Friday, February 1, 2008

Keeping Your Brain Healthy at Any Age

By Joseph McCaffrey, MD, FACS

It's bad enough to decline physically.  Mental decline is even worse. The idea of losing cognitive ability frightens everyone.  It's especially frightening if you've witnessed anyone descend into the abyss of Alzheimer's. Our ability to think makes us human.  Our memories are the record of our life.  When dementia robs a person of these, they've lost something truly precious.

Take the case of Edith, one of my elderly patients.  She had a shuffling gait and a vacant gaze.  Because of her live-in caregiver, she was neatly dressed and groomed.  As she sat, she looked at the woman next to her, her daughter, and asked: "Where's Kate?   Do you know where Kate is?"  "I'm here Mom.  I'm Kate."  "No you're not, my Kate is a little girl.  Where's Kate?"

Sadly, I've seen too many people like Edith.  But it doesn't have to happen.   You can stay mentally clear and crisp well into old age. You know this to be true -- you've seen it.   I'm sure at some point you've met a person with plenty of years under his or her belt who was still sharp as anything.  Aren't those people a delight?  Don't they exude life?

It's possible to grow old and age minimally.  But it doesn't happen by accident.  Habitual choices carry long term consequences.  Research gives us some pretty strong suggestions on how to stay sharp as we grow old.

Here's a quick rundown of some ways to maintain your mental edge over time.  You'll see some familiar recommendations.  A healthy lifestyle benefits all of you, including your brain.

Exercise
People who are active are at lower risk for mental decline.  Some studies even show improved mental function in elderly people who start a walking program after years of being sedentary.

Obviously, there are a lot of other reasons you should exercise.  Maintaining your wits just emphasizes the importance of an exercise program.  You can read about several effective, efficient exercise programs in most issues of Total Health Breakthroughs.  Pick one and stay with it.

Diet
Eat a healthy diet, especially one high in fruits and vegetables. The antioxidants and micronutrients they contain go a long way toward protecting brain function.  Researchers are looking at the effects of many different foods.  Here are some of the findings.

Fats:
The type of fat in your diet affects brain function.  Omega-3 fatty acids are an important component in all neural tissue. A diet high in omega-3 fatty acids leads to lower levels of inflammation and improved brain function.  Fish are a good source of these types of fats.  Unfortunately, in today's world you need to be concerned that fish can be tainted by contaminants such as heavy metals and PCBs.  Even so, I still eat salmon at least once a week and take fish oil supplements daily.

Other fats affect brain function as well.  It turns out that fats that help your heart also help your brain.   Researchers in Italy examined people several times over an 8-year period.  Those who ate less saturated fat and more monounsaturated fats (like olive oil) showed significantly better cognitive function at the end of the study.¹  In other words, the Mediterranean Diet helps your brain and heart.

Curry:
India has a low incidence of dementia.  The obvious question is why.  The answer may be in the diet.  A study from the National University of Singapore documented a much lower rate of dementia in people who ate curry regularly as opposed to those who ate it rarely.²

(Continued)

One reason curries may be helpful is that they often contain turmeric. Turmeric has high levels of curcumin which has significant anti-inflammatory action.  It's actually been shown to reverse plaque formation in animal models of Alzheimer's disease. 

Other spices in curries such as ginger, cinnamon, and garlic have health benefits as well.  All in all, it's a good reason to develop a taste for Indian food.

Blueberries:
Blueberries contain some of the highest levels of antioxidants of any fruit.   In animal studies, adding blueberries to the diet protects against brain aging and the impairment in learning ability and memory that goes with it.³

Green Tea:
A study from Japan has shown that people who drink two cups of green tea a day had a 50% lower risk of dementia compared to those who drank less than 3 cups a week.  Black tea and coffee failed to show this benefit.⁴ 

Stress
Stress raises levels of hormones that inhibit brain function and actually damage brain cells.  Therefore it's important to learn techniques to deal with stress that defuse this risk.  Practices such as meditation, guided imagery, and especially the stress reduction program HeartMath all help in this area.

Mental Exercise
Physical exercise is good for you, and so is mental exercise.  The brain is remarkably "plastic" even into old age.  This means that new connections can be formed between brain cells at any age.  You can stimulate this type of growth by doing new things.

Dr. Willis and her colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania showed that cognitive training improved brain function and that the improvement persisted over the five years of the study.⁵

Learning a foreign language, working on challenging puzzles, and reading fascinating books all stimulate cognitive development.  Not to mention the fact that they make life more enjoyable.

Supplements  
I believe your diet should be your main source of nutrients.  Having said that, consider these supplements to give yourself an extra edge.

Fish oil:
As I mentioned, omega-3 fatty acids are critical for brain function. They suppress inflammation, which is partly responsive for deterioration of the brain, as well as a lot of other problems.  There are several good reasons to supplement with fish oil, and helping your brain is one of them.

Ginkgo biloba:
This herb has had a lot of publicity as a memory aid.  It seems to work by improving blood flow.  Most studies have shown moderate effectiveness and it has a good safety profile.^6-7

Curcumin
If you can't develop a taste for curries (my recommendation), curcumin is available as a supplement. 

Alpha-Lipoic Acid and Acetyl- L-Carnitine:
Alpha-lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant.  Acetyl-L-carnitine protects the mitochondria (the energy-producing "powerhouses" of the cells) from age-related damage.  Together, they work to protect the brain.^8-10

Phosphatidylserine:
Phosphatidylserine has generated a lot of interest in the study of cognitive decline.  That's because it's a precursor of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine.   Acetylcholine has been found to be reduced in Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. Taking phosphatidylserine as a supplement improves acetylcholine levels and has shown benefits in both animal and human studies.^11-13

Do you think you might be able to develop a taste for green tea?  And would it be possible to add some blueberries to your diet?  Small changes can have large benefits.

I've given you many suggestions to consider.  As you can see, there's a lot you can do to stay sharp as you age.   Following these suggestions will do more than just help your brain.  You'll improve your overall levels of vitality while reducing your risk of disease. 

Reference

1. Solfrizzi et al.  Neurobiol Aging.  2006 Nov;27(11):1694-702.
2. Tze-Pin Ng  et al. American Journal of Epidemiol. prepub source: doi:10.1093/aje/kwj267.
3. Joseph JA, et al. Nutr Neurosci. 2003 Jun;6(3):153-62.
4. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vol. 83, pp. 355-361) (green tea reference).
5. Willis SL et al. JAMA 2006 Dec 20;296(23):2805-14.
6. Kanowski S, Pharmacopsychiatry. 2003 Nov; 36(6):297-303
7. Gertz et al. Curr. Pharm. Des. 2004;10(3):261-264.
8. Liu J et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2002 Feb 1999(4):2356-61.
9. Lynch MA. Nutr. Neurosci. 2001;4(6):419-438.
10. Packer L et al. Free Rad Biol Med. 1997;22:359-78.
11. Cenacchi T et al. Aging 1993; 5:123-133.
12. Crook T et al. Psychopharmacol Bull. 1992; 28:61-66.
13. Funfgeld EW et al. Prog Clin Biol Res. 1989; 317:1235-1246.

[Ed. Note: Joseph F. McCaffrey, MD, FACS is a board-certified surgeon with extensive experience in alternative medicine, including certification as a HeartMath Trainer.  His areas of expertise include mind-body interaction and cognitive restructuring.  Dr. McCaffrey strives to help people attain their optimum level of vitality through attention to all aspects of wellness.  For more information, click here.]

Are you an adult who still believes in fairy tales?  Like the ones that say we will fall in love with the romantic partner of our dreams and live happily ever after.  It's hard not to think this way.  Books, movies, and even some TV shows keep the fairy tale going. They entertain us with dramas of romantic partners who overcome some sort of obstacle to their love. 

When the story concludes, the lovers are always united and we are led to believe they enter the future with a sense of true contentment and satisfaction with life.  This widespread cultural practice reflects the notion that we can only achieve genuine happiness by finding a romantic partner who fulfills our deepest hopes and dreams.  

There is another side of the same coin. It is the mistaken belief that it is impossible to be happy, content, and satisfied with life if we do not have a romantic relationship.  As a clinical psychologist I have found that many who think this way become depressed and demoralized.   They operate on the belief that since they are not attractive enough to find a romantic partner they have no real chance of finding happiness.  

In fact, it is terribly inaccurate to look this way at the connection between a romantic relationship and the ability to become and remain happy.  In researching emotional well-being I have discovered that a romantic relationship is not essential to leading a happy life.  This is because what we need in order to become and remain happy are affirmation, companionship, and intimacy.  

These core values are often found in a romantic relationship. But they can also be found in other types of relationships.  The important thing to remember is that finding these values in nonromantic relationships can be as effective in the pursuit of happiness as obtaining them from a romantic partner.  

By cultivating friendships you will enhance your emotional well-being.  A friend is a person with whom you share experiences that are mutually enjoyable.  A good friend is also someone who provides feedback that you are adequate, competent, acceptable, desirable and/or lovable.  

You also find intimacy with a good friend when you are comfortable enough to share aspects of yourself that could result in embarrassment, ridicule, or rejection and that friend continues to affirm you.
 
If you are in a reasonably fulfilling romantic relationship or even if you have no hope of finding one, you can enhance your emotional well-being by making an effort at cultivating friendships.  Spend time with a person who affirms you and who is interested in leisure activities that are mutually enjoyable.  

As time goes on risk sharing some intimate aspect of your life and see how your friend responds. If you find that this person offers affirmations, companionship and intimacy, investing time and energy in your relationship with him or her will go a long way toward enhancing your emotional well-being.

[Ed. note: Dr. Douglas Ramm is a psychologist, philosopher, author and leading researcher in the field of emotional well-being, contentment and life satisfaction. He has appeared on numerous radio and television talk shows where he shares insights for enhancing quality of life. For more information, click here.]

If you are taking over-the-counter or prescription drugs, there is a good chance that nutrients are being robbed from your body.  Drugs can alter the absorption and utilization of nutrients that your body needs in order to maintain normal function. Drug-induced nutrient depletion is a widely ignored issue by mainstream medicine  Oftentimes long term nutrient depletions go unnoticed leading to disease progression or even worse, being diagnosed with other disease states. This leads to more drugs and more depletions; seeing a trend yet?

A great example is the first line blood pressure medication hydrochlorothiazide. It has been shown to deplete magnesium, zinc, sodium, potassium and CoQ10¹ from your body.  Leaving the pharmacy with this drug, you will have a written warning that it can lower potassium, however, there is no warning for the other nutrients that are depleted. 

Consider magnesium. Approximately 75% of the U.S. population is already low in magnesium to start with, so adding a drug that depletes even more magnesium can be a big problem.  Why is magnesium so important?   Low magnesium levels have been linked to the development of type 2 diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome.^2-3 So you start off controlling your blood pressure but because of the drug depletion, it leads you to developing type 2 diabetes leading to even more drug therapy.

Below is a summary of the symptoms of just one of the nutrients that are depleted by a commonly prescribed medication.  Statin medications for cholesterol, oral anti-diabetic agents, and other blood pressure medications can also create significant nutrient depletions that could have a big impact on your health.

Here are some signs of magnesium insufficiency:

• Feelings of fatigue and weakness in your muscles
• Cramping or restlessness in your muscles
• Feeling anxious or nervous with possible palpitations and arrhythmias
• Constipation
• Elevated blood pressure
• Migraines
• Osteoporosis
• Developing kidney stones
• Developing diabetes

It is hard to correlate many of these symptoms with a drug that you have been on for a year or more. Most times doctors are looking for adverse events to happen within the first few months of drug therapy.

What You Can Do
Talk with your healthcare provider and find out what nutrients are being depleted from the drugs that you are on and take steps to replenish your body.  If you are deficient in magnesium, look for magnesium glycinate, amino acid chelate, or citrate. Consider taking 600 mg per day in divided doses. The worst thing that can happen is that you get a loose stool.  If that does happen, simply reduce the dose. 

If you have hypertension you can often reduce you blood pressure without the use of medications.  Diet and exercise, reducing salt intake, not smoking and weight loss can all significantly reduce blood pressure.

References

1. Pelton, R.,  LaValle, J, et al The Handbook on Drug Induced Nutrient Depletion, Lexicomp 2001.
2. Longstreet, DA et al. Rural Remote Health 2007, Oct-Dec;7(4). Epub2007 Oct 12.
3. Sharama A et al. J Indian Med Assoc. 2007 Jan;105(1):16,18,20.

[Ed. Note: Jim LaValle is an educator, clinician and industry consultant in the field of integrative healthcare. He is a licensed pharmacist, board certified clinical nutritionist and doctor of naturopathic medicine with more than 20 years clinical practice experience in the field of natural therapeutics and functional medicine. Named one of the "50 Most Influential Druggists" by American Druggist for his work in natural medicine, LaValle has authored 13 books, including his latest, Cracking the Metabolic Code. For more information, click here.]

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Years ago I heard it said that as we age the first thing to go is our flexibility. This then begs the questions: If you don't lose your flexibility, do you get older some other way? Or not at all?

The fact is that some very young people are as stiff as steel while some people I've trained with in China — men and women in their 70s, 80s and 90s are flexible as cats.

Last November, in Beijing's Tian Tan Park I watched a man stretch his hamstrings with his foot high on a tree above his head and his nose way past his knee. He was without a doubt a "senior" so I approached and asked his age.

"Eighty-four," he replied.
"What do you do to get so flexible?" I asked.
"I stretch everyday."
"Do you ever take a day off?"
"No," he said.
"How much time do you spend in this position?" I asked, noting that he'd not moved from his perch in a few minutes.
"Six minutes," he said.
"Do you do anything special to stay so flexible other than get into position?"
"I breathe into the muscle I'm stretching. I feel it melting and getting warm. And I tell the muscle to let go, to relax and unwind."
"Do you spend this much time in every stretch you do?"
"No. Only this stretch."
"Why so long in this stretch?"
"Because when you stretch your hamstrings you stretch your mind. You get more relaxation overall when your hamstrings are flexible."

This man's summation reminded me of what Lama Lar Short, co-author of Body of Light told me some years ago. "Emotional tension is stored in the hamstrings."

After talking to the man in Tian Tan Park I began to devote more than the typical one minute to stretching my hamstrings. On the first session I noted a deeper level of both physical and mental relaxation.

I then began putting some of my students on the same program for hamstring stretches. Straight across the board, they all reported the same benefits.

Just think how easy it would have been to assume there was nothing to learn from asking for the details of this one stretch. There was definitely MORE to it than met my eyes.

Yes, you will still get older even if you stretch, but your mind and your muscles can maintain flexibility and emotional well-being for as long as you consciously take care of them.

[Ed. Note: Martial arts and discipline titan Matthew Furey motivates thousands of people with his politically incorrect fitness, fighting and maximum success instruction. For more information, click here.]

This easy egg dish gets a savory spin with the fresh flavors of Greece.  Both the eggs and the spinach provide lutein and zeaxanthin — nutrients that help to reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration.  Serve this sight-saving temptation with a salad of seasonal fruit for a light, yet nutrient-packed meal.

Serves: 4

Time to Table: 30 minutes

Healing Nutrient Spotlight
Lutein & Zeaxanthin
Excellent source of protein, riboflavin, selenium
Good source of calcium, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate

Ingredients
1 cup fresh organic spinach, chopped
8 pieces organic sun-dried tomatoes
2 ounces organic feta cheese, crumbled
1 tsp fresh, organic oregano
8 large organic kalamata olives, sliced in quarters
1 whole organic shallot, chopped
4 large organic egg whites
4 large organic eggs
1 tsp organic canola oil

Preparation
Heat oven to 425°F.  Coat 4 small baking dishes with cooking spray.  Set aside.  Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook shallot until soft but not brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add spinach; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Lightly whisk eggs and egg whites in a bowl. Chop oregano, mix with feta cheese and add to eggs. Spoon into baking dishes and top with sun-dried tomato pieces and kalamata olives. Bake until firm in the center, 12 to 14 minutes.

Nutritional Information
168 calories, 10 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 4 g monounsaturated fats, 1g  polyunsaturated fat, 224 mg cholesterol, 442 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g sugars, 13 g protein

Reference
Beatty S, et al. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2001 Feb;42(2):439-446.

[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the Founder & CEO of Healing Gourmet, a multimedia company that educates on how foods promote health and protect against disease. She is also the creator of Healing Gourmet's Personalized Nutrition Software and Editor-in-Chief of the Healing Gourmet book series published by McGraw-Hill, including Eat to Fight Cancer, Eat to Beat Diabetes, Eat to Lower Cholesterol and Eat to Boost Fertility. For more information, click here.]

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