memory loss Archives - Amazing Health Advances

World’s Most Popular Diet Boosts Brain Power

The AHA! Team — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 06:36:52 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – A ketogenic diet can preserve your brain power and even reverse memory loss in old age, according to an exciting new study. The high-fat keto diet, which encourages your body to burn fat instead of carbs, is the world’s most popular meal plan. Users report shedding excess pounds quickly and getting a “second wind” with more energy. I’ve been recommending my fat-based, zero-carb “Primal Power Meal Plan” to patients for more than two decades. And while the impact of this diet on balanced blood sugar and weight loss is clear, there’s more to it… When you eat this way, you’ll immediately notice that your brain is firing on all cylinders. So, I wasn’t surprised to see studies that reveal what this diet can do for your memory. Memory Loss Reversed The latest study is a follow-up to a previous study that revealed the ketogenic diet can improve cognitive performance in older male mice. This time, the research team uncovered the specific mechanism that makes it possible. Scientists put 19 male mice aged between 20 and 23 months – which counts as “old age” for the animals – on either a cycled keto diet or a standard, control diet. Mice in the experimental group switched between a ketogenic diet and a standard diet every other week. Researchers measured metabolic changes for the first 12 weeks. For five weeks after that, the team examined differences in behavior. That’s when they found out what was really happening… Upon further testing, the scientists found that ketone bodies – which are produced by the liver when your body breaks down fat for energy instead of glucose – boosted the connection between the synapses in the brain.1 This has incredible implications for your brain and memory. As you may know, synapses make up the space between nerve cells. This is how chemicals are passed along between neurotransmitters. A better connection between the synapses in your brain helps neurons send signals more effectively – increasing your capacity to recall old memories and enhance your ability to store new ones.2 An earlier study noted that ketone bodies “decrease oxidative stress, increase antioxidants, and scavenge free radicals.” These processes are essential for promoting the healing of the brain.3 The researchers say this is what restored cognitive function in the mice. And they have every reason to believe it would have the same effect on humans. Ketones can be used by most cells of the brain to make energy. When insulin resistance blocks glucose from brain cells, this energy source for the brain can help restore function. Your body produces ketones when you eat a diet high in fat and very low in carbs. Your body enters a state called “ketosis.” Because your body doesn’t have carbs to burn for energy, you burn ketones instead. And ketones burn clean. They make fewer waste products, keeping the stress off the damaged brain cells. Studies show a ketogenic diet can slow and even help reverse dementia symptoms. In a recent study, 23 people with mild cognitive impairment were put on a high- or low-carb ketogenic diet. After just six weeks, the low-carb group showed improved memory compared to the high-carb group.4 Ketogenic diets have also been linked to reduced risk of type-2 diabetes,5 Alzheimer’s,6 Parkinson’s disease,7 autism,8 multiple sclerosis,9 and certain cancers, especially brain cancer.10 As I mentioned, I’ve been recommending a high-fat, low-carb meal plan for many years. In fact, I have a catered keto-friendly lunch for my staff every other week. Unlike other diet fads that have come and gone, a ketogenic meal plan doesn’t ask you to give up much — some of your favorite foods may already be on the menu. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS References: Acuna-Catalan D, et al. “Ketogenic diet administration later in life improves memory by modifying the synaptic cortical proteome via the PKA signaling pathway in aging mice.” Cell Reports Med. 2024;5(6):101593. Kennedy M. “Synaptic signaling in learning and memory.” Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2016;8(2):a016824. Greco T, et al. “Ketogenic diet decreases oxidative stress and improves mitochondrial respiratory complex activity.” J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2016 Sep; 36(9): 1603–1613. Krikorian R, et al. “Dietary ketosis enhances memory in mild cognitive impairment.” Neurobiology Aging. 012;33(2):425.e19-425.e27. University of Michigan. “Liquid low-calorie or low-carb keto diet can reverse type 2 diabetes, research shows.” (https://news.umich.edu/liquid-low-calorie-or-low-carb-keto-diet-can-reverse-type-2-diabetes-research-shows.) Accessed on July 17, 2024 Dillmore A, et al. “Effects of a ketogenic and low-fat diet on the human metabolome, microbiome, and foodome in adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.” Alzheimers Dement. 2023 Nov;19(11):4805-4816. Grochowska K and Przeliorz P. “The effect of the ketogenic diet on the therapy of neurodegenerative diseases and its impact on improving cognitive functions.” Dement Geriatr Cogn Dis Extra. 2022 May-Aug; 12(2): 100–106. Evangeliou A, et al. “Application of a ketogenic diet in children with autistic behavior: pilot study.” J Child Neurol. 2003 Feb;18(2):113-8. Bock M, et al. “Ketogenic diet and prolonged fasting improve health-related quality of life and lipid profiles in multiple sclerosis – A randomized controlled trial.” 2015. Varshneya K, et al. “The efficacy of ketogenic diet and associated hypoglycemia as an adjuvant therapy for high-grade gliomas: a review of the literature.” Cureus. 2015 Feb 27;7(2):e251. To read the original article click here.

The post World’s Most Popular Diet Boosts Brain Power appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Melatonin Could Be a Potential Therapy for Long-COVID Symptoms

AHA Publisher — Thu, 17 Nov 2022 08:00:30 +0000

Dr. Chinta Sidharthan via News-Medical – A recent review published in the journal Biomolecules discussed the potential uses of melatonin in treating brain fog and chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis symptoms associated with long coronavirus disease (COVID). Background An emerging concern associated with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is long COVID or clinical sequelae consisting of chronic fatigue, memory loss, muscle weakness, reduced pulmonary capacity during exertion, persistent fever, myalgia, epileptic seizures, stroke, and other cardiovascular complications. Patients who have recovered from severe COVID-19 experience these debilitating symptoms for months after recovery. Furthermore, studies that examined vaccinated individuals who experienced breakthrough severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections found a high incidence of long COVID symptoms such as deteriorated musculoskeletal, neurological, and mental health among these individuals after recovery. This indicates that vaccination provides only limited protection against long COVID. Melatonin is a cryoprotective hormone and chemical that exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunoregulatory activity and has been seen to impair viral infections, play a role in circadian rhythm maintenance, and be effective against diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. It is also involved in the activation of glutathione-synthesizing enzymes. Melatonin could potentially be a therapeutic agent in treating long COVID symptoms. Long COVID Symptoms Brain fog is a general term used to defineimpaired cognitive function, such as difficulty concentrating, loss of working and short-term memory, and difficulty with verbal and non-verbal methods of learning and mathematical problem-solving. While brain fog can be a consequence of various factors such as sleep deprivation, malnutrition, pregnancy or menopause-related hormonal changes, or even chemotherapy, it was the most reported symptom among COVID-19-recovering patients with no history of other diseases or hypoxia. An intelligence test in the United Kingdom detected cognitive impairments in a significant number of individuals with COVID-19. Symptoms included memory loss, disorientation, and reduced mental energy. Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is characterized by excessive and persistent fatigue, inability to perform physical exercise, and autonomic dysregulation. ME/CFS is also associated with disruption of circadian rhythms and the gut/mucosal barrier, mitochondrial dysfunction, and a pro-inflammatory state. Studies indicated that 45% of COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized and required intensive care unit admission exhibited ME/CFS symptoms up to six months after recovery. Melatonin as a Potential Long COVID Treatment Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced in all aerobically respiring life forms, and it performs antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulant, and neuroprotective functions in the body. It reduces the pro-inflammatory response of macrophages, activates nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2, and suppresses the activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB. Melatonin is also known to balance inflammatory responses by decreasing the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukins (IL) 1β, 6, and 8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and increasing anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Warburg’s effect during viral infections causes a shift from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis which occurs in the cytoplasm. This is accompanied by inflammation-promoting mechanisms such as an increase in NF-κB and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α. Consequently, the anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages are converted to pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages, causing a cytokine storm known to cause endothelial tissue and organ damage in severe COVID-19 patients. The anti-inflammatory effects of melatonin in preventing pro-inflammatory profiles or macrophages and suppressing NF-κB activation can help reverse Warburg’s effect in long COVID patients. Melatonin also regulates the amyloid β (Aβ) metabolism associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Studies with transgenic Alzheimer’s disease models have shown that melatonin can control neuroinflammation by interacting with Aβ40 and Aβ42 and increasing protein degradation. Furthermore, the ability of melatonin to regulate circadian rhythms and sleep patterns has been shown to improve cognitive function and sleep in patients in the early stages of cognitive decline. Melatonin is also known to exhibit therapeutic activity against the various symptoms of ME/CFS, such as oxidative stress, pro-inflammatory state, mitochondrial and bioenergetic dysregulation, and disruption of the gut/mucosal barrier. Conclusions Overall, the review reported the significant potential for the use of melatonin in long-COVID and COVID-19 therapy. Studies have shown melatonin is more effective in reducing COVID-19 inflammatory markers than commonly used SARS-CoV-2 antivirals. The authors believe that although melatonin exhibits anti-inflammatory and immunostimulant properties that many studies have reported being effective against COVID-19, it has not been promoted as a therapeutic option, possibly due to its easy availability and non-patentability, which makes it an unattractive target for pharmaceutical industries. They recommend clinical trials to explore the use of melatonin as a treatment for long COVID symptoms. To read the original article click here.

The post Melatonin Could Be a Potential Therapy for Long-COVID Symptoms appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Do Beliefs About Aging Impact Our Health & Longevity?

AHA Publisher — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 07:00:10 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #373) and blog, I talk to Dr. Becca Levy, an award-winning Yale professor of psychology and global health. We discuss the dangers of ageism, how positive and negative age stereotypes affect the health of older individuals, how to use the mind and brain more effectively as we age, age as a socially fluid construct, what happens to memory and the mind when we get older, and so much more! In her amazing new book Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long and Well You Live, Dr. Becca examines the question: do beliefs about aging impact our health and longevity? Her research is centered around her time in Japan studying how differently older people are treated in the country, and how it may be connected to their high life expectancy. In Japan, older people are celebrated, while really old people are treated like rock stars—they embrace the aging process. This led to the question, how do our beliefs about aging shape our health and our lives? In her book, Dr. Becca “demonstrates that many health problems formerly considered to be entirely due to the aging process, such as memory loss, hearing decline, and cardiovascular events, are instead influenced by the negative age beliefs that dominate in the US and other ageist countries.” As Dr. Becca notes, ageism is like an evil octopus. It is omnipresent and goes in so many different directions, wrapping its tentacles over so many parts of our lives. In fact, the World Health Organization recently declared that ageism is one of the most widespread forms and socially sanctioned forms of prejudice in our world today, and something we often overlook or do not see. Negative messages and beliefs about aging limit opportunities, affect health, and compound existing prejudices like sexism and racism. In her research, Dr. Becca observed how beliefs about aging expressed at a younger age can impact a person’s survival. People who have more positive beliefs about getting older on average lived 7 1/2 years longer than those with a more negative perception of aging. Since we start developing perceptions about getting older from as young as 3, it is so important to examine how and why these beliefs can impact not only how we treat older people, but also how we age. Because of the mind-brain-body connection, many health outcomes are connected to our beliefs about aging, including our cardiovascular and cognitive wellbeing. One study noted how younger adults who had more negative beliefs about aging increased their risk of a cardiovascular event when they turned 60, while subjects with a more optimistic outlook on aging reduced their risk for cardiovascular issues when they reached the age of 60. Similarly, research has shown how people with more positive beliefs about aging reduce their risk for developing dementias like Alzheimer’s, even if they were born with risky genes. Our memory and brain health can actually get better as we age. The common stereotype that our mind declines as we age doesn’t match the science. There are many different types of memory that are stable and can improve as we age, including our ability to communicate and solve conflicts. Indeed, as we age, our brain connectivity and neurons keeps developing, which adds to our intelligence. A forgetful moment is not just a “senior moment” or something bad; it is a sign that our memory changes over time, which is not in and of itself a bad thing. We need to remember that age can be a socially fluid construct. There is no set way of aging, and the aging process is not just determined by our biology. As Dr. Becca notes, aging is determined by many factors; our genes only contribute around 25% to how we age. The other 75% includes environmental factors and things we can control, including our cultural and individual beliefs about aging that can impact our health and longevity. The great news is that our attitudes towards aging can be changed or improved at any time during our lifespan, which can have a positive effect on our health and lifespan. This is preventative health at its best. As we learn to shift our age beliefs to be more positive and reduce negative culture messages about aging, we can impact the course of our lives. We can become aware of and change the messages we receive and develop concerning aging on both an individual and societal level. In her book, Dr. Becca has some great tools that help us improve our perception of aging, and subsequently, our health. One of most powerful things we all can do is increase our awareness. What are our age beliefs? How do we see aging? What kind of age-related messages are we exposed to? A great way to do this what Dr. Becca calls “age-belief journaling”. For one week, write down every belief that you see or hear about aging (on social media, in conversations, on TV, at work, at school and so on) and write down if you think it is positive or negative. At the end of the week, add up the negatives and positives. What is the ratio? And with the negative portrayals, do you think they had to be so negative? Is there another way aging could have been portrayed? Actively noticing the beliefs about aging we have and are exposed to is the first step to actively changing them in ways that positively impact our health and lifespan. It is also helpful to become knowledgeable about the actual science behind aging. This gives us an arsenal to draw on to discount the negative age beliefs and stereotypes, such as “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. The reality is that we actually can—we can improve our cognition and learn new things at ANY age. To read the original article click here.

The post Do Beliefs About Aging Impact Our Health & Longevity? appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Brand-New Research Suggests High-Fiber Foods Reduce Dementia Risk

AHA Publisher — Wed, 06 Apr 2022 07:00:45 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – With its disabling loss of cognition, judgment, and memory, dementia is a truly devastating condition. And it is becoming more widespread. Alzheimer’s disease – the most common cause of dementia among older adults – is currently affecting over 6.2 million Americans. Experts predict that the incidence will double by the year 2050. Many scientists believe they are getting closer to unlocking the mystery of why dementia occurs – and what can be done to help prevent it. In a new Japanese study, researchers found that the risk of dementia may be lowered with a simple intervention (one that natural health experts have been advising all along!) – a high-fiber diet. Let’s look at some of the ways in which a plant-based, high-fiber diet may help promote healthy cognition and reduce the risk of dementia in aging adults. Decades-Long Research on the Effects of a High-Fiber Diet Yields Good News Regarding Dementia Risk In a study published last month in Nutritional Neuroscience, researchers asked over 3,500 participants aged 40 to 64 years to complete surveys that reflected their dietary intake going back 15 years. The participants were then followed up for an additional 20 years. This extensive but simple research technique revealed a clear-cut result: the scientists found that people who ate the highest amount of fiber had the lowest risk of dementia. While the two types of dietary fiber – soluble and insoluble fiber – are both crucial to health, the team reported that soluble fiber from oats and legumes was more effective at lowering dementia risk. Researchers speculated that soluble fiber regulates gut bacteria, thereby helping to decrease the neuroinflammation that triggers dementia. High-fiber diets also may help decrease body weight, reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and improve blood sugar control. In addition to lowering risk factors for heart disease, these changes may cut dementia risk even further. Additional Research Shows That High-Fiber Diets Reduce Production of Inflammatory Molecules This new study is not the only research showing that a high-fiber diet can benefit the brain. Another recent study published in Frontiers in Immunology suggested that eating high-fiber foods might help delay brain aging by spurring butyrate production (a short-chain fatty acid shown in animal studies) to improve memory and reduce inflammation. Fiber-rich diets also appear to cut the expression of interleukin, an inflammatory cytokine produced in the body. In addition, fiber provides fuel for beneficial gut bacteria, which researchers say can strongly influence cognition and mood. But, that isn’t all. A 2021 review published in Antioxidants showed that plant foods are associated with “significant beneficial effects on cognitive function.” The improvements occurred “across the board” in young and elderly participants alike – and benefited them regardless of cognitive status. In other words, those who were cognitively “normal,” those who had mild cognitive impairment, and those with severe dementia all received benefits from the plant-based diet – a very encouraging result. What Are the Top Fiber-Rich Foods for Cognitive Health? Green leafy vegetables – like romaine, spinach, and dandelion greens – and cruciferous vegetables, like Brussels sprouts, bok choy, broccoli, and cauliflower, appear to “rule the roost” when it comes to cognitive benefits. Dandelion greens, in particular, receive high marks for their sky-high levels of fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin A. Cruciferous vegetables contain potent anti-inflammatory compounds known as isothiocyanate. In addition, these high-fiber vegetables are all rich in folate (or vitamin B9), which can reduce levels of homocysteine, an inflammatory chemical linked with heart disease. Close behind veggies in the ability to promote cognitive health are berries. Blueberries, in particular, contain purple/blue plant pigments called anthocyanins, which have been associated with cognitive benefits. In a study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, supplementation with wild blueberry juice improved memory in older adults. As for ruby-red strawberries, these feature a compound known as fisetin, which has been linked with improvements in memory and cognition. One influential study found that subjects who ate larger amounts of strawberries were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who didn’t indulge in berries! Blackberries, raspberries, and mulberries are also good choices for promoting cognitive health. Other foods believed to promote healthy brain function include nuts, oats, beans, olive oil, avocados, cold-water fatty fish, poultry, and green tea. Slow Down Cognitive Decline With Proper Nutrition and Wise Lifestyle Choices Although no diet can reverse advanced dementia, many natural health experts believe that proper nutrition has the potential to slow the early stages of cognitive decline and dementia. When it comes to specific diets to combat the onset of dementia, many natural health experts advise the MIND diet, short for the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Disease. This healthy way of eating combines aspects of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet with those of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Note: Whether it’s lurking in condiments such as ketchup or hiding in plain sight on powdered doughnuts, refined sugar is truly “bad news” for cognitive health. (Likewise for fried and processed foods, which may contain harmful trans fats). Excessive sodium (salt) intake can also threaten cognitive health. Opt instead for lemon, black pepper, and spices like basil and rosemary. By the way, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics advises that adults get 25 to 38 grams of fiber a day, with 21 to 30 grams recommended for people over 50. But experts say that only a meager 5 percent of Americans meet the daily adequate dietary intake level for fiber. This is unfortunate – because when it comes to maintaining health, multiple studies have confirmed the superiority of a plant-based, high-fiber diet over the conventional Standard American Diet (aptly abbreviated as S.A.D.!) Maybe it’s time to consider phasing out the SAD-ness – and incorporating more plant-based foods into your meals. Your body – and your mind! – will thank you. Sources for this article include: ScienceDaily.com PrimeHealthDenver.com MDPI.com NIH.gov NIH.gov MedicalNewsToday.com CDC.gov To read the original article click here.

The post Brand-New Research Suggests High-Fiber Foods Reduce Dementia Risk appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

How Trauma Impacts Memory

AHA Publisher — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 07:00:37 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #322) and blog, I am going to talk about how memory changes over time, what influences memory loss, and how we can all improve our memory. Contrary to popular belief, memory doesn’t just get worse as we age. It changes from being detail-focused to becoming more conceptual and integrated based on our many experiences. The brain is in fact the only organ that can get better with age, which is great news! But there is a caveat: to get better, we need to know how to use the brain well. If we don’t use our brain properly, then memory, amongst other things, can decline. We need to remember that the mind is separate from the brain and powers the brain; the brain responds to our mind. The mind is like the power that charges your cellphone and computer, which are like the brain and body parts. Whatever we do with our minds will affect our brains. The mind is the phenomenal and powerful ability we have as humans to think, feel and choose. (These three are a triad and can never be separated.) Through our minds, we process information from the world into our brains. This processing of information changes the way energy flows through the brain, creating a neurochemical, electromagnetic and genetic response in the brain, which results in a thought being built from proteins into the brain that looks like a tree. This whole process is called neuroplasticity. Like a tree is made of branches and roots, a thought is made up of “branches and roots”, which are our memories. Memories are literally what is inside a thought: all the knowledge in the form of details, information, emotions, choices, and perceptions. The causes of memory loss are multiple, including: 1. TBIs (traumatic brain injuries) 2. Learning disabilities 3. Dementias 4. Autism 5. Brain tumors 6. Substance addictions 7. Suppressed trauma and toxic habits Uncontrolled toxic thinking has the potential to create a state of low-grade inflammation across the body and brain, affecting cortisol levels, hormones, inflammatory factors, brain functionality and even the telomeres on chromosomes, all of which can impact our memory. Toxic trauma involves something that happened to us that was out of our control, and often results in a pervasive feeling of threat. It includes things like adverse childhood experiences, traumatic experiences at any age, war trauma, and all forms of abuse, including racial aggression and socioeconomic oppression. Trauma is probably the hardest thought pattern to work on, but it is so essential because trauma is built into the brain, mind and body as an actual physical structure made of proteins and has high energy and intensity due to the data and emotions attached to the event. They are volcanic and will explode, and if undealt with, can contribute to cognitive decline. Toxic trauma requires a lot of work, time, grace, and self-compassion, as it involves embracing, processing, and reconceptualizing things that are generally incredibly painful and upsetting, which is why I always recommend working through this process with a mental health professional. Toxic habits are negative behavioral patterns that have been established over time, like getting irritated in traffic, snapping at a loved one, or allowing ourselves to go down worry “rabbit holes” by always seeing the negative. Because we build toxic habits into our mind over time and repeat them often, they can feel like they’re a natural part of us. But they really aren’t, because we aren’t wired for toxicity. They’re destructive habits that can cause lots of toxic stress in our brains and bodies and impact our memory. They need to be identified, uprooted, and reconceptualized into constructive thinking habits. For more on toxic thoughts and trauma, see my latest book Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess and my recent clinical trials. 8. Unmanaged toxic stress. If we aren’t managing the stressors of life, this can affect our protein thought trees with their memories, which, in turn, can create a lot of mini patterns of brain damage. Over time, this damage can negatively impact the memories inside of our thoughts, as well as the process of memory-building. Indeed, it’s a well-established fact that unmanaged, chronic stress can damage the brain and body, increasing our vulnerability to disease and affecting memory over time. There is a significant amount of research indicating that suppression of thoughts, which causes mental distress, is related to telomere shortening (shortening the ends of chromosomes), biological aging and cognitive decline. (For more on this also see my latest book Cleaning Up Your Mental Messand my recent clinical trials.) 9. Not learning. Our brain is a hungry organ when it comes to knowledge. We need to be learning and brain-building every day or, over time, we can build up toxic waste in the mind and brain, which can also affect memory, as I spoke about in detail in a recent podcast and blog. 10. Lack of sleep. We know a lack of good quality sleep has a negative impact on memory formation, amongst a myriad of other factors. One of the main reasons people don’t sleep well is because of unmanaged mental health, which can create a dysregulated pattern in the brain that affects the processing of information. 11. Diet and exercise. Other lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise, are also important to consider when it comes to memory. 12. Changes in the brain’s biology. Some of the changes in the brain associated with unmanaged minds include brain mass shrinkage, brain inflammation, changes in the DNA (such as shortening of telomeres), damage to neurons, reduced blood and oxygen flow to the brain, and incoherent brainwave patterns in different areas of the brain (such as the entorhinal cortex, which is very important in the processing of information, and the hippocampus, which is involved in the conversion from short to long-term memory in thoughts). There are many factors that can affect the brain’s biology, including those discussed in the previous points above. But the great news is that it is possible to protect memory and improve brain health, even as you age! You can do this by: 1. Leading a life of mind-management: This means developing the habit of self-regulating how you think, feel and choose in response to the experiences of life for pretty much the whole time you are awake. The mind-brain-body (psychoneurobiology) link is well established in the scientific literature, and what it consistently shows is that it’s important that we learn how to catch and alter our thoughts and reactions before they become toxic neural networks and habits that damage the mind, brain and body. Toxic thoughts, depression and anxiety are signals of a mental mess—something that we, as humans, all experience. Indeed, a mental mess isn’t something we should be ashamed of; rather, we need to learn how to manage this mess and listen to our mind and body’s signals so that they don’t increase our vulnerability to disease and cognitive decline. One of the best ways to manage your mind and deal with everyday stressors is to make self-regulation a daily habit. To this end, I recommend using my Neurocycle mind-management technique, which I discuss in detail in my latest book, Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess and my app Neurocycle. The Neurocycle is a way to harness your thinking power through mind-management that I have developed and researched over the past three decades; any task that requires thinking can use it, which means everything can, because you’re always thinking! This de-stressing, self-regulation technique can really work with any issue, and can be done anywhere, any place and at any time—all you need is you! First, calm the brain down by breathing deeply. I recommend breathing in for 5 counts and out for 11 counts, and repeating this technique 3 times (for around 45 seconds). Then, GATHER awareness of the emotional and physical warning signals your body is sending you, such as tension in your shoulders, forgetfulness or feelings of unease. Embrace these signals; don’t judge them or try to suppress them. Now, REFLECT on how you feel; ask, answer and discuss why you are feeling the way you do. Use specific sentences, like “I tend to forget things when…”. What is happening during the day that may be affecting how you manage your life experiences and build thoughts into your brain? After reflecting, WRITE down what you feel and why. This will help you gain clarity into your thinking and behavior. Then, RECHECK what you have written, looking for your triggers and the thought patterns you may have developed that are affecting how you build memory. For example, you may notice that you start stressing before work, which affects how you function at the office. What is your “antidote”? How will you reconceptualize this way of thinking and acting to improve how you manage this stress? Lastly, take action. I call this step the ACTIVE REACH. This can be a positive statement that validates your feelings, or an action, such as having more “thinker moments” in your day, where you switch off to the external and onto the internal and just let your mind wander and daydream for about a minute. These thinker moments help calm down anxious thinking and reboot your mind, improving your brain health and ability to build memory. This mind-management process is also a great way to detox trauma and negative thinking habits that can affect memory, as discussed above. 2. Recognizing that “young” is often a feeling: Recent research highlighting the effect of chronic unmanaged stress and cognitive decline shows an interesting link between subjective age and health. It appears that people who feel younger, regardless of their actual age, tend to have a greater sense of wellbeing, better cognitive functioning, better memory formation, less inflammation, lower risk of hospitalization and longer lifespans. It appears that thinking about “feeling younger” can act as a stress buffer and improve overall wellbeing, which is why it is important to remember that age is often just a number! 3. Brain-building: As mentioned above, learning and brain-building is so important when it comes to memory formation and the overall health of our brains. Brain-building means training the brain to learn how to learn in an organized and meaningful way, and it is something that everyone can learn how to do! Throughout the brain-building process, it is important to remember that our mind and brain health depend on healthy, strong thoughts. When we stop learning and thinking deeply, we negatively affect our brain health, building up toxic waste in the brain that can set us up for cognitive decline. So, brain-building helps you with the harder work of detoxing. Just like not cleaning your teeth will affect your dental health, not learning can damage the brain, setting off a cascade of consequences. You need to keep learning every day for mental health! The actual process of brain-building is quite rapid. Genes are activated within a few minutes, and a single neuron may gain thousands of new dendritic branches in a very short time. My early researchshowed up to 75 percent improvement in academic, cognitive, social, emotional, and intellectual function when people were taught how to build their brain and harness deep, intellectual thought. When you build your brain, you build your resilience and your intelligence. This changes the way that energy flows through the brain, optimizing its function and cognitive flexibility. Brain-building also uses the thousands of new baby nerve cells that are born when we wake up each morning in a process called neurogenesis. Some great ways to brain build are: Make a list of books you have been meaning to read, and schedule in time to read them!If you are not a big reader, or if your list is really long, you may be interested in the app Blinkist, which teaches you key ideas from thousands of bestselling non-fiction books in a short period of time. (For a free week see https://blinkist.com/drleaf). Audiobooks are also great if you are not a big reader, or if you are doing things around the house like cleaning...

The post How Trauma Impacts Memory appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Can a Calculator Predict Your Risk of Dementia?

AHA Publisher — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 07:00:40 +0000

Ottawa Hospital via Newswise – Canadian researchers at The Ottawa Hospital, the University of Ottawa, the Bruyère Research Institute and ICES have built and validated an online calculator that empowers individuals 55 and over to better understand the health of their brain and how they can reduce their risk of being diagnosed with dementia in the next five years. Their process was published today in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, and the calculator is available at projectbiglife.ca. Dementia is an umbrella term for loss of memory and other thinking abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life. Every year, 76,000 new cases of dementia are diagnosed in Canada, a number expected to increase as the population ages. There is no cure or treatment for dementia. However, about a third of dementia may be preventable through lifestyle factors like physical activity, healthy eating, reducing alcohol and tobacco use, and managing conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. The researchers based the dementia calculator on survey data from over 75,000 Ontarians. “What sets this dementia risk calculator apart is that you don’t need to visit a doctor for any tests,” said Dr. Stacey Fisher, the lead author of the study who performed the research largely in Ottawa while she was a PhD student supervised by Dr. Doug Manuel and Dr. Peter Tanuseputro at The Ottawa Hospital. “People already have all the information they need to complete the calculator in the comfort of their home.” Dr. Fisher is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto and Public Health Ontario. Factors in the Dementia Population Risk Tool (DemPoRT) include: Age Smoking status and lifetime exposure Alcohol consumption Physical activity Stress Diet Sense of belonging Ethnicity Immigration status Socioeconomic status of the neighbourhood Education Activities where assistance is needed Marital status Number of languages spoken Health conditions The calculator can be used by individuals to assess their dementia risk and help them modify their lifestyle. The researchers also have a goal for policy makers to use this algorithm to do the same thing for the general population. Through this research, the team has developed the first predictive tool designed to predict dementia at a population level. It can predict the number of new cases in the community, identify higher-risk populations, inform dementia prevention strategies, and will be used to support Canada’s national dementia strategy. By using regularly collected health data and surveys, population health experts have all the information they need to use the algorithm. “This tool will give people who fill it out clues to what they can do to reduce their personal risk of dementia,” said Dr. Peter Tanuseputro, senior author of the study, and scientist at The Ottawa Hospital, investigator at the Bruyère Research Institute, adjunct scientist at ICES and assistant professor at the University of Ottawa. “The COVID-19 pandemic has also made it clear that sociodemographic variables like ethnicity and neighbourhood play a major role in our health. It was important to include those variables in the tool so policy makers can understand how different populations are impacted by dementia, and help ensure that any prevention strategies are equitable.” The dementia calculator will be added to a list of existing calculators on Project Big Life that help Canadians estimate their own life expectancy based on habits and lifestyle choices. The calculator was based on data from the Statistics Canada Canadian Community Health Surveys housed at ICES. Currently designed for use in Canada, it can be adapted for any of the 100 countries around the world that collect health survey data.

The post Can a Calculator Predict Your Risk of Dementia? appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

UCI-led Meta-analysis Identifies Hypertension Medications That Help Ward Off Memory Loss

AHA Publisher — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 07:00:23 +0000

University of California, Irvine via Newswise – A large-scale meta-analysis led by University of California, Irvine researchers provides the strongest evidence yet of which blood pressure medications help slow memory loss in older adults: those that can travel out of blood vessels and directly into the brain. The findings, published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, will be of interest to the 91 million Americans whose blood pressure is high enough to warrant medication, as well as the doctors who treat them. Elevated blood pressure in middle age is known to increase the risk of dementia later in life. Previous studies have shown that some hypertension medications can help stave off dementia in individuals who are already hypertensive. However, which medications and how have been a mystery. “This wasn’t an examination of one specific drug or even one class of drugs; it was a property of the drug – whether it gets into the brain. If physicians were convinced that this property is valuable, it wouldn’t require a dramatic change to their prescribing practice. They could simply choose another drug within the same family that crosses the blood-brain barrier,” said corresponding author Daniel Nation, associate professor of psychological science at UCI. The meta-analysis by Nation and lead author Jean Ho was 10 times larger than any prior work isolating the blood-brain-barrier-crossing characteristic of hypertension drugs. It included more than 12,800 people over the age of 50 in 14 separate studies carried out across six countries. The meta-analysis, published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension, found that older adults who took blood pressure medications that cross the blood-brain barrier had less memory loss over three years. Courtesy of Hypertension Two classes of popular blood pressure medications were examined: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers. But rather than sorting the drugs by type, the researchers categorized them by whether or not they cross the blood-brain barrier. They found that people who took hypertension medications that cross the blood-brain barrier experienced less cognitive decline over three years than those who used blood pressure drugs that stay only in the bloodstream. Individuals had to take the medication for at least six months to be included in the study. The meta-analysis covered a range of cognitive tests, but the aspect with statistically significant benefit was word list recall, which Nation said is a strong indicator of overall memory abilities. “If a medication can have an effect on someone who has only mild memory changes in a relatively short period, like three years, that could change their trajectory over the long run,” said Ho, a postdoctoral scholar at the UCI Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders. Other cognitive parameters looked at included learning, language skills and executive function, but no measurable differences in effect were found between the two medication types. One surprising result: The cohort that took drugs that do not cross the blood-brain barrier had better outcomes on attention. Ho and Nation point out that while cardiovascular disease tends to negatively affect attention, such deficits are not a common sign of dementia. The two are pursuing new studies to better understand that finding. Although there is not widespread agreement on which drugs cross the blood-brain barrier, the UCI researchers put the following in that category: ACE inhibitors captopril, fosinopril, lisinopril, perindopril, ramipril and trandolapril, as well as the ARBs telmisartan and candesartan. To read the original article click here.

The post UCI-led Meta-analysis Identifies Hypertension Medications That Help Ward Off Memory Loss appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

3 Tricks to Improve Digestion Today

AHA Publisher — Wed, 09 Jun 2021 07:00:22 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – Are you in the majority? Believe it or not, the majority of Americans want to improve digestion since they experience digestive issues on a monthly (or more frequent) basis. In fact, according to the National Institutes for Health, 60-70 million Americans are affected by all digestive illnesses (1). Surveys also suggest that over 70% of adults suffer from diarrhea, indigestion, nausea, constipation, and more at least monthly. Is it really that surprising? Our digestive tracts have a really big job, every day. They never get a break. They are one of the only organs bombarded daily with external substances. In fact, they are in the initial filter by which most of our body interacts with outside substances. Like the lungs, they come in direct contact with both healthy and unhealthy substances from our environment. Think about the filters in your home or vehicles. They get dirty, beat up, and torn down. The same can happen to your digestive tract if not properly cared for. The digestive tract is also really large. It includes about 7 digestion organs (the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine (aka colon), rectum, and anus) and 4 digestion accessory organs (the salivary glands, pancreas, gallbladder, and liver) (2). The tract itself covers a surface area of about 400-500 square feet (3). Interestingly, this number has been reduced from an estimate of 2500-3000 square feet to 400-500 in just the last 10 years after new evidence emerged that it is smaller than previously thought. In other words, there’s a lot to this system of organs, it does a lot of work every day, and a lot can go wrong. How can you improve digestion today? Here are 3 tricks to get started. Trick #1 to Improve Digestion: Use Your Brain Amazingly, there is a strong brain-gut connection. In fact, as digestive health falters or becomes inflamed, the brain experiences inflammation. This may look like brain fog, memory loss, fatigue, and even invite neurodegenerative issues. In fact, a recent study published in Scientific Reports showed a link between gut bacteria and dementia (4). On the flip side, as brain health falters, the digestive tract is affected and often impaired. Stress, for example, can ignite a series of digestive issues from ulcers to diarrhea to nausea. Why do we “feel things in our guts?” It’s the brain-gut connection. To improve digestion, then, do everything you can to support brain health. Try to: Reduce stress as much as possible through activity reduction, journaling, praying, etc. Incorporate laughter into your everyday schedule Get 7-10 hours of good-quality sleep every night Eat brain-healthy, anti-inflammatory foods like omega-3s from seafood, spices, and supplementseach day Hydrate well Incorporate fasting into your diet To learn more ways to support brain health, see our 11 Top Tips. Trick #2: Eliminate and Fortify with Nutrition Simply put, some foods and nutrients damage your gut. Some fortify it. The more we damage our guts, the more digestive issues arise, and more and more foods become intolerable to it. In some cases, food simply does not “set well” in our guts. In other cases, the food or nutrient actually hurt. This can lead to inflammation and a cascade of digestive issues. On the other hand, there are many foods that fortify both the healthy bacteria and cells in our guts. Most of these foods contain soluble fibers (prebiotics) and healthy bacteria (probiotics). To improve digestion, eliminate or reduce: Inflammatory carbohydrates such as sugars and white flours (consider the Keto Zone Diet) Sugary drinks Gluten, if not tolerated (in some people, gluten actually harms and flattens the tissues in the digestive tract responsible for nutrient absorption) Processed foods, especially those with inflammatory fats like soybean oil Alcohol Foods and medications with antibiotics (when not indicated) To improve digestion incorporate: Fermented foods such as plain yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, tempeh, fermented vegetable powders like Greens Supremefoods©, and living foods like Living Chia with Probiotics Vegetables and plant foods that provide prebiotics and polyphenols and living vitamins Plant-based protein powders such as Divine Health Vegan Protein Supremefood© Nuts like walnuts, which support healthy gut bacteria, every day (5) A daily probiotic supplement such as Beyond Biotics Ultra Blend Probiotics To learn more, read our post on the health benefits of fiber and tips to improve gut bacteria. Improve Digestion Trick #3: Slow Down and Look Up Are you a victim of the rush, rush, rush mentality? Are you overscheduled and burnt out? Do you have little time to cook at home and focus on foods that improve digestion? If so, your busy lifestyle is likely hurting your digestion. If you can find ways to slow down, you’ll have time to really utilize tricks #1 and #2 to improve digestion and brain health. It’s challenging to slow down in the midst of many demands, but it’s incredibly important. What can you do to simplify your life and leave the hustle and bustle of the modern stressed-out schedule? How can you make more foods at home (even simple foods such as grilled chicken or an easy slow cooker meal)? Can you clear your schedule and allow for more downtime? Non-activity time? Time outside in nature or in a garden? How can you incorporate daily gratitude, optimism, and prayer within your family? Even if you can only think of one thing you can do to slow down and look up within nutrition and pace of life, you can improve digestion and brain health! Take a few moments to jot down ways you can do so today. Get the Best Plan to Improve Digestion If you are ready to really improve digestion and overall health, it’s time to get Dr. Colbert’s Healthy Gut Zone book or the Healthy Gut Zone Starter Kit (includes the Healthy Gut Zone book, Fiber Zone supplement, and the Beyond Biotics digestive supplement) today. You’ll find a clear plan that supports digestion, improved overall health, and additional protection for your brain. What’s more, Dr. Colbert’s fiber and probiotic supplements utilize the best fibers and bacteria strains that support optimal gut health. Bottom Line The digestive tract is amazing. It takes substances outside our bodies and breaks them down for energy, fuel, and nutrients within our entire bodies. It is strongly linked to our brains, and every other system depends on it. You can support digestion and overall health, starting today, with these 3 tricks. What’s more, a great digestion health plan is only a click away! Get your Dr. Colbert’s Healthy Gut Zone book or theHealthy Gut Zone Starter Kit. Learn how to support digestive health in every area of your life, from stress to lifestyle to sleep to nutrition. The entirety of your health depends on your gut. Get started today! To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Colbert click here.

The post 3 Tricks to Improve Digestion Today appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Malfunctioning Blood-Brain Barrier Is Linked to Benign Forgetfulness of Aging

AHA Publisher — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 07:00:06 +0000

University of Washington School of Medicine/UW Medicine via News-Medical – Have you forgotten where you laid your keys? Ever wondered where you had parked your car? Or having trouble remembering the name of the new neighbor? Unfortunately, these things seem to get worse as one gets older. A big question for researchers is where does benign forgetfulness end and true disease begin? One of the keys to having a healthy brain at any age is having a healthy blood-brain barrier, a complex interface of blood vessels that run through the brain. Researchers reviewed more than 150 articles to look at what happens to the blood-brain barrier as we age. Their findings were published March 15 in Nature Aging. Whether the changes to the blood-brain barrier alters brain function, however, is still up for debate. “It turns out very little is known how the blood-brain barrier ages. It’s often hard to tell normal aging from early disease.” (William Banks, Study Lead Author and Gerontology Researcher, School of Medicine, University of Washington) Banks is a researcher with the Geriatrics Research Education and Clinical Center at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System The blood-brain barrier, discovered in the late 1800s, prevents the unregulated leakage of substances from blood into the brain. The brain is an especially sensitive organ and cannot tolerate direct exposure to many of the substances in the blood. Increasingly, scientists have realized that the blood-brain barrier also allows many substances into the brain in a regulated way to serve the nutritional needs of the brain. It also transports informational molecules from the blood to the brain and pumps toxins out of the brain. A malfunctioning blood-brain barrier can contribute to diseases such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and even Alzheimer’s disease. Before scientists can understand how such malfunctioning can contribute to the diseases of aging, they need to understand how a healthy blood-brain barrier normally ages. Research shows that healthy aging individuals have a very small leak in their blood-brain barrier. This leakage is associated with some measures of the benign forgetfulness of aging, considered by most scientists to be normal. But could this leak and the difficulties in recall be the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease? When a person carries the ApoE4 allele, the strongest genetic risk of Alzheimer’s risk, researchers said there is an acceleration of most of the blood-brain barrier age-related changes. People with ApoE4 have a hard time getting rid of amyloid beta peptide in their brains, which causes an accumulation of plaque. With healthy aging, the pumps in the blood-brain barrier work less efficiently in getting rid of the amyloid beta peptide. The pumps work even less well in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Another key finding in the review is that as we age, two cells begin to change in the blood-brain barrier: pericytes and astrocytes. Recent work suggests that the leak in the blood-brain barrier that occurs with Alzheimer’s may be due to an age-related loss of pericytes. Astrocytes, by contrast, seem to be overactive. Recent work suggests that preserving pericyte function by giving the factors that they secrete or even transplanting them could lead to a healthier blood-brain barrier. Some research suggests that pericyte health can be preserved by some of the same interventions that extend lifespan, such as regular exercise, caloric restriction, and rapamycin. Other findings raise the question of whether the brain’s source of nutrition and its grip on control of the immune and endocrine systems could deteriorate with aging. Another finding raises the possibility that the rate at which many drugs are taken up by the brain may explain why older folks sometimes have different sensitivities to drugs than their children or grandchildren. To read the original article click here.

The post Malfunctioning Blood-Brain Barrier Is Linked to Benign Forgetfulness of Aging appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.