Tag Archives: brain

Hollywood’s top motivator reveals how you can..

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EVERY TIME YOU THINK YOU “CAN’T – YOU MUST!
By Peter C Siegel, RH, Executive Director PowerMind

You’ve thought about running a marathon. But as you begin your pre-race training, you soon realize it’s way tougher than you thought. Watching other experienced runners, you find yourself thinking, “Well, I guess they can do it, but I can’t.”
Or, you look in the mirror and realize 15 fewer pounds would do you and your waistline a world of good. But you’ve tried to diet and exercise before. “Well, I guess I just ‘can’t’ stay on track,” you lament.

But think for a moment. In both preceding examples, just why “can’t” you?

Really think about it! Is there any logical reason you’d embrace as to why others can accomplish something, but you “can’t”? Let me tell you, in a majority of cases, “I can’t” is just unquestioned, erroneous thinking…an unchallenged mental habit! And I’m about to give you a strategy to override this tendency in a way which incites decided success actions and behaviors.

As you think, you become. If you say and believe that you “can’t” do something, you won’t. But if you firmly embrace the idea that you Can – and you Must do it – things you may once have thought impossible for you will start becoming eye opening, esteem building, personal triumphs!

And so from this time forward, whenever or wherever you find yourself entertaining thoughts suggesting “I can’t”, give yourself the deliberate mental command, “I MUST !” Say it boldly to yourself: And f-e-e-l the idea pulsing vigorously though you, allowing the nourishing power it engenders to flood every muscle, nerve and fiber within you.

By this exclamation “I MUST !”, thought or spoken with conviction, you access the instinctive competence part of you…that automatically knows what to do, how to do it, and then just does it — directly, and decisively! You just perform spontaneously, exactly as you need to achieve a specific result.

Overriding “Can’t”/Initiating Success Action – The Strategy

To support “I Must !” becoming ingrained in your thinking. engage the following process every time you project an “I can’t” notion. [*Do Not Use This Process While Driving Or While Performing Any Activity Requiring Your Comprehensive Alertness!]

Immediately, upon becoming aware you’re thinking “I can’t” in relation to something:

1) Close your eyelids down and breathe deeply.

2) Think, or if appropriate, verbalize emphatically: “Every Time I Think I ‘Cant’…I MUST !”

3) Then, In your imagination, project a scenario depicting yourself the embodiment of boldness, deliberately taking the initiative to do, achieve, and succeed with the aspect where your “I can’t” notion emerged.

4) Envisioning this,, deeply sense the realness, and impact, of your action specificity. Imaginatively experience yourself generating the degree of power and competence reflecting you are confidently taking charge (while experiencing yourself acting in that specific way which conclusively accomplishes the task)!

6) Experience yourself producing or accomplishing the outcome you recognize will occur from your straightforward, success directed “I MUST !” actions.

7) Savoring the strength and esteem accompanying what you just envisioned, open your eyes and immediately start do-ing — in exact accord with your “I MUST !” visualization!

Use this strategy as outlined, and steadily you’ll find “I MUST !” becoming your rule of thumb, and “I CAN” becoming the predominant fact of your life!

Pete Siegel is an internationally acclaimed peak performance hypnotherapist, and high-profile personal development author. To review his best selling life and success building programs, visit www.incrediblechange.com

Mix of diseases may cause Alzheimer’s

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BETHESDA: Few older people die with brains untouched by a pathological process, however, an individual’s likelihood of having clinical signs of dementia increases with the number of different disease processes present in the brain, according to a new study.

The research was funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, and conducted at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Julie Schneider, MD, and colleagues report the findings in the journal Neurology online.

Among their findings is the observation that the combination of Alzheimer’s disease and strokes is the most common mix of pathologies in the brains of people with dementia. The implication of these findings is that public health efforts to prevent and treat vascular disease could potentially reduce the occurrence of dementia, the researchers say in the paper.

The researchers used data from the Rush Memory and Aging Project — an ongoing study of 1,200 elderly volunteers who have agreed to be evaluated every year and to donate their brains upon death.

The current study compared clinical and autopsy data on the first 141 participants who have died.

Annual physical and psychological exams showed that, while they were alive, 50 of the 141 had dementia. Upon death, a neuropathologist, who was unaware of the results of the clinical evaluation, analyzed each person’s brain. The autopsies showed that about 85% of the individuals had evidence of at least one chronic disease process, such as Alzheimer’s disease, strokes, Parkinson’s disease, hemorrhages, tumors, traumatic brain injury or others.

Comparison of the clinical and autopsy results showed that only 30% of people with signs of dementia had Alzheimer’s disease alone. By contrast, 42% of the people with dementia had Alzheimer’s disease with infarcts and 16% had Alzheimer’s disease with Parkinson’s disease (including two people with all three conditions). Infarcts alone caused another 12% of the cases. Also, 80 of the 141 volunteers who died had sufficient Alzheimer’s disease pathology in their brains to fulfill accepted neuropathologic criteria for Alzheimer’s disease, although in life only 47 were clinically diagnosed with probable or possible Alzheimer’s disease.

“We know that people can have Alzheimer’s pathology without having symptoms,” says Dallas Anderson, PhD, population studies program director in the NIA Neuroscience and Neuopsychology of Aging Program. “The finding that Alzheimer’s pathology with cerebral infarcts is a very common combination in people with dementia adds to emerging evidence that we might be able to reduce some of the risk of dementia with the same tools we use for cardiovascular disease such as control of blood cholesterol levels and hypertension.”

NIA is conducting clinical trials to determine whether interventions for cardiovascular disease can prevent or slow the progress of Alzheimer’s disease. On-going trials cover a range of interventions such as statin drugs, vitamins and exercise.

SOURCE: The National Institutes of Health

UK’s Alzheimer’s Society commissions new study into link between diet and dementia

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London: The UK’s Alzheimer’s Society has today commissioned a new research study into the link between diet and dementia. The review hopes to answer crucial questions about what aspects of diet can help to people lower their risk of developing the devastating disease.

Experts increasingly believe eating healthily is key to reducing risks and are hoping this new research study will galvanise research into this important area.

Sarah Day, Hearts and Brains project manager, Alzheimer’s Society says,

‘From fruit juice to red wine there are lots of different studies that have linked dementia to diet. For the first time in the UK, this study will bring together all of this information to give us a clearer picture of what the evidence says and where more research is needed. What we find will also help us let people know exactly what they can be doing to manage their risk.

‘People think that not much can be done, but a growing weight of evidence suggests this isn’t true. Physical exercise, keeping a low blood pressure and cholesterol, not smoking and eating healthily and can all affect your chances of developing dementia.

‘For example, studies have shown that, a healthy Mediterranean diet could reduce your risk by a third whereas obesity can double your risk. This study will combine this evidence to give us a holistic approach to the facts.’

The first half of the findings of the review will be ready for Alzheimer’s Awareness Week 2007 (1 – 7 July 2007). This year’s Awareness Week will focus on what people can do to reduce their risk of developing dementia, like make simple changes to their lifestyle.

A new booklet ‘Be Headstrong’ which tells people how they can reduce their risks is available from Alzheimer’s Society local branches during Alzheimer’s Awareness Week or from www.challengedementia.org.uk

· Alzheimer’s Awareness Week is the 1 – 7 July 2007

· Copies of the Alzheimer’s Awareness Week brochure ‘Be Headstrong. Challenge your risk of Dementia’ are available on request.

· For information about Alzheimer’s Awareness Week® 2007 and activities happening across the country visit www.challengedementia.org.uk

· 1 in 3 older people will end their lives with a form of dementia.

· 700,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia, more than half have Alzheimer’s disease. In less than 20 years nearly a million people will be living with dementia. This will soar to 1.7 million people by 2051. 1 in 5 people over 80 have dementia.

· The Alzheimer’s Society champions the rights of people living with dementia and those who care for them. The Alzheimer’s Society works in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

· As a charity, the Alzheimer’s Society depends on the generosity of the public to help it care, research and campaign for people with dementia. You can donate now by calling 0845 306 0898 or visiting www.alzheimers.org.uk

· The Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Helpline number is 0845 300 0336 or visit www.alzheimers.org.uk

Use your brain or loose it

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Chicago: Brain exercises can help elderly people stay mentally fit for longer, says a new study.

It concluded that older people must “use-it-or-lose-it” . For people say aged 73 years all that was needed was ten sessions of hour-long classes and included exercises done on a computer.

Research has already shown that intellectual tasks such as crossword puzzles and reading can help keep the brain sharp as people grow old.

The $15m study which was sponsored by the National Institute on Aging, was published appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association this month. It was led by Sherry Willis, a human-development professor at Penn State University.

Age-related mental decline is expected to affect 84 million people worldwide by 2040, according to statistics in the report.

Nearly 3,000 men and women in six cities – Baltimore, Birmingham, Ala.; Boston; Detroit; Indianapolis; and State College, Pa. took part in the study.

They were randomly assigned to six-week training sessions in either memory, reasoning or speedy mental processing, and were tested before and after. A comparison group received no training but was also tested.

About 700 of the 1,877 people who completed all five years also got short refresher sessions one year and three years after their initial training.

The memory training included organizing a 15-item grocery list into categories like dairy, vegetables and meat to make it easier to remember and locate items.

The reasoning training taught participants how to see patterns in everyday tasks such as bus schedules and taking medicines at different doses and times.

The speed training had participants quickly identify flashing objects on a computer screen. Those are some of the same reaction skills used while driving.

Nearly 90 percent of the speed training group, 74 percent of the reasoning group and 26 percent of the memory group showed almost immediate improvements in scores on tests of the mental functions they were trained in. The improvements in most cases lasted throughout the five years of the study and were most notable in people who got refresher sessions.

The comparison group participants also showed some improvement – perhaps just from the stimulation of being tested – but it was not as great.

After five years, the participants assessed their ability to perform everyday tasks such as shopping, driving and managing their finances. And the researchers rated the participants in their everyday functioning.

Only the group that received reasoning training reported substantially less decline than the comparison group. And only one group actually performed better, in the researchers’ opinion – those who got refresher sessions in speed training.

See also: JAMA: www.jama.ama-assn.org

NIA: www.nia.nih.gov

New diet drug works on metabolism

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London: A new fatbusting drug that makes the body loose 12 percent of weight in a year – faster than any other drug on the market – could soon be available to UK patients.

The one-a-day tablet called Excalia which has been developed by US scientists works by tricking the metabolism into running faster.

The number of NHS prescriptions for obesity drugs has jumped almost 600 per cent since 1999. Already available in the UK are Xenical, which blocks absorption of fat, Reductil, which makes the stomach feel full, and Acomplia, which reduces cravings and stops the body storing abdominal fat.

Britain’s National Health Service spends around £1bn a year on obesity-related illness such as diabetes and the UK the worst problem with overweight adults.

The American scientists say the pill also helps weight to come off for longer. It works on the hypothalamus in the brain to boost the body’s metabolism and uses two drugs which are already widely used, against epilepsy and smoking. It also boost levels of a hormone that stops us getting hungry.

Omega-3 boost mood, say Australian scientists

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Sydney: Omega-3, an oil found in oily fish is now credited with improving mood and compating depression, according to Australian scientists.

Already credited with boosting brain power and healthy heart, it is also capable of boosting mood.

Australian dietician Dr Dianne Volker, of the University of Sydney, and Jade Ng, of food wholesaler Goodman Fielder, of New South Wales, found evidence that Omega-3 combats depression.

The results of their study will be published in Nutrition and Dietetics next month.

Earlier this month the UK government announced that millions of heart-attack survivors will be prescribed daily fish oil supplements for life on the National Health Service to reduce the risk of a second attack. The best source of omega 3 fatty acids is mackerel, herring, salmon, sardines or trout because the human body cannot produce omega-3 fatty acids.

Coenzyme claims not supported by medical evidence, says Mayo Clinic

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New York: A new study by the Mayo Clinic says that most of the health claims for Coenzyme Q10, a supplement that may be helpful in many of the diseases of ageing, are not suported by scientific evidence.

Coenzyme Q10 is a vitamin-like compound found in the energy-producing centre of each cell in the body and helps energise cells. It is thought to protect from disease but declines with age.

But according to the November issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter, scientific evidence doesn’t support most of the health claims. So far, it’s not known if low coenzyme Q10 levels cause disease or if taking supplements can prevent or treat disease. Of the many coenzyme Q10 studies, most have been small. Many have not been “controlled,” where some participants take a placebo.

However, some coenzyme Q10 studies appear to have scientific merit. There has been some evidence of benefit for people with Parkinson’s disease, migraine and high blood pressure, but more studies are needed. So far, there’s not enough evidence to make medical recommendations.

Veggies halt mental decline

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Chicago: Vegetables help fight mental decline, says a new report that investigated the eating habits of 2,000 men and women in the Chicago area.

On measures of mental sharpness, older people who ate more than two servings of vegetables daily appeared about five years younger at the end of the six-year study than those who ate few or no vegetables.

The research adds to mounting evidence pointing in that direction. The findings also echo previous research in women only.
Leafy Greens

Green leafy vegetables including spinach, kale and collards appeared to be the most beneficial. The researchers said that may be because they contain healthy amounts of vitamin E, an antioxidant that is believed to help fight chemicals produced by the body that can damage cells.

Vegetables generally contain more vitamin E than fruits, which were not linked with slowed mental decline in the study. Vegetables also are often eaten with healthy fats such as salad oils, which help the body absorb vitamin E and other antioxidants, said lead author Martha Clare Morris, a researcher at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging at Chicago’s Rush University Medical Center.

The fats from healthy oils can help keep cholesterol low and arteries clear, which both contribute to brain health.

The study was published in this week’s issue of the journal Neurology and funded with grants from the National Institute on Aging.

“This is a sound paper and contributes to our understanding of cognitive decline,” said Dr. Meir Stampfer of Harvard’s School of Public Health.

“The findings specific for vegetables and not fruit add further credibility that this is not simply a marker of a more healthful lifestyle,” said Stampfer, who was not involved in the research.
Mental Function

The research involved 1,946 people aged 65 and older who filled out questionnaires about their eating habits. A vegetable serving equaled about a half-cup chopped or one cup if the vegetable was a raw leafy green like spinach.

They also had mental function tests three times over about six years; about 60 percent of the study volunteers were black.

The tests included measures of short-term and delayed memory, which asked these older people to recall elements of a story that had just been read to them. The participants also were given a flashcard-like exercise using symbols and numbers.

Overall, people did gradually worse on these tests over time, but those who ate more than two vegetable servings a day had about 40 percent less mental decline than those who ate few or no vegetables. Their test results resembled what would be expected in people about five years younger, Morris said.
Physically Active

The study also found that people who ate lots of vegetables were more physically active, adding to evidence that “what’s good for your heart is good for your brain,” said neuroscientist Maria Carillo, director of medical and scientific relations for the Alzheimer’s Association.

The study examined mental decline but did not look at whether any of the study volunteers developed Alzheimer’s disease

Heavy drinking shrinks the brain

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Washington:US researchers have revealed that heavy, chronic drinking can cause significant damage to a part of the brain structure which is vital to learning and memory.

Their study reveals that the volume of hippocampal tissue in the brain reduces over the years in heavy drinkers.

The researchers examined the effect of alcohol on the hippocampus and found that heavy drinking can reduce total hippocampus volume, which likely reflects a loss of hippocampal tissue substance.

“The hippocampus actually refers to two structures, the right hippocampus and the left hippocampus that are located in the right and left temporal lobes of the brain. Most scientists think that the hippocampus helps the brain manage learning, especially learning and remembering new things or things that happened recently. Before this study, researchers had noticed that the volume of the hippocampus seemed to be smaller in people who frequently drank large amounts of alcohol for long periods of time.” explained Thomas P. Beresford, Department of Veterans Affairs physician, and professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to compare hippocampus volumes among non-alcoholics and heavy drinkers.

Study results indicated a reduction in total hippocampus volume among the alcoholics.

“When we took a picture of the alcoholic brains using MRI, and measured the hippocampus,” said Beresford, “it was much smaller than the hippocampus in the group of people who did not drink alcohol heavily. This means that alcohol appears to injure the hippocampus by itself. That is, it may harm the hippocampus in a way that other things do not.”

The findings of the study could explain some of the memory impairment and cognitive deficits described in chronic alcoholics, but it is not clear whether the effect is reversible.

“This study is only a first step. We are now studying what happens to the hippocampus in heavy drinkers when they stop drinking, whether the hippocampus heals itself or not, and what we might do to help healing along. Since the hippocampus is connected to many other parts of the brain, it is difficult to know all of the things that it does. Most scientists think that injury to the hippocampus makes it harder to learn things, especially to keep memories of new things or of new patterns. Understanding this, and how alcohol-dependent individuals may cope and even heal, is the point of our research,” he said.

The results of the study are published in the November issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.

Brain size linked to food availability

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Washington:Scientists from Duke University and the University of Zurich have come to the conclusion that there is an evolutionary connection between available food supplies and brain size.

In a study involving orang-utans living on the Indonesian islands of Borneo and Sumatra, Andrea Taylor and Carel van Schaik have suggested that temporary, unavoidable food scarcity may cause a decrease in brain size, perhaps accompanied by only a small or subtle decrease in body size.

The study, which appears in the online version of the Journal of Human Evolution, quoted both Taylor and van Schaik as saying that this was the first such study to demonstrate a relationship between relative brain size and resource quality in primates.

“Compared to other tissues, brain tissue is metabolically expensive to grow and maintain. If there has to be a trade-off, brain tissue may have to give,” Taylor said.

“The study suggests that animals facing periods of uncontrollable food scarcity may deal with that by reducing their energy requirement for one of the most expensive organs in their bodies: the brain,” van Schaik added.

“Such a theory is vital for understanding what happened during human evolution, where, relative to our ancestors, our lineage underwent a threefold expansion of brain size in a few million years,” both said.

Both found that nutritionally well-off Sumatran orang-utans differed most strikingly from Pongo pygmaeus morio, one of the three sub-species occupying Borneo, where soils are poorer, access to fruit is most iffy and the impact of El Niño is significant.

In previous studies, reported in the April 2006 issue of the Journal of Human Evolution, Taylor found evidence of northeast Borneo orang-utans having stronger jaws than orang-utans in other parts of Borneo or Sumatra.

Taylor is an assistant professor at Duke’s departments of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy and of Community and Family Medicine. Van Schaik directs the University of Zurich’s Anthropological Institute and Museum, and he also is an adjunct professor of biological anthropology and anatomy at Duke, where he had worked for 15 years.

Cosmetic surgery patients more likely to be suffering from mental illness

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London: People who seek cosmetic surgery for their face or body are more likely to be suffering from psychiatric problems than those don’t according to new research.

And women who have breast implants appear to have a higher than usual risk of suicide, says a report in the current issue of the New Scientist.

Evidence from the United States and Canada suggests that up to three times as many women who have had the cosemetic procedure kill themselves than those who have not.

The link has emerged from studies that were intended to assess whether breast implants had any effect on cancers and autoimmune diseases. No association was found but the studies, of 37,000 women, did find that an abnormal proportion of those who had enhanced their breasts by surgery subsequently killed themselves.

Joseph McLaughlin, of the International Epidemiology Centre in Rockville, Maryland, said: “The only consistent finding from all the studies has been the unexpected one of suicide.”

Many scientists think it likely that women who have breast surgery may have psychiatric problems that predispose them to suicide. In another study, led by David Sarwer, of the Centre of Human Appearance and the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, 18 per cent of patients having cosmetic surgery were found to be taking drugs to treat psychiatric conditions, compared with 5 per cent of those having other operations.

It is also possible that women whose surgery had a poor outcome commit suicide; more recent patients, who have newer implants, may not have the same reaction.

Lack of sleep may trigger childhood obesity

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Bristol: Soaring levels of obesity might be linked to children sleeping fewer hours at night than they used to, claims a researcher in the medical magazine, the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Dr Shahrad Taheri of the University of Bristol, blames the increasing availability of computers, mobile phones, TVs and other gadgets on the diminishing nightly quota of sleep, and suggests they should be banned from children’s bedrooms.
Dr Taheri cites the emerging body of research on the impacts on the body of a fall in the nightly quota of sleep, which reflects circumstances in real life, rather than sustained sleep deprivation, which tends to be more extreme.

This research shows that shorter sleep duration disturbs normal metabolism, which may contribute to obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Even two to three nights of shortened sleep can have profound effects, the laboratory data suggest.

One study indicated that insufficient sleep at the age of 30 months was associated with obesity at the age of 7, suggesting that this could programme the part of the brain regulating appetite and energy expenditure, says Dr Taheri.

But it is also a problem for teenagers in whom the need for sleep increases during this critical developmental period, he says.

Another piece of research shows that levels of leptin, a hormone produced by fat tissue when energy stores are low, were more than 15% lower in those sleeping five hours compared with those clocking up 8.

Similarly, ghrelin, a hormone released by the stomach to signal hunger was almost 15% higher in those with a five hour sleep quota.

Sleep loss also disturbs other hormones, including insulin, cortisol (stress hormone), and growth hormone, says Dr Taheri, who adds that hormonal changes could boost the desire for carlorie rich foods.

And poor sleep sets up a vicious cycle. It leads to fatigue, which leads to reduced levels of physical activity….which leads to lower energy expenditure…..which leads to obesity, which itself leads to poor sleep, he adds.

Dr Taheri acknowledges that the mechanisms behind obesity are likely to be complex. “Sleep is probably not the only answer to the obesity pandemic, but its effect should be taken seriously, as even small changes in energy balance are beneficial,” he says.

“Good sleep could be promoted by removal of gadget distractions from bedrooms and restricting their use,” he suggests.

Obesity slows the brain

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Toulouse: Obesity may damage the brain, say scientists at Toulouse University Hospital in France.

A study of 2,300 adults demonstrated that those with a higher body mass index (the ratio of weight and height) had poorer mental performance than slimmer people.

The researchers concluded that arteries in the brain could harden in the same way as fat affects the cardiovascular system or may affect hormones.

The findings were published in the US journal Neurology.

Simple skin test for Alzheimer’s

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New York: US doctors are developing a skin test that could detect Alzheimer’s at an earlier stage.

Currently there is no way to detect the disease in which doctors believe may begin before symptoms show in old age. There is also no cure.

Early detection would mean that intervention with drugs that assist in minimising some symptoms may be more helpful if given earlier.

The new test is based on the discovery that the disease causes a change in a common body enzyme which means it can be detected by its reaction to certain chemicals.

The US team from the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute in Maryland hope to bring the test to patients within five years. Doctors Tapan Khan and Daniel Alkon report their findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

An apple a day keeps dementia at bay

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New York: Apples may be effective in preventing ageing of the brain. According to the latest reseach, the juice contains a chemical that boosts an essential neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals released by nerve cells to transmit messages to other nerve cells and are critical for good memory and brain health.

Scientists have previously shown that increasing the amount of acetylcholine in the brain can slow the mental decline found in people with Alzheimer’s disease.

Researcher Thomas Shea PhD, director of the Center for Cellular Neurobiology and Neurodegenration Research at the University of Massachusetts Lowell says: “The findings of the present study show that consumption of antioxidant-rich foods such as apples and apple juice can help reduce problems associated with memory loss.”

Nutritionists already advocate eating a diet high in antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries, spinach, and strawberries and omega 3 oil to slow age-related mental decline better than using dietary supplements containing purified forms of antioxidants.

In the latest study, researchers looked at the effects on mice. They compared normal adult mice, normal “aged” mice, and special mice that were a genetic model for human Alzheimer’s. Human studies looking at apple consumption are planned.

The study was funded by an unrestricted grant from the US Apple Association and the Apple Products Research & Education Council.

The mice were given either a normal diet, or a diet lacking in essential nutrients, for one month. Some of the mice on the nutrient-poor diet were also given apple juice concentrate mixed in their water.

The results showed that normal adult mice and the genetically-engineered mice on normal diets had the same acetylcholine levels.

In fact, the normal adults had the same acetylcholine levels regardless of diet.

However, the genetically engineered mice on the nutrient-poor diet had lower acetylcholine levels. But this drop was prevented in those given apple juice.

In the aged mice on a normal diet, acetylcholine levels were lower than in the normal adult mice; and their levels were even lower if placed on the nutrient-poor diet. But, again, this decline was prevented by the addition of apple juice to drink.

The mice were also put through maze memory tests. “It was surprising how the animals on the apple-enhanced diets actually did a superior job on the maze tests than those not on the supplemented diet,” says Shea.

The amount of apple juice the mice drank was comparable to drinking about two 8-ounce glasses of apple juice or eating two to three apples a day for humans.

A younger brain – fertilise it with nutrition, exercise and the mind gym

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Lawyers, scientists, doctors, investment bankers and those of us with challenging jobs are 22 per cent less likely to suffer age-related brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s or dementia in later life, according to a recent study.

Whilst this is good news, doctors now believe the onset of brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s are the result of a combination of factors that can begin in our 30s – decades before the symptoms manifest themselves. Like heart and cardio-vascular disease many of us will already silently be developing symptoms. Stress and binge-drinking can accelerate the onset of memory loss and cognitive impairment leading to more serious problems later in life.

So what can we do now to prevent or reverse this process and help our brains function better for longer? According to international nutritionist Patrick Holford, author of “The Alzheimer’s Prevention Plan” (Piatkus Books) cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s are mostly preventable and we can reverse our risk by making simple changes to our lifestyle and diet.

According to Holford only 1 per cent of Alzheimer’s is caused by genetic factors. Roughly three in ten people over the age of 70 experience poor memory, concentration and confusion, with a further one in ten being diagnosed with dementia, the majority of which go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease. So we have a 50:50 chance of entering the last quarter of our lives with our mental faculties intact.

Scientists already know that there is a correlation between the build-up of “amyloid plaques”, a protein that clogs up the brain, killing the cells and Alzheimer’s but this can only be detected after death through examination of the brain.

One of the key factors in determining whether a person is at risk is to test levels of an amino-acid called homocysteine in the blood. High levels – a healthy score is 7 – such as 15 or above are likely to indicate worsening mental alertness and the prospect of Alzheimer’s disease in later life. High homocysteine levels are also implicated in heart and cardio-vascular disease.

Holford’s recommendation’s to lower your “H” score by: eating less fatty meat, more fish and vegetables; even more green vegetables, a clove of garlic daily, don’t add salt to food, cut back on tea and coffee, limit alcohol, reduce stress, stop smoking and supplementing with homocysteine reducing nuritients each day (see Brain Boosters).

At the Brain Bio Centre in London (www.brainbiocentre.com) Holford has been pioneering this nutrition-based method for reversing the risk of both age-related memory decline and Alzheimer’s with some success.
At the recent London Anti-Ageing Conference he told medical experts that he had arrested the development of mental deterioration in men and women by changing their diet and some had also had the bonus of having their libido restored.

Since the brain is 60% fat, Holford argues, we should be eating a diet rich in oil soluble vitamins such as Vitamin E (liver and eggs), oily fish (sardines and salmon) and seeds (pumpkin and flax) which contain Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids. One of the signs that you may not be getting enough of these vital brain nutrients is a dry skin.

His findings are confirmed by doctors at the Rush Institute for Healthy Ageing in Chicago who discovered that eating oily fish, containing DHA, a form of omega three fat, just once a week, reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 60 per cent.

We must also not forget the role of hormones in memory loss. One, pregnenolone, is known as the mother hormone because it converts to a variety of others – oestrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA – is also important in brain function. But blood testing is essential and anyone with cancer should not take pregnenolone.

Professor Ian Robertson, of the Institute of Neuroscience at Trinity College, Dublin, in his book, Stay Young with the Mind Doctor, (published by Vermillion) has conducted experiments with exercise and mental workouts which he says make it possible to make the brain younger by up to 14 years.

He prescribes a cardiovascular workout three times a week to raise the heart rate and improve mental function by increasing blood flow to the brain. It also produces a chemical fertiliser for new brain connections and cells (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) and serotonin the enhancing mood chemical. Taking up new mental challenges such as learning new skills such as learning to play a musical instrument or learning a new language work the frontal lobes – the brain’s mind manager – which otherwise shrink with age; extreme stress decreases the hippocampus, the brain’s memory centre, so reduce it and finally keep your mind happy with an active social life and positive personal relationships. Next week: Staying Young – super anti-ageing supplements and foods

Avril O’Connor is Editor of www.elixirnews.com an independent source of anti-ageing health information. Email: editor@elixirnews.com

HOW SHARP IS YOUR MIND AND MEMORY?
TRY PATRICK HOLFORD’S TEST NOW
Yes No

Is your memory deteriorating?

Do you find it hard to concentrate and often get confused?
Do you sometimes meet someone you know quite well but can’t remember their name?

Do you often find you can remember things from the past but forget what you did yesterday?
Do you ever forget what day of the week it is?
Do you ever go looking for something and forget what you are looking for?
Do your friends and family think you’re getting more forgetful now than you used to be?
Do you find it hard to add up numbers without writing them down?
Do you often experience mental tiredness?
Do you find it heard to concentrate for more than an hour?
Do you often misplace your keys?
Do you frequently repeat yourself?
Do you sometimes forget the point you’re trying to make?
Does it take you longer to learn things than it used to?

Score 1 for each “yes” answer
If your score is:
Below 5: You don’t have a major problem with your memory – but you may find that simple diet changes and supplementing natural mind and memory boosters will sharpen you up even more.

5 to 10: Your memory definitely needs a boost. Certain diet changes and supplements can make a big difference.

More than 10: You are experiencing significant memory decline and need to do something about it. As well as following these diet and supplement recommendations we recommend you see a nutritionist.

TOP MEMORY BOOSTING SUPPLEMENTS

Ashwagandha – a medicinal plant used in India that has been shown to repair damaged brain cells
Acetyl-L-Carnitine Arginate –stimulates the growth of neurites in the brain as well as stimulating production of acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter
Alpa-Lipoic Acid
Choline – a substance needed by the brain to produce acetylcholine
Co Enyme Q10 – produced by the body but declines with age and energises the cells. Low levels are also associated with heart disease
DMAE – a natural substance also found in oily fish such as salmon and converts to choline and acetylcholine to build and repair brain cells.
Gingo Bilboa – a potent antioxidant supplement that strengthens capillaries, promoting healthy blood flow to the brain
Gluthione – a natural antioxidant that fights free radicals that damage cells in the body
Lecithin – a natural substance found in the body that helps maintain cell structure
N-acetyl cysteine – an amino acid that helps remove homocysteine from the blood
Omega 3 fats – found in fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel) and seeds (pumpkin and flax)
Phosphatidylserine – a natural part of the healthy cell membrane but declines with age. Helps concentration and is available as a dietary supplement in the US but only available in the UK on prescription.
Pregnenolone – mother hormone that declines with age and vital to brain function

Dental disease revealed to be factor in stroke

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Los Angeles: Dental disease is a risk factor in stroke, according to new research from the the University of California Los Angeles.

Researchers have discovered that the disease is more prevelant in people with blockages of the main blood vessels leading to the brain (carotid artery). These blockages, or atheromas, contain calcium and can be detected on dental panoramic radiographs.

The results came from a study to see if dental disease shown on a panoramic radiograph is greater among people with atheromas seen on their dental radiograph than among people without atheromas but matched for stroke risk factors (body mass, smoking history, need for medications to control hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes).

The group with carotid atheromas seen on dental panoramic radiographs was found to have more dental disease, as determined by the number of teeth with decay, missing teeth, and the amount of bone loss around teeth, than the group without any radiographically detectable atheromas.

The results of this study, Does Dental Disease Influence Prevalence of Panographically Imaged Carotid Atheromas?, indicate that dental disease may play a role in the formation of carotid atheromas in patients already at risk for stroke. It was conducted by E. Chung, A.F. Friedlander, E.C. Sung, and N.R. Garrett, of the University of California-Los Angeles, USA, presented on July 1, 2006, at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, during the 84th General Session of the International Association for Dental Research.

Nanoparticles in suncreams harm rat brains

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Nanoparticles used in some sun tan lotions have been found to affect mice brains by upsetting the chemical balance and possibly causing brain damage, says new US research.

The US Environmental Protection Agency study, published on the website Nature.com, looked at the affects of nano-sized Titania, now commonly used in sun cream formulations and often labelled titantium oxide, on cultures of microglia mice cells.

Researcher Bellina Veronesi says the findings do not mean that the Titania grains are harmful to the human body, it does add to a growing body of research that suggests potential risks might exists when certain compounds are reduced to nano size.

Only last month eight lobby groups combined to petition the FDA in a campaign that questions the development of nano particles in cosmetic personal care products in the US.

Groups that included Friends of the Earth and The International Center for Technology Assessment highlighted a lack of safety and assessment work behind the launches of some 116 personal care products that are currently on the US market.

Veronesi’s study showed that the nano-sized Titania provoke the mice brain cells to manufacture chemicals that are protective in the short term, but can cause longer-term damage.

Günter Oberdörster, a specialist in nanoparticle toxicity at the University of Rochester in New York, told Nature.com. “These are valuable results, but you have to be very careful about extrapolating them to live organisms.” The experiment was carried out on cultured mice brain cells, stressing the fact that it is difficult to conclude that human brain cells will behave in the same way.

Although nano technology has been heralded as a major boon for a variety of industries – having applications as widespread as paint, chemicals, clothing and food – the technology is still in its infancy and many experts believe that it will still take years of research to fully establish its safety in various applications.

Many scientists have pointed to the fact that nano particles might well have different chemical compositions to their larger-sized derivatives. For personal care products nano formulations have specific implications because topical applications are more easily absorbed by skin cells. posing a host of as yet unknown risks.

Titania has been used in a variety of applications, from white pigments in paints to coatings for the protection of fabrics. In personal care products it has most commonly been used in sun screens, but has also appeared in toothpaste as well as make-up products.

In sunscreen formulations it is said to enhance the balance of both UVA and UVB protection. It is also said to specifically improve UVA protection because it forms a physical barrier for the skin.

Industry has countered claims that nanoparticles in cosmetic products are not safe by stating that their larger-sized derivatives are safe and by also saying that nanoparticles have always occured in formulations, naturally.

However, with a growing body of scientific evidence questioning these theories, it seems that more testing will have to be carried out if personal companies are going to prove that nano-based formulations are categorically saf

Calorie restriction may promote brain longevity

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New York: Restricting calorie intake may prevent Alzheimer’s Disease by triggering activity in the brain associated with longevity, a study by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine suggests.

The study, published in the July 2006 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, is the first to show that restricting caloric intake, specifically carbohydrates, may prevent Alzheimer’s.

Giulio Maria Pasinetti MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Nuroscience, Director of the Neuroinflammation Research Center at the school says that lifestyle factors such as diet may be crucial to managing the diease.

She said: “This research, however, is the first to show a connection between nutrition and Alzheimer’s Disease neuropathy by defining mechanistic pathways in the brain and scrutinizing biochemical functions. We hope these findings further unlock the mystery of Alzheimer’s and bring hope to the millions of Americans suffering from this disease.”

Alzheimer’s is one of the most feared diseases of ageing and there are currently no cures. Although genetics are thought to be responsible for early onset, this is not the case in the most common form in later life.

People with Alzheimer’s have high levels of beta-amyloid peptides that cause plaque buildup in the brain – though this cannot be seen until after death. Beta-amyloid peptides activate SIRT1, a member of a broad family of proteins known as sirtuins which influence a variety of functions including metabolism and aging.

In the Mount Sinai study it was found that mice were subjected to dietary calorie restriction, based on low carbohydrates food, had reduced beta-amyloid peptides in the brain. Whilst a high caloric intake based on saturated fat was shown to increase levels of beta-amyloid peptides.

It is the first study to show that calorie restriction can promote SIRTI, a molecule associated with brain longevity, and may activate alpha-secretase which can prevent plaque build-up in the brain. study finds that a high caloric intake based on saturated fat promotes AD type beta-amyloidosis, while caloric restriction based on reduced carbohydrate intake is able to prevent it.

Among lifestyle factors influencing AD, recent studies strongly support the evidence that caloric intake may play a role in the relative risk for AD clinical dementia. Most importantly, as mechanistic pathways are defined and their biochemical functions scrutinized, the evidence supporting a direct link between nutrition and AD neuropathology continues to grow.

Moderate drinking may help brain function, says new US study

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New York: A study of more than 7,000 older women has revealed that those who regularly drink a moderate amount of alcohol have better brain function that abstainers.

The study, carried out by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina in the US was published in the journal of Neuroepidemiology found that women who had two to three drinks a day had better cognitive function, including memory, concentration, verbal skills and reasoning.

Lead researcher, Mkike Espeland, PhD said the research confimed other studies that moderate consumption of alcohol may provide some medical benefits.

Espeland, a professor of public health sciences and chairman of the Department of Biostatistical Sciences, said understanding whether alcohol affects specific areas of cognition may shed light on the mechanisms that make it protective.

He conjectures that alcohol increases levels of “good” cholesterol and lowers the risk of stroke, that it may decrease the formation of plaque that is associated with Alzheimer’s disease and that it may increase the release of brain chemicals that affect learning and memory. He added that the findings were not a reason for women to change their current drinking habits.

The researchers used information from the 7,460 women in the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS), a large national study to assess the effects of hormone therapy on dementia and cognitive function. They also used statistics from 2,299 of these women who were also enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging (WHISCA), which involved annual standardized testing of specific areas of cognitive performance. All women in the studies were 65 and older.

The information from this large group of women confirmed earlier findings from the researchers (based on a subset of 4,461 WHIMS participants,) that those who drank moderate amounts of alcohol (up to two or three drinks a day) performed better on tests for cognitive function. Using data from the WHISCA participants, they were able to pinpoint specific areas of cognition that were affected.

Previous studies have also indicated that moderate levels of alcohol intake reduce the risk of dementia and decline in cognitive function. Espeland said, however, that the results must be interpreted with caution.

The researchers adjusted for other factors that might affect the results, such as education level and family income, and still found the same pattern of moderate alcohol intake associated with better cognitive function and less risk of dementia.

The study received support from the National Institute on Aging, a part of the National Institutes of Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Espeland’s co-researchers were Laura Coker, Ph.D., and Stephen R. Rapp, Ph.D., also from Wake Forest Baptist, Robert Wallace, M.D., from the University of Iowa College of Medicine, Susan Resnick, Ph.D., from the National Institute on Aging, Marian Limacher, M.D., from the University of Florida, Lynda Powell, M.D., from Rush University Medical Center, and Catherine Messina, Ph.D., from State University of New York at Stony Brook.

www.wfubmc.edu

Brain stem stells may restore walking ability

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Toronto: Spinal-cord damage resulting in paralysis may soon be treated with brain stem cells allowing patients to walk again, according to a new Canadian study recently published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Although the study has been carried out on rats, human research is predicted to begin in five to ten years.

Neurosurgeon, Dr. Michael Fehlings, of the Krembil Neuroscience Center at Toronto Western Research Institute led a team that injected stem cells extracted from mouse brains to the injury site of paralysed rats with spinal injuries.

The rats were also given a drug cocktail including growth hormone, cyclosporine to prevent rejection and the anti-inflammatory minocycline, which researchers believe attributed to the success of the therapy by reducing the spinal cord inflammation and cell damage and boosting the survival of stem cells.

Researchers found that rats receiving the stem cells restored their walking ability although the injections of stem cells could not completely restore the lost capability.

Fehling said the team had not aimed to regrow the spinal cord but to attempt replacement of one cell type.

The type of cells used in the study was neural precursor cells, which are extracted from mouse brains and ready to turn into a central nervous system cell. Researchers said 30 percent of the stem cells could survive the t ransplant process and help the recipients repair the spinal cord damage.

The researchers said it was necessary for the recipients’ to have viable nerve fibres for the stem cell therapy to work. The stem cells injected in the spinal cord work to develop myelin, the insulating layer around nerve fibers that transmits signals to the brain. About 50 percent of patients have the nerve fibers intact when they get injured. The sooner the therapy is administered also assists in a more effective outcome.

The treatment may as well be applicable to humans, according to the researchers, because the stem cells used for the injection may be extracted from the patients’ own brains using a biopsy needle. Stem cells can be extracted from brains other people donate.

Stem cells are present in many parts of the body such as bone marrow, fetuses, embryos, u mbilical cord b lood and even t eeth. Stem cell research is a hot issue because much of the research would involve fetuses and or embryos, which draws objections from many people. But researchers said the neural precursor cells used are adult stem cells that only help produce nerve cells.

Oily fish is brain food, says new US study

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Chicago: Eating fish at least once a week may keep you brainy in old age, research from Chicago suggests.

A study of about 4000 senior citizens of Chicago where many were loosing brain function such as memory and speed of thinking, revealed that those who ate fish once a week, slowed the decline by 10%. It was 13% slower among those who consumed at least two fish meals a week. The difference is the equivalent of being three to four years younger, say the researchers.

This new research confirms previus studies that have shown the importance of fatty acids to the brain. Previous research has hinted that omega-3 oils may be useful for improving cognitive skills and behaviour in other groups. Two UK studies suggested benefits in schoolchildren.

Eating fish is already known to improve the health of the heart. But most people do not eat enough of it. In the UK, on average, people eat a third of a portion a week – well below the recommended amount for keeping a healthy heart. The UK Food Standards Agency advises that boys, men and women past reproductive age eat up to four portions of fish a week, and that women of child-bearing age eat up to two portions.

In the Chicago study, residents over the age of 65 living in one district were each tracked for six years. They were interviewed and given four standard cognitive tests at the start of the study, after 3 years and at the end. The tests included measures of immediate and delayed memory, cognitive speed and attention. Their eating habits were established by questionnaire.

“At this point there are so few studies done that we can’t say for sure that eating fish preserves your thinking with age,” admits Morris. But she adds: “It does look promising, and there’s a good biological mechanism.”

She notes that recent studies have shown that elderly rodents given an omega-3 oil fatty acid called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) exhibit better communication between the neurons in their brains.