Tag: memory

Alcar with ALA Capsules
September 20, 2024

Alcar with ALA Capsules

Alcar with ALA Capsules Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND   One of the most popular products here at Invite Health has always been our Alcar with ALA formula. If you have been using Invite’s Alcar with ALA you may notice some changes to it! Now the …

Anti-aging, Brain Health, Dietary Blood Sugar Health, Healthy Lifestyle, Heart Health, InVite Health, Nutrition
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Methyl-B: Feel More Energy, Fight Daily Stress and More!!!
July 22, 2024

Methyl-B: Feel More Energy, Fight Daily Stress and More!!!

Methyl-B Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND   Most people have heard that it can improve your health if you take a B complex. You may even have heard the term “methylation”. But do you know what that term means? Why does it even matter? This blog …

Anti-aging, Brain Health, Detox, Energy, InVite Health
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Combat Chemo Brain
July 12, 2024

Combat Chemo Brain

Combat Chemo Brain

Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND

 

One topic that comes up a lot is what to do about the side effects that can occur as a result of the different cancer treatments.  The first side effect I will be talking about is called cancer-related cognitive impairment or cognitive dysfunction. You may have heard it referred to as chemo brain or chemo fog. Chemo brain refers to thinking and memory problems that can occur during and/or after cancer treatments. (1)  In my professional opinion on working with those who experience chemo brain it is best to wait until treatment is complete before addressing the symptoms experienced with chemo brain. This is to ensure no potential interactions between the supplements and cancer treatments that could occur.

What are the most common symptoms of chemo brain that you may experience? Well you may notice that you are unusually disorganized and have difficulty concentrating. You may also notice that you feel confused and have a short attention span that may make it difficult to multitask. In fact you may find that it takes you longer to do things than it would normally. When you are speaking you may have trouble with finding the right words and later on you may find you have trouble with verbal memory or even visual memory. In other words you may notice you have trouble recalling conversations or in recalling a list of words. You may also experience difficulty planning activities. You may notice that there is an increased difficulty in learning any new skills. Overall you may find you have short term memory changes and a general feeling of mental fatigue. (1) Lastly you may even find it difficult to make up your mind or even plan things such as family outings. (2)

While anyone who is undergoing treatment for cancer can experience chemo brain there are some factors that can increase your risk. These can include having brain cancer or cancer that has spread to the brain. Having received radiation to the brain can increase your risk. Additionally if you receive higher doses of either chemo or radiation you are at a higher risk for chemo brain.  Being either younger or older at the time of cancer diagnosis as well as treatment places you at a higher risk of developing chemo brain. (1) Being anemic or just not getting all the nutrients you need can also increase chemo brain risk. If you have an infection it can also increase chemo brain risk. Certain chronic conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, trouble sleeping, chronic pain, anxiety or depression can all increase chemo brain risk. Additionally alcohol or other mind altering substances can increase your risk. Even certain hormonal changes such as menopause are risk factors. Lastly being weak or frail can both increase your risk of chemo brain. (2)

What can you do if you find that after treatment you have developed chemo brain?

  • You can start by controlling things in your environment that may be affecting your memory. For example reduce the noise that is around you. Eat a snack before beginning any activity so you reduce hunger that may distract you. Lastly pick a time of day to do activities where you feel most “alert”.
  • It is also important to stay organized. This can often involve using calendars or planners to help.
  • It is also helpful to take breaks and divide your tasks into more manageable portions so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
  • Exercise your brain with crossword puzzles. It is also helpful to be active. (1)
  • It is also important to get enough sleep. (2)
  • Inositol has been found in studies to help with brain health, memory and our ability to learn. (3) Please see Invite’s Cerebral Care!
  • Acetyl-L- Carnitine has been found in studies to help with signs of mental fatigue as well as help improve memory. (4) Please see Invite’s Cerebral Care, Cognition Hx as well as our Alcar + Ala which is available in both tablet and capsule form!
  • Phosphatidylserine has been found in studies to help to improve our memory. (5) Please see Invite’s Cerebral Care, Cognition as well as our Phosphatidylserine formula.
  • Omega 3s haves been found in studies to be associated with increased memory, increased processing speeds and even a healthier brain. (6) Please see Invite’s Fish Oil and Krill Oil!
  • Our product highlight will focus on Cerebral Care!

 

Sources

  1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/chemo-brain/symptoms-causes/syc-20351060
  2. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/managing-cancer/side-effects/changes-in-mood-or-thinking/chemo-brain.html
  3. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/209115#:~:text=Myo%2D%20inositol%20is%20also%20a,neurotransmission%2C%20learning%2C%20and%20memory.
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18065594/
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2966935/
  6. https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/9/1278#:~:text=The%20entorhinal%20cortex%2C%20frontal%20pole,speed%2C%20and%20structural%20brain%20measures.

Brain Health, Detox, Energy, InVite Health, Mental and Emotional Health
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Summary on Brain Health, Invite Health Blog
August 9, 2023

Summary on Brain Health, Invite Health Blog

Written by Dr.Claire Arcidiacono, ND For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]†   I hope this has been an exciting and informative blog on brain health and memory. The brain is something we are still learning about and gaining new information about every day.  …

Brain Health, Mental and Emotional Health, Naturopathic Doctors & Nutritionist Spotlight, Nutrition
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The Mineral Magnesium & Our Brain, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 666
August 8, 2023

The Mineral Magnesium & Our Brain, Invite Health Podcast, Episode 666

Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. THE MINERAL MAGNESIUM & OUR BRAIN, INVITEⓇ HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 666 Hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph. *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed health …

Bone & Joint Health, Brain Health, Mental and Emotional Health, Nutrition, Podcast
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Alzheimer’s Disease, Part 3, Invite Health Blog
July 6, 2023

Alzheimer’s Disease, Part 3, Invite Health Blog

Written by: Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND

For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]†

 

Alzheimer’s is a complex disease with many risk factors. It is a disease that affects more than just the person who is afflicted with the illness. For the care takers there is a whole host of concerns. Here at Invite we want to make it clear that while we want to help the individuals diagnosed with AD, we are also here for their care takers. If you are a caretaker and need any help with stress or other health concerns, you can always reach an Invite nutritionist to help support you through any challenges you face.  Now while there is no cure for AD the following interventions can help to reduce the risk factors that can be reduced. Additionally, there are some supplements found to help with symptoms. †

MAKE LIFESTYLE CHANGES

  1. Make lifestyle changes that help to mitigate lifestyle risks. †
    • Stop smoking
    • Lose weight
    • Lower cholesterol
    • Maintain a healthy blood sugar
    • Correct any nutritional deficiencies
    • Keep your brain active with crosswords and other brain teasers! (1)
    • For help with any of these please see an Invite nutritionist!

 

INCLUDE NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

  1. Improve circulation as well as blood pressure! Grape seed has been found to help regulate blood pressure and thus improve circulation. (2). Cocoa is another powerhouse for improving circulation and blood pressure! In addition to helping with circulation studies have shown cocoa helps with insulin resistance, regulating cholesterol and is even anti-inflammatory! This is important since these are all risk factors for dementia and AD. (3) What is most interesting about cocoa is that newer studies are showing that it can help slow the cognitive decline seen in dementia and AD. (14) As a Naturopath I put cocoa in my personal toolbox for helping anyone with a family history of dementia or AD. Please see Invite’s Grape seed extract and Cocoa Hx†
  2. Another wonder supplement is actually beets. They have been found to improve circulation to the brain which is very important in working with dementia and AD. (5) Beets have also been found to be anti-inflammatory which is very important in working with dementia and AD. (6). What is interesting about beets is that not only does it improve circulation it appears to bring the blood exactly to the parts of the brain that have poor blood flow and are associated with dementia. While obviously more research is needed this is a fantastic potential benefit to beets. That is why this is also in my personal toolbox to help anyone with a history of dementia and AD. (7) Please see Invite’s Beets Hx†
  3. Omega 3s as we know help to reduce inflammation which is important in dementia and AD. (8) DHA, which is a part of omega 3s is very important when working with AD. It has been found to help as it has been found to “limit the production and accumulation of the amyloid β peptide”. It has also been found to be neuroprotective as well. (9) Omega 3s are one of the things I recommend almost everyone to take.  They really are a powerhouse! Please see Invite’s Fish oil, Krill oil and Biomega!†
  4. Turmeric is one of the most important supplements when it comes to AD. There are many studies coming out showing that it helps with the amyloid plaque buildup, it helps delay the death of neurons or brain cells, it is anti-inflammatory and has been found to help improve memory and brain health. (10) In addition to helping memory, Turmeric has been found to help with the behavioral symptoms of AD as well as the psychological symptoms such as depression. (11) Lastly Turmeric has been found to slow the changes in memory seen in AD. (12) This is why when someone comes to see me with a history of AD, Turmeric is the first thing I recommend! Please see Invite’s Bio-Curcumin, Turmeric with Ginger and Curcumin Blend.†
  5. Magnesium is another supplement that I personally in my clinical experience find to be something almost everyone should take. It has been found to be deficient in those with AD. Additionally it has been found to help with amyloid plaque. (13) Magnesium has also been found to help with cognitive function as well. (14). Please see Invite’s Magnesium Glycinate, Magnesium Citrate and BioAvail Magnesium!†
  6. Newer studies have found Alcar to be helpful in working with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. While there was still a decline in functional and cognitive abilities it was statistically less in those taking Alcar (15, 16). Please see Invite’s Alcar with Ala, Cerebral Care and Cognition Hx!†
  7. Inositol has been found to help with symptoms of AD such as language. (17) Please see Invite’s Cerebral care!†
  8. Phosphatidylserine has been found in studies to help improve memory in those with dementia. (18) Additionally, it has been found to help with performances in memory tests (19) Please see Invite’s Phosphatidylserine as well as our Cerebral care! †

 

In our next we will be moving on to strokes and just how they can affect the brain as well as memory.†

 

REFERENCES

  1. Knopman DS, Amieva H, Petersen RC, et al. (May 2021). “Alzheimer disease”. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 7 (1): 33. doi:1038/s41572-021-00269-y. PMC 8574196. PMID 33986301.
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6950399/
  3. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circulationaha.108.827022
  4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9311747/
  5. Tennille D. Presley, Ashley R. Morgan, Erika Bechtold, William Clodfelter, Robin W. Dove, Janine M. Jennings, Robert A. Kraft, S. Bruce King, Paul J. Laurienti, W. Jack Rejeski. Acute effect of a high nitrate diet on brain perfusion in older adults. Nitric Oxide, 2010; DOI: 1016/j.niox.2010.10.002
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425174/
  7. https://alzheimersweekly.com/2023/06/beet-juice-increases-blood-flow-to-brain/
  8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12480795/
  9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4019002/
  10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2781139/
  11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665200/
  12. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000689931930530X
  13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507256/
  14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507270/
  15. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1944900/
  16. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7723928/
  17. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8843494/
  18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2966935/
  19. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3479526/

 

Brain Health, InVite Health, Naturopathic Doctors & Nutritionist Spotlight
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