280:38290-38296.
20. Amenta F, Tayebati SK, Vitali D, Di Tullio MA. Association with the cholinergic precursor choline alphoscerate and the cholinesterase inhibitor rivastigmine: An approach for enhancing cholinergic neurotransmission. Mech Ageing Dev 2006;127:173-179.

Essential Brain Nourishment: Glycerophosphocholine (GPC)

Published on October 18, 2011 in brain health and healthy aging spotlight. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each week, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Essential Brain Nourishment: Glycerophosphocholine (GPC)

Within neurons in the brain, phosphatidylcholine is a vital membrane phospholipid that participates in ensuring effective interneuronal communication. When brain cells interact they sometimes form new connections by “reaching out” to their neighbors with an extension of themselves – a section of new cellular material that must be wrapped properly in membrane material. At other times, peroxidation of a portion of neuronal membrane requires its removal and replacement. Both new construction and remodeling require a plentiful supply of new phosphatidylcholine. Some of this building material is made fresh from nutrients supplied by the blood, but most is produced by recycling the phosphatidylcholine obtained from the existing membrane material.

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
GPC Supplies Choline to the Brain

Essential Brain Nourishment: Choline

Published on October 4, 2011 in brain health and healthy aging spotlight. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each week, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Essential Brain Nourishment: Choline

Choline is a B-vitamin-like nutrient that is required for the synthesis of essential components of nerve and brain cell membranes. In humans, the rate of synthesis of these components is governed by the availability of choline in the brain, which itself is determined by dietary choline intake. When incoming supplies of choline are inadequate, existing neuronal cell membranes will be “cannibalized” for their choline – obviously a losing proposition in the long run. In contrast, dietary supplementation with choline prevents such avoidable loss of brain cell integrity. The current Recommended Dietary Allowances for choline range from 125 mg/day for neonatal infants to 425 mg/day for adults and 550 mg/day for lactating women. Daily intakes of up to 3500 mg are safe.17

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Essential Brain Nourishment: Glycerophosphocholine (GPC)

References:
17. Institute of Medicine. Choline. In: Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin and Choline. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1998, pp. 390-422.

Essential Brain Nourishment: Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract

Published on October 3, 2011 in brain health and healthy aging spotlight. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each week, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Essential Brain Nourishment: Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract

Extracts of the leaves of Ginkgo biloba, the world’s oldest living tree, contain a range of phytonutrients that stimulate the cholinergic neurotransmitter system. In one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 30 days of daily dietary supplementation with the extract produced improvements in the speed of information processing by working memory and the accuracy of executive processing in young men and women who were otherwise completely normal in their cognitive abilities.13 In an older study, the one-time consumption of 600 mg of Ginkgo biloba leaf extract increased memory performance in healthy young women with “good” memories within one hour.14 More recent research showed that acute administration of a single dose of Ginkgo biloba to young, healthy individuals led to significant performance enhancements for sustained-attention tasks and pattern recognition tasks 4 hours after dosing.15 Furthermore, a study performed in elderly individuals consuming 120 mg of a Gingko biloba extract daily for one year found that the extract was able to aid in the maintenance of cognitive function over the study period.16 The extract was extremely safe and in several cases was shown to enhance cognitive ability in the study group. The results of these studies illustrate the promotion of mental functioning by Ginkgo biloba leaf extract.

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Essential Brain Nourishment: Choline

References:
13. Stough C, Clarke J, Lloyd J, Nathan PJ. Neuropsychological changes after 30-day Ginkgo biloba administration in healthy participants. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2001;4:131-134.
14. Subhan Z, Hindmarch I. The psychopharmacological effects of Ginkgo biloba extract in normal healthy volunteers. Int J Clin Pharmacol Res 1984;4:89-93.
15. Elsabagh S, Hartley DE, Ali O, Williamson EM, File SE. Differential cognitive effects of Ginkgo biloba after acute and chronic treatment in healthy young volunteers. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2005;179(2):437-46.
16. Le Bars PL, Katz MM, Berman N, Itil TM, Freedman AM, Schatzberg AF. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial of an extract of Ginkgo biloba for dementia. North American EGb Study Group. JAMA 1997;278(16):1327-32.

Essential Brain Nourishment: PhospatidylSerine

Published on September 30, 2011 in brain health, healthy aging spotlight and phospatidylserine. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each week, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Essential Brain Nourishment: PhospatidylSerine

While DHA is the major fatty acid in the brain, PhospatidylSerine is the major structural component of brain cell membranes. PhospatidylSerine also is a precursor to phosphatidylcholine, another structural component of cell membranes. Within the neuronal cell membrane, PhospatidylSerine is required in order for the chemical events through which one neuron communicates with another to occur. Enhancing the concentration of PhospatidylSerine in neurons increases the speed and accuracy of cell-to-cell communication – effects that manifest as enhanced performance on tasks that test learning ability and short-term memory. PhospatidylSerine facilitates the formation of new memories (learning) and their retrieval.

In a “gold standard” randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial, daily dietary supplementation with 300 mg of PhospatidylSerine has been found to produce significant improvements in attention, vigilance, short-term recall, immediate memory, vocabulary skills and the ability to recall words in men and women over 60 years of age.9 In other studies, moderate losses of the abilities to concentrate, focus attention, learn and perform daily activities were somewhat reversed by daily supplementation with 300 mg of PhospatidylSerine; in particular, verbal recall, long-term memory and overall cognitive functioning were improved.10,11

Daily dietary supplementation with 100 mg to 300 mg of PhospatidylSerine enhances human cognitive function and may interrupt, attenuate or arrest cognitive deterioration. This property of PhospatidylSerine was recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in its announcement of a Qualified Health Claim on May 13, 2003, that “Consumption of PhospatidylSerine may reduce the risk of dementia in the elderly” and “Consumption of PhospatidylSerine may reduce the risk of cognitive dysfunction in the elderly.”12 In making its determination, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also endorsed the safety of daily dietary supplementation with up to 300 mg of phosphatidylserine.12

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Essential Brain Nourishment: Ginkgo biloba Leaf Extract

References:
9. Villardita C, Grioli S, Salmeri G. Nicoletti F, Pennisi G. Multicentre clinical trial of brain phosphatidylserine in elderly patients with intellectual deterioration. Clin Trials J 1987;24:84-93.
10. Palmieri G, Palmieri R, Inzoli MR, Lombardi G, Sottini C, Tavolato B, Giometto B. Double-blind controlled trial of phosphatidylserine in patients with senile mental deterioration. Clin Trials J 1987;24:73-83.
11. Crook T, Petrie W, Wells C, Massari DC. Effects of phosphatidylserine in Alzheimer’s disease. Psychopharmacol Bull 1992;28:61-66.
12. Taylor CL. Letter regarding phosphatidylserine and cognitive dysfunction and dementia. US Food and Drug Administration.

Essential Brain Nourishment: Fish Oils

Published on September 22, 2011 in brain health, healthy aging spotlight and omega 3 fish oil. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each week, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Essential Brain Nourishment: Fish Oils

The fish oil, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is the major polyunsaturated fatty acid in the brain. Between 25% and 50% of all the fatty acids in the brain, optic nerve and retina are DHA. One of the functions of DHA in the brain is to stimulate brain neurons to maintain strong cell-to-cell contacts so that they may communicate with ease. When DHA is added to the diet it enters the brain and is incorporated into those areas of neuron cell membranes where cells are in proximity and exchange messages. When the neuronal membrane DHA content is increased in rats, they learn more quickly and exhibit increased curiosity about their environment – all signs of enhanced cognitive functions. In elderly men and women, the ability to retain cognitive functions may increase as daily fish oil intake increases.8 DHA and other essential fatty acids support several structural components of brain tissue.

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Essential Brain Nourishment: Phosphatidylserine

References:
8. Kalmijn S, Feskens EJM Launer LJ, Kromhout D. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, and cognitive function in very old men. Am J Epidemiol 1997;145:33-41.

Essential Brain Nourishment: Energy, Vitamins and Minerals

Published on September 20, 2011 in brain health and healthy aging spotlight. 0 Comments

This is part of our ongoing The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging spotlight. Each week, we will be posting some of the great information that’s packed into our book, The Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging.

Today’s topic:
Essential Brain Nourishment: Energy, Vitamins and Minerals

Your brain needs energy – and lots of it! This small part of your body accounts for about 20% or more of your total energy use every day and is the major reason your liver works so hard to make other compounds into glucose, your brain’s major fuel. Proper brain function requires ample amounts of glucose to be readily-available within the brain. Concentration, focusing, attention, short-term memory, long-term memory, recall and reaction time are all essential brain activities and require ample amounts of energy. Not only must there be enough glucose in the brain, it must be able to convert that glucose into metabolic energy extremely rapidly and efficiently. That process requires several cofactors, including the B-vitamins and several minerals – thiamin, biotin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin, magnesium, zinc, iron and calcium. Too little of any one of these nutrients in the brain and glucose metabolism can slow, leading to impaired brain functions.6 In addition, the structural integrity of the neuronal network that allows the level of electrical and chemical activity that occurs in a healthy brain to proceed without mishap requires abundant supplies of riboflavin, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, folic acid, pantothenic acid, iron and zinc. Recently published research shows that combining B-vitamins with N-acetylcysteine dramatically improved the cognitive abilities of a series of elderly men and women.7

Next Best Kept Secrets to Healthy Aging topic:
Essential Brain Nourishment: Fish Oils

References:
6. Tucker DM, Penland JG, Sandstead HH, Milne DB, Heck DG, Klevay LM. Nutrition status and brain function in aging. Am J Clin Nutr 1990;52:93-102.
7. McCaddon A. Homocysteine and cognitive impairment; a case series in a General Practice setting. Nutr J 2006; Feb 15;5:6. doi: 10.1186/1475-2891-5-6 (http://www.nutritionj.com/content/5/1/6).