Brain-boosting nutrients

[Guest guest]

Electrify your memory with brain-boosting nutrients - includes related

information by Langer, Better Nutrition magazibe

Her remark was disturbing.

Drawing a blank while trying to introduce two people she had known for some

time, andra, the party hostess, laughed in embarrassment and

apologized for her memory lapse with the remark, " Sorry -- I guess I have

Alzheimer's disease. "

Fortunately, her guess was way off the mark; after a few well-chosen,

recommended nutritional supplements -- as well as stress reduction

techniques -- her memory returned to normal in no time.

It is sad that so many people -- and they're not all middle-aged or elderly --

immediately attribute, either jokingly or seriously, any memory failure to

something as extreme as Alzheimer's disease.

In truth, there can be many reasons for faulty mental functioning -- most of

them serious, but not life-threatening -- and all treatable with stress

management techniques and/or nutritional supplementation.

Knowing that andra is an account executive in the super-stressful

advertising business, I believed that her condition would be readily treatable,

and it was.

After unrelenting stress all day, and mental stress at night, which caused her

to twist and turn in a virtually sleepless bed, she had set herself up for

memory deterioration.

Various studies show that unyielding stress prepares us for the fight-or-flight

reaction to danger. However, when there is no specific physical enemy to fight

or to flee from, the body's reactive secretions build up.

How does stress affect memory?

What happens is that stress hormones, which would normally feed the brain,

divert glucose into the muscles. When the glucose supply to the brain is

reduced, some brain cells function at reduced levels or even die. This is

especially noticeable in the hippocampus area of the brain, the seat of

memory.

In andra's case, I gave her anti-stress, tension-reduction exercises to

follow each workday. Also, I put her on a daily B-complex supplement, which

included 100 mg of each of the major B vitamins, to reduce her anxiety. (See

the B vitamins sidebar on p. 46 for specific B-vitamin supplementation

guidelines.)

In summary, my regimen helped normalize the flow of glucose into her brain,

helped her to relax, and supercharged her with energy and creative

confidence. Within less than a month, andra's memory was in peak form.

Her creativity brought in a new account that was equal in dollar value to three

others held by the agency.

Patients are not the only ones who misinterpret their memory problems.

Doctors sometimes misdiagnose them, too, implanting in their patients a

feeling of hopelessness.

For example, several years ago, a 64-year-old man flew all the way from New

Orleans to my Berkeley, Calif. office to seek my advice on treatment options

for his multiple medical problems.

The owner of a prosperous business that employed more than 200 people, he

explained that, for more than a year, his memory had begun to fail him.

Consequently, he had become progressively depressed. In addition, his

energy was so low that he could hardly drag himself out of bed in the

morning.

He then showed me a letter written by a prominent medical professor from

one of the most prestigious medical centers in the U.S., who had recently

performed a complete medical evaluation on this man.

The contents of this letter would have devastated even the strongest person.

The letter stated that this man should get his business affairs in order,

because he was in the early stages of senile dementia that would progress

inexorably until he required custodial care.

My own thorough examination of this patient revealed that he was suffering

from multiple, chronic, nutritional imbalances; was profoundly hypoglycemic;

and had an underactive thyroid gland.

His recommended treatment plan included a drastic diet alteration which was

high in complex carbohydrates (55 percent), moderate in protein (25 percent),

and low in fat (20 percent); a program of nutritional supplements; and a small

dose of thyroid medication. Within 45 days, he was functioning at peak mental

and physical levels.

Hypothyroidism, autoimmune thyroiditis, and varying degrees of malnutrition

are just a few of the treatable medical conditions which can mimic many

Alzheimer's disease symptoms. Others include pernicious anemia, drug

reactions, environmental toxins, and chronic infective processes, such as

candidiasis and parasite infestation.

These medical conditions -- and many others -- should be ruled out in

everyone whose mind is, or seems to be, failing. Once these are ruled out,

very often, the key to optimal health is super nutrition.

Nutrients for brain functioning

Every essential nutrient -- that is, each one which must be supplied by the diet

-- is, of course, important in brain functioning. Antioxidant nutrients,

particularly, betacarotene and vitamins C and E, prevent the buildup of cell-

destroying free radicals.

Glutamine, a derivative of the non-essential amino acid, glutamic acid, has

been found to cross the blood-brain barrier easily to supercharge the brain. A

known detoxifier, glutamine helps to clear the brain cells of ammonia created

by the breakdown of protein, which, if left unchecked, can cause irritability

and

hallucinations.

Once inside the brain, glutamine is converted back to the amino acid,

glutaminic acid, which safely binds with ammonia and carries this dangerous

toxin out of the body.

Vitamin B-1 (thiamin) is another powerful antioxidant necessary for regulating

and normalizing the transformation of glucose to energy. Most heavy alcohol

drinkers are chronically B-1 deficient, for example. In certain cases, this can

lead to organic brain syndrome, which may respond to this essential nutrient,

and help to optimize brain function. B-1 can be beneficial to persons with

healthy brains, as well.

Vitamin B-3 (niacin) helps improve brain function by enhancing the oxygen-

carrying ability of the red blood cells.

Vitamin B-5 (pantothenic acid) is crucial to the conversion of choline to

acetylcholine, an essential brain neurotransmitter. B-5 is also essential in

glucose metabolism, or energy production.

Sadly, older adults consume only about one-third of the RDA for B-5, while

the typical adolescent is often as much as 50 percent below RDA guidelines.

Vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine) is needed for the production of the neurotransmitters

norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine, all necessary for optimal brain

function. A high-protein diet increases the need for vitamin B-6, which all too

often is deficient in the American diet.

Vitamin B-12 (cyanocobalamin) stimulates RNA synthesis in nerve cells.

Deficiencies are often associated with some forms of dementia. B-12 is often

deficient in the diet of strict vegetarians, as the vitamin's predominant source

is animal products, such as dairy foods and meat. (Note: Tofu is the source of

a small amount of B-12.)

Still another B vitamin which is essential to clear thinking and optimal memory

is choline, the precursor of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

While choline supplements are available, it is also a major ingredient in the

supplement lecithin, which, in our bodies, makes up about 30 percent of the

dry weight of the brain. In addition to choline, lecithin provides a variety of

other important nutrients, including phospholipids, fats, and glycolipids

(lipids

with sugars attached). A small quantity of lecithin is also found in brewer's

yeast, another good source of B vitamins.

When supplementing with B vitamins, it is important to note that they should

be taken together. In their book, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, F.

Balch, M.D., and Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C., explain, " The B vitamins should

always be taken together, but up to two to three times more of one B vitamin

than another can be taken for a particular disorder. "

Other brain stimulants

Usually associated with efficient weight control, the nutrient carnitine and its

activated partner, acetyl-L-carnitine, assist in stimulating brain performance

by helping to deliver fatty acids into our intracellular blast furnaces

(mitochondria) -- energizing our brain cells for thinking and remembering.

Much experimental evidence shows that L-carnitine may help to reverse the

loss of brain neurons and the accumulation of intracellular aging pigments, as

well as to protect brain cell membranes so that they can repel free radicals'

efforts to impair cellular DNA and RNA.

Perhaps the premier agent for dissipating mental fogginess and improving

failing memory is the wonder herb, ginkgo biloba, sales of which have taken

off like a rocket in the United States.

Ginkgo's amazing powers are realized through its mechanisms which have

been shown to increase blood-brain circulation and prevent damage caused

by free radicals. Ginkgo also enhances the brain's ability to turn glucose into

energy and, in this way, increase nerve cell transmission.

There's even more to the story. Ginkgo also increases brain production of the

energy molecule ATP, keeps brain blood vessels flexible, and prevents

platelet aggregation (clumping), which can reduce vital brain circulation.

Ginkgo also appears to increase brain " alpha-wave " activity associated with

alertness, while decreasing " theta-wave " activity related to lack of attention.

Many ginkgo users fail to realize the greatest benefits from this botanical

because they expect instant results and fail to give it a fair trial.

Standardized ginkgo extract works wonders in many people, but its effects

seem to build over a period of time.