Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
The natural plant constituent Resveratrol is a major player in the field of healthy brain aging, according to an already considerable body of clinical evidence. Here’s what you need to know about this superior antioxidant.
Amanda Williams, MPH, discusses the different nutrients that are beneficial to supporting your brain, particularly for focus, productivity, and attention in Episode 30.
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Creatine Monohydrate is not just for your muscles and it’s not just for gym lovers! Research over the past 20 years has shown that it is beneficial for your muscles, but it also supplies excellent benefit for your brain.
What is Creatine?
Creatine was first identified in 1832 as a major component of muscle. By 1912, Harvard researchers found that ingesting a Creatine supplement boosted its content in muscle. It is a naturally-occuring amino acid that supplies energy to all cells.
Creatine truly came into public view during the Barcelona Olympics of 1992. The Gold Medal winners for the men’s 100 meter race and for the women’s 400-meter hurdles were both Creatine users.
Muscle Health Benefits
A molecule in muscle called ATP releases a phosphate group and then becomes ADP. The release of the phosphate group gives energy. Creatine Monohydrate recycles ADP back to ATP faster helping maintain the pool of energy for muscle during physical performance.
According to a large volume of research, this important amino acid has been shown to improve power, increase muscle development and build strength, reduce the risk of injury, and speed up the rate of recovery after exercise or after sports performance. It also boosts endurance. Research also shows that taking Creatine after exercise works better for building strength which makes sense because muscle fibers open up during exercise so it is easier to get nutrients into the muscle tissue.†
Creatine is also very safe; a review of 200 published studies by researchers led by Texas A&M University proves its safety and reliability.
Brain Health Benefits
Creatine works in the brain similar to the way it works in muscle – by accelerating the recovery of energy. It also works as an antioxidant in the brain, helping to shield the brain from injury.
About twenty years ago, animal research was already indicating that Creatine Monohydrate was potentially protective for the brain, and that it may help shield it from getting damaged (such as during the traumatic brain injury incurred during a football game). It also has potential to help shield the brain from age-related brain diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. Human clinical trials show that it helps protect the brain from trauma in both the young and adults. In traumatic brain injury patients, Creatine Monohydrate gave a significant improvement in communication, cognition, personality and behavior, and the ability of the patient to take care of themselves.†
In numerous clinical studies, Creatine has been shown improve brain performance.†
– Jerry Hickey, Ph.
In 2003, researchers from the University of Sydney found that Creatine Monohydrate supplements boosted working memory and intelligence in a group of young vegetarians. This is important, because vegans and vegetarians cannot obtain this important amino acid from food. Further research in 2010 from the University of Swansea in the UK confirms this finding; within the first five days Creatine improved the memory of vegetarians. The study included 121 young women who were either vegetarians or omnivores, showing that it improved memory functions by 40% within the first five days in vegetarians. For the rest of the population, results showed that Creatine improved how quickly the brain worked and how accurately the women answered questions, but also and importantly supported brain energy.
This is a very important finding. Recent research in the elderly finds that they become inactive not because their body is tired but because their brain is tired and research shows that supplementation of this memory and muscle amino acid safely improves muscle strength and endurance in the elderly but it also boosts their brain energy; something very difficult to achieve otherwise.
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Today we are going to discuss the strong connections between eye health and memory. There is one important nutrient that stands out more than the other – Lutein. Let’s get started on episode 4.
Think about all that you do in one day. It’s no wonder why you’re experiencing burn out more than ever before! The good news is that there are natural options, like Alpha-GPC, that can help keep you focused throughout the day to get all of your tasks done.
According to scientists from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, obesity can break down our protective blood-brain barrier resulting in problems with learning and memory. This study is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
According to Dr. Alan Pressman, former Radio Host and Director of Nutrition at InVite® Health, here’s what you need to know about the blood-brain barrier. “The blood-brain barrier is a highly selective permeable barrier that separates the circulating blood from the brain. It is simply the protective shield that surrounds your brain. It is formed by brain endothelial cells and allows the passage of water and selective transport of molecules such as glucose and amino acids that are crucial to internal function, while protecting against the transport of toxic substances.”
The blood-brain barrier can be broken down by factors like high blood pressure, endothelial dysfunction, infections, radiation and inflammation. Recent reports also mentioned the negative impact of alcohol, prescription drugs, elevated homocysteine and nutrient deficiencies as being contributing factors to blood-brain barrier integrity loss.
Researchers report that obese individuals with diabetes have higher rates of cognitive impairment as they age. In a model that mimics what happens to individuals with obesity and diabetes, young mice fed a high-fat diet got fat within two weeks, and by 16 weeks they showed increases in fasting glucose and insulin concentrations, all signs that diabetes could be part of their near future.
The researchers saw that obesity increased the permeability of the blood-brain barrier – diabetes promoted shrinkage of the cells, muscular cells started to lose their grip, blood vessels started to lose their tone and became dysfunctional and inflamed.
“If an individual has already progressed to insulin resistance, these studies underscore the importance of controlling blood sugar levels and avoiding progressing to insulin deficiency (diabetes), which opens the blood-brain barrier even further,” says Dr. Alexis M. Stranahan, neuroscientist in the MCG Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine at August University.
The scientists report that the relative accessibility of blood vessels in the brain may also make them a good avenue for preventing obesity’s effects on the brain.
Protecting the blood-brain barrier is a prime goal in the practice of clinical nutrition. Here are some tips from our healthcare experts on how to protect it with lifestyle changes and supplementation, according to Dr. Alan Pressman.
Practice Good Gut and Digestive Health
According to Dr. Alan Pressman, “numerous research reports strongly suggest that a specific group of probiotics can strengthen the blood-brain barrier and also reduce the symptoms of anxiety, chronic fatigue, depression and also improve memory, concentration and focus.”†
Eat More Cruciferous Vegetables
Vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage contain important antioxidants and anti-inflammatory actions that can benefit your brain. Studies have shown that a phytochemical found in these vegetables called sulforaphane can help protect the blood-brain barrier and improve cognitive function.
From the Inside, Out
Important antioxidants like Resveratrol found in grapes and red wine, also have anti-inflammatory benefits and may help to restore the integrity of the blood-brain barrier.†
Omega-3 fatty acids, like fish and krill oil, are essential fats that are necessary for the normal functioning of your brain and nervous system.†
B vitamins, especially Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), has been shown to help restore the integrity of the blood-brain barrier.†
Goodbye Stress, Hello Rest!
Numerous studies have shown that chronic stress can increase inflammation and the permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Deep, restorative sleep is necessary for the optimal functions of your body, including your blood-brain barrier. Be sure to practice healthy sleeping patterns by limiting the amount of blue light you subject yourself to and going to bed at a good time each night.