Keep Your Brain Sharp Forever

Have you heard of the nutrient Astaxanthin? Joseph Mercola says its antioxidant powers blow away vitamins C and E.

... A Natural Way to Prevent Dementia?

Astaxanthin exhibits exceptionally potent free-radical scavenging activity, and protects your cells, organs and body tissues from oxidative damage. In this way it impacts many aspects of health, but one of the most exciting could be its impact on your brain. In fact it is hundreds of times more effective than vitamin E in squelching singlet oxygen free radicals.

People with dementia tend to accumulate abnormal levels of phospholipid hydroperoxides (PLOOH) in their red blood cells. But new research published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that taking 6 mg or 12 mg of astaxanthin daily for 12 weeks lowered blood levels of PLOOH by 40 and 50 percent, respectively.

Researchers concluded that the improved antioxidant status and decreased PLOOH levels in the red blood cells may contribute to the prevention of dementia.

Astaxanthin is a fat soluble nutrient and readily crosses your blood-brain barrier, and a past study found it may help prevent neurodegeneration associated with oxidative stress as well as make a potent natural brain food. Read more

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Posted in: brain aging,brain health

Your Brain Doesn't Have to Decline as You Age

Your brain doesn't have to decline as you age. It just needs the right nutrients, says Margaret Durst.

Mental Clarity and Memory are two things that most people assume that they will lose with age. Many people suffer memory loss due to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain. The brain along with every other cell in the body is fed by our blood, the "life" of the body. If proper nutrients aren’t getting to the brain, they either aren’t in the bloodstream, or there is a problem with the blood delivery system. Also consider that some substances in the blood could be toxic to the brain. Read more

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Posted in: aging,brain aging,brain health

Fight Off Aging with the Right Foods

Aging is a normal part of life, and we’re living longer and longer. As you get older, good nutrition plays an increasingly important role in how well you age.

Keeping in peak condition in old age can be boosted by nutrition, which scientists are proving is a powerful weapon in fighting off diseases. As new research shows that olive oil could play a vital role in protecting against dementia, we look at the key foods that have shown to be an ally against ageing.

MEMORY: OLIVE OIL

Using olive oil as much as possible could preserve your memory and your heart. Oleocanthal, a compound in olive oil, has been found to slow down changes in the brain that lead to Alzheimer's. Researchers believe it will become a key ingredient in medicines designed to combat the disease.

Alzheimer's disease is thought to occur when a protein called ADDL attacks brain cells. Scientists at the University of Philadelphia discovered that oleocanthal in olive oil changes ADDL in a way that makes it harmless. Read more

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Posted in: aging,brain aging,nutrition

How to Keep Your Brain in Peak Form

If you want to keep your brain in peak form, eat your vegetables, says Dr. Joseph Mercola.

Researchers have found that individuals with a high daily intake of vegetables and fruits also demonstrate higher cognitive performance. Please notice that vegetables are mentioned first because they are FAR more important than fruits.

Subjects with a high intake (about 400 grams per day) of fruits and vegetables had higher antioxidant levels, lower indicators of free radical-induced damage, and better cognitive performance.

The findings were independent of age, gender, body mass index, and level of education. Further studies are planned that will include larger subject cohorts, patients with Alzheimer's disease, and patients with mild cognitive impairment. Read more

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Posted in: antioxidants,brain aging,fruits,vegetables