cognitive performance Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Brain Function Boosted by Daily Physical Activity in Middle-Aged, Older Adults

AHA Publisher — Tue, 01 Feb 2022 08:00:53 +0000

University of California San Diego Health via Newswise – A new study by researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine adds to the canon of research associating physical activity with cognitive performance, this time using 90 middle-aged and older subjects who wore accelerometers while physically active and completed mobile cognitive testing from home. “The future of lifestyle interventions really needs to be remote-based,” said Raeanne Moore, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine and principal investigator of the study. “The pandemic has made this especially clear.” On the days their physical activity increased, the study found, the 50- to 74-year-old participants performed more effectively on an executive function task, and on the days when their physical activity decreased, so too did their cognitive performance. The findings published Jan. 31, 2022 in the journal JMIR mHealth and uHealth. “It was a very linear relationship,” Moore said. “We hypothesized that we would find this, but we couldn’t be sure because we weren’t telling people to increase their physical activity. They just did what they do every day.” First author Zvinka Zlatar, PhD, a clinical psychologist at UC San Diego School of Medicine, added: “Future interventions, in which we ask people to increase their physical activity, will help us determine if daily changes in physical activity lead to daily gains in cognition measured remotely or vice versa.” The correlation between physical activity and cognition remained when adjustments were made for various co-morbidities, such as HIV status, age, sex, education and race/ethnicity. But it held only for persons who function dependently — who rely on others to perform the tasks of daily living, such as managing household activities or paying the bills. “For them, physical activity may have a greater benefit on daily, real-world cognitive performance,” Moore said, a finding consistent with research into Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Though it didn’t fall within the purview of this study, Moore speculated that, because functionally independent adults likely perform more cognitively stimulating and social activities, which are known to have positive impacts on brain health, physical activity may have less of an impact on cognition. Moore and Zlatar said their work has implications for the development of novel digital health interventions to preserve brain health in aging. “We don’t know yet if there’s a cumulative, long-term effect to these small daily fluctuations in cognition,” Zlatar said. “That’s something we plan to study next – to see if performing physical activity at different intensities over time, in unsupervised settings, can produce long-term improvements in brain health and sustained behavior change.” To read the original article click here.

The post Brain Function Boosted by Daily Physical Activity in Middle-Aged, Older Adults appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Discover How Eating Mixed Berries Can SUPERCHARGE Your Brain Function

AHA Publisher — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 07:00:39 +0000

Joy Jensen via NaturalHealth365 – You probably know about the popular adage, “you are what you eat.” Right? Well, science continues to back that saying up … especially when it comes to your brain function. Growing research supports the positive (and negative) effects of the foods you eat on your body, mind and spirit – in particular the brain. That’s especially true of foods containing flavonoids, which are found in many vegetables, fruits, and other plant products. Rich in antioxidants, they work by powerfully warding off the threat of toxins, as well as other health benefits. Flavonoids have been shown to help protect the brain and support brain function. In fact, new research shows that eating mixed berries, which are high in flavonoids, can help improve brain function and cognitive performance. New study concludes: Eating the right foods can really boost brain function Researchers wanted to test findings from previous animal models and conducted research on a group of 40 healthy adults between 20 and 30 years of age. Participants were provided with a berry smoothie that included blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries blended with water. A placebo was matched for vitamin C and carbohydrates. After consuming the smoothies, participants in the study engaged in tasks designed to measure mental flexibility, response times, and more at two, four, and six hours after drinking the smoothie. The results showed that those drinking the berry smoothie had increased accuracy on cognitive tests even up to six hours after consumption. They also had quicker response times! Those who had the placebo saw a decreased performance throughout the day as cognitive fatigue set in. Researchers concluded that consuming mixed berries, which are an excellent source of flavonoids, improve cognitive brain functions in the test subjects. While this new study backs up the brain function benefits of mixed berries, it’s not the first study to show the benefits of a high intake of berries. A previous study published in Annals of Neurology reported that a high intake of blueberries, strawberries, and other flavonoid-rich berries delayed memory decline in aging women. Best of all, it’s a simple dietary modification you can make to reduce memory decline and boost brain function. Understanding the extra health benefits of consuming enough flavonoids Beyond improving brain function and slowing age-related memory decline, a high intake of flavonoids offers many other health benefits, too! Additional benefits include: Decreased diabetes risk: One meta-analysis showed that a high intake of flavonoids was associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Cancer-fighting benefits: Some flavonoids may keep cancer cells from multiplying, although additional research is needed. Reduced heart attack risk: Flavonoids found in soy, coffee, and tea may reduce the risk of having a stroke or heart attack. How can you enjoy the benefits of flavonoids? I’m glad you asked! One of the best ways is to start eating more berries: blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Organic, of course. (To avoid eating unwanted chemicals in your diet.) Toss them into your salads, slice them in cereal, top your yogurt with berries, or eat them alone as a healthy snack. Sources for this article include: NaturalHealthResearch.org, Harvard.edu, Healthline.com To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

The post Discover How Eating Mixed Berries Can SUPERCHARGE Your Brain Function appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Topical Lemon Balm Lotion for Alzheimer’s

AHA Publisher — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 07:00:04 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – Improving cognitive performance with aromatherapy in young, healthy volunteers is one thing, but how about where it really matters? As I discuss in my video Best Aromatherapy Herb for Alzheimer’s, a group of Japanese researchers had a pie-in-the-sky notion that certain smells could lead to “nerve rebirth” in Alzheimer’s patients. Twenty years ago, even simply raising such a possibility as a hypothetical was heretical. Everybody knew that the loss of neurons is irreversible. In other words, dead nerve cells are not replaced, an important factor in neurodegenerative diseases. That’s what I was taught and what everyone was taught, until 1998. Patients with advanced cancer volunteered to be injected with a special dye that’s incorporated into the DNA of new cells. On autopsy, researchers then went hunting for nerve cells that lit up in the brains. And, as you can see at 1:14 in my video, there they were: new nerve cells in the brain that didn’t exist just days or months before, demonstrating “that cell genesis occurs in human brains and that the human brain retains the potential for self-renewal throughout life”—something in which we can take comfort. It still doesn’t mean smells can help, though. An aromatherapy regimen of rosemary, lemon, lavender, and orange essential oils was attempted for a month. At 1:43 in my video, you can see the trajectory of the subjects’ cognitive function and their ability to form abstract ideas starting six weeks before the treatment. Prior to the aromatherapy regimen, there was a rather steady decline, which was reversed after the aromatherapy. The researchers concluded that aromatherapy may be efficacious and “have some potential for improving cognitive function, especially in AD [Alzheimer’s disease] patients”—all, of course, without any apparent side effects. What about severe dementia? We always hear about the cognitive deficits, but more than half of patients with dementia experience behavioral or psychiatric symptoms. Thorazine-type antipsychotic drugs are often prescribed, even though they appear to be particularly dangerous in the elderly. “Antipsychotic medication may be viewed as an easier option than non pharmacological alternatives,” such as aromatherapy. Another study examined the effect of rubbing a lemon balm-infused lotion on the arms and face of patients twice daily by caregiving staff, compared with lotion without the scent. “During the 4 weeks, significant improvements were seen” in agitation, shouting, screaming, and physical aggression, as were improved quality of life indicators, with patients less socially withdrawn and more engaged in constructive activities, compared to the unscented control. This is important because antipsychotics cause patients to become more withdrawn and less engaged. They are like a chemical restraint. The drugs can reduce agitation, too. So, aromatherapy with lemon balm “is safe, well tolerated, and highly efficacious, with additional benefits on key quality of life parameters.” These findings clearly indicate the need for longer-term multicenter trials,” but we never had any, until…never. We still don’t have any. This study was conducted in 2002, and there have been no follow-ups. Is that a surprise? Who’s going to fund such a study: Big Balm? To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Greger click here.

The post Topical Lemon Balm Lotion for Alzheimer’s appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.