Daily Issues | Featured Article | Healthy Nutrition
Do You Wanna Know a Secret? (I Forgot What I was Going to Say…)
Yesterday, Michael Masterson (the founder of our sister company, Early To Rise) sent me a video that he got a kick out of. Michael knew that I was planning to write about memory and cognition and he thought this would be a memorable and humorous way to begin.
If you have ever forgotten what you are about to say… can’t remember why you walked into a room… or called one of your children the dog’s name… I think you’ll get a laugh out of this too.
(Click on the image to view the video)
We all have “senior moments”…
No matter your age, we all experience times when we forget even the most recent event or idea. What did I walk in here for… where did I park my car… why did I just open the refrigerator?
But there is no doubt that these experiences increase as we get older. In previous issues I have discussed the benefits of exercise on memory and cognition. I have also touched on the effect that omega-3 fatty acids can have on mental performance. And I never miss a chance to remind you that long-term consumption of sugar and high-carbohydrate foods can diminish mental performance and raise your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
But I haven’t talked about the memory and cognitive benefits of America’s favorite beverage – coffee!
Hundreds of studies have shown the health benefits of coffee…
Drinking coffee has been shown to reduce the risk of developing diabetes (although it can raise blood sugar levels in those who already have it). It has also been linked with lower rates of cancer, including those of the colon and prostate.
Coffee has also been shown to have significant neuro-protective properties. In one Finnish study, it lowered the risk of Alzheimer’s by 65%. Another study of lab mice showed that it reversed signs of the disease.
There was also a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition that showed an inverse relationship between the amount of coffee consumed and cognitive decline in elderly men. In other words, the more coffee the men drank, the better their mental performance.
Another benefit: improved short-term memory and reaction times…
Researchers at the Medical University at Innsbruck, Austria divided a study group into two segments. Both groups fasted for six hours and abstained from caffeine and nicotine for 24 hours prior to the test. The groups were given either a cup of strong coffee or a caffeine-free placebo.
After 20 minutes both groups were asked to carry out memory and concentration tests while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. The goal was to track their performance and also to see how coffee activates different areas of the brain. Several days later, the two groups took the same tests under the same conditions, except each group received the other drink.
What they discovered is that the coffee significantly activates parts of the prefrontal lobe of the brain. This part of the brain is involved in attention, concentration, planning and monitoring. It also stimulates what is known as the executive or “working memory.” This would be called on, for example, when you look up a telephone number and then store it in your memory before dialing.
A few things to keep in mind about coffee…
First of all, conventional coffee is heavily sprayed with pesticides. You should always buy organic. And if you add a couple teaspoons of sugar to every cup, you are probably negating any potential health benefits. So, if you take it sweet, use stevia.
Caffeine can also raise blood pressure and heart rate for some people. So, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. And finally, while it can improve mood and concentration… it can also cause anxiety and irritability and make you jittery.
Which is why I was interested to learn about something that THB Chairman of the Board, Dr. Al Sears calls…
“A better brain booster than coffee”
Last year, Dr. Sears took a trip to the Brazilian Rain Forest. He was there for an adventure vacation. But he was also there to research botanical and herbal medicines that the indigenous tribes have used for centuries.
One morning, before a long hike through the jungle, Dr. Sears’ guides gave him a drink made from the extract of seeds of a plant called Guaraná (Paullinia cupana). The people he was with drink this stimulating beverage as an energy booster, for the same reasons we drink coffee.
Dr. Sears was amazed by the mental and physical energy it gave him. So when he returned to the states, he began researching the plant and how he might incorporate it into his practice.
It turns out that the seeds of this plant have two to four times more caffeine than coffee beans. However, according to Dr. Sears, the seeds are full of fatty acids that slow the release of the caffeine. He says, “Its effect gradually increases over a period of hours. It doesn’t pick you up and throw you down like coffee.”
The studies confirm that is has similar benefits to America’s favorite beverage. In rats, the extract from guarana seeds increased memory and physical endurance. And in a human study, the compound boosted memory, alertness and mood.
Coffee and guarana may boost mental performance by releasing an important neurotransmitter in your brain. But there is a catch…
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that helps to keep your mind sharp and your memory clear (among other important properties). And caffeine definitely helps to release it. But coffee – and guarana, for that matter – also depletes your reserves of this important brain chemical. They do nothing to replace what is released.
But there is something you can do to replenish your reserves…
Consume more choline – one of the major building blocks for the powerful neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Choline is similar to the B-vitamins and is classified as an essential nutrient by the Institute of Medicine.
Choline helps to build cell membranes. It can protect the liver from damage and repair damage that has already occurred. As a precursor to acetylcholine, it also has powerful brain-boosting properties. Human milk has high levels of choline, because it is vital to the rapidly developing brains of infants. And it has also been shown to improve memory and test scores in adults.
The USDA food database lists foods highest in choline. Here are some of to consider:
- Egg yolks
- Beef, chicken and turkey livers (Always select organic, pastured animals, particularly if you choose to eat a filter organ like the liver)
- Grass-fed ground beef
- Cauliflower
- Almonds
To Your Health,
Editor
Total Health Breakthroughs
“Eat Your Veggies… But Not Like This.”
If you load up your plate with fresh broccoli and spinach, you’re doing your body a favor. But are you missing out on other veggies at the market that are actually much better for you than your “regulars”?
I’m talking about a “misunderstood” subset of veggies that are packed with more nutrients and antioxidants than your standard fare. According to a study funded by the UK Food Standards Agency, these “Superior Foods” contain 53% more beta carotene… 38% more health-boosting flavonoids… more muscle-building protein… more potassium… and more of the elements needed to foster complete nutrition.
Discover which veggies you should be eating… And which ones you should avoid… on page 4 of THB’s comprehensive guide to “Green Living.” Find out exactly how this guide can keep your family healthy… and protect you from poisons… by reading on right here.
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Caffeine leaches potasium from the bone marrow, leading to that “nervous” effect, cold finger tips, pectoral muscle pains, and other effects. This is effectively countered by putting potassium chloride (Morton’s No-Salt, etc.)in your coffee. Been doing this for over twenty years of lots and lots of strong coffee with none of the side-effects - even sleep well after late night cup of java! I learned this from a bio-chemist when I complained about having to switch from coffee to the ugh-yuk alternatives.
“Senior Moments?” Do you like to stereotype people? Well, you just did. Not everyone who is elderly has “Senior Moments.” I think you need to be a bit careful about insulting seniors as lacking a certain mental capacity. Do you think young people do not forget things? That’s quite a stereotype, isn’t it?
I thought the song was worth a smile. I must admit, I’ve been forgetting things for so many years I can’t remember when I started to forget! Seriously, though, I think the reason we sometimes seem to forget more as we age is that we have an information overload as we accumulate info along the way. Our brain can only process so much information at once. Yes, it can be decreased circulation or blood oxygen to the brain among other things as we age, but it may just be that we can’t retain the amount of stuff we try to cram into our minds over the years and something just has to go. Perhaps, as Sid has noted, this is creating a stereotype, but if we can’t laugh at our inconsistencies, there’s something lacking in our lives whether we are young, old or somewhere in between. Most older people I know joke about their senior moments and would not be offended by this song.
This is halarious because it is so true. It was me 100%. I intend to look into this Gaurana product. Finally, there’s hope for me at last. NWilkins
RE: Book on headache cures
My headache does not fit any of the types listed. I have had a left-side headache for 15 years(onset after a stroke) for which I have found no relief, trying things from numbing patches to drugs to acupuncture to botox. The botox has reduced the frequency of ectopic episodes, but the lingering left-side pain remains, with some lesser ectopic episodes still occurring. I would not want to spend $39 for a book that does not cover my type of headache. Suggestions? Thanks. Paul
Drinking a cup of coffee as I write.
When you mentioned the study about coffee lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s, it reminded me of a documentary I just saw about people with Alzheimer’s and what their caregivers are doing to open doors of communications by “treating” them through the creative arts. If anyone is interested, here’s a clip to the film:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54AtoQVGfwU
I saw the full documentary last week on DVD and it is truly remarkable.