5 Brain Boosters
courtesy of Shutterstock LOSING YOUR KEYS twice a day is cute when you're 22, but gets a little worrisome when you're 42—perhaps nothing about getting older is as disconcerti ng as the feeling your memory is going. No matter what your age, there's a lot you can do to keep your brain in full working order.
"Scientific evidence indicates that mental activity, a healthy diet, physical exercise, and stress reduction are important not only for improving memory, but also for reducing your risk of Alzheimer's disease," says Gary Small, M.D., director of the UCLA Longevity Center at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior and author of The Memory Bible. "Combining these approaches results in a very dramatic effect in a short period. When we measured PET scans, there were significant increases in brain efficiency. In fact, in two weeks some people showed a 200 percent improvement in memory scores, which is comparable to losing 20 years [of memory impairment]."
There are a number of steps—and supplements--you can take to protect or even improve the health of your brain. Supplements—while potentially valu able—can never take the place of healthy life choices. In the end, what succeeds in preserving and improving memory isn't any one natural therapy, but a mixture of them. "The most dramatic effects appear to occur when you combine strategies," says Small. "You're keeping yourself young by getting enough vitamins and nutrients, eating healthy fats and carbohydrates, having smaller meals more frequently, exercising your mind and body, sleeping better, and reducing stress." The following supplements show documented benefits that will go right to your head:
ginkgo biloba
WITH ITS REPUTATION for improving cerebral circulation and aiding memory, ginkgo biloba has long had pride of place when it comes to natural supplements that build brainpower. TIn a study published in Phytotherapy Research, adult volunteers taking ginkgo improved several measures of memory compared with a group taking a placebo.
How to use it: To counter or prevent failing memory and concentration, take 120 to 240 milligrams of standardized extract daily; it usually takes several months to see results.
vitamins E & B
"THE MOST POWERFUL brain antioxidant is vitamin E," says Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., author of Brain Longevity. "It decreases inflammation in the brain, scavenges free radicals, [and helps] stop degeneration of cognitive function." To counteract the effects of stress on the brain, Alicia Gonzalez, N.D., a naturopath at Tashi Delek Health and Wellness in Edmonds, Wash., recommends "a good B-complex supplement that includes B6 and B12." Khalsa likes the Bs as well. "So many people complain of mental and physical fatigue, and B vitamins are very important for increasing energy," he says.
How to use it: Khalsa recommends 400 IU of vitamin E daily for the average person, and between 800 and 1,000 IU each day if you have problems with memory, con centration, and the like--along with 400 to 800 micrograms of folio acid daily. For the other B vitamins, Gonzalez suggests taking up to 1,000 mcg a day of B12 (place tablets under the tongue for best absorption) and 50 mg of B6, three times a day.
green tea
LONG APPRECIATED for its antioxidant power, green tea may be the beverage of choice for brain gains. A study at the University of Newcastle in Great Britain turned up protective benefits in green tea. "We have data from a two-year study done on a large number of over-70-year-olds that shows those who consumed more green tea had no cognitive decline over the study period compared with those who consumed less," says Edward J. Okello, Ph.D., lead researcher of the British study.
HOW to use it: While no study has pinpointed how much or which brand of tea you should drink to help keep memory intact, more seems to be better, observes Okello.
coenzyme Q10< /strong>
"VERY IMPORTANT" is how Khalsa describes this energizing antioxidant. "It works on different areas of the brain and increases mental energy," he says. "It makes you more alert." According to Gonzalez, current studies are looking at whether high doses (up to 1,200 mg daily) can help patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease, a degenerative condition in which impaired delivery of dopamine in the brain affects movement. Khalsa cites an earlier study that found some benefit at doses of 1,200 mg daily, especially when combined with at least 100 mg of alphalipoic acid, a cell nutrient.
HOW to use it: For better energy and prevention of cognitive decline, Khalsa suggests taking 100 to 300 mg per day; you should triple that dosage if memory loss has already occurred. Patients taking statins should supplement, he adds, since the drugs deplete the body's store of coenzyme Q10.
sage oil
OIL FROM Spanish sage (Salv ia lavandulifolia) has been shown to decrease the activity of the acetylcholine-destroying enzyme. An Iranian investigation found that patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's showed significant improvement in cognitive symptoms when given 60 drops of common sage extract (Salvia officinalis) daily. Sage also contains a number of antioxidants.
How to use it: James J. Gormley, co-author of User's Guide to Brain-Boosting Supplements, recommends 2.5 to 7.5 grams per day of sage tincture, or 1.5 to 3 grams of liquid extract. "Keep in mind that 1 teaspoon of sage in food is about 1.5 grams," he notes.
Powered by WPeMatico
No comments:
Post a Comment