Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Many people who were sick with COVID-19 are still suffering from issues with cognition in a phenomenon known as long COVID. Learn about how you can help support your memory and mood in the face of these issues from Jerry Hickey, Ph.
Many people face mild cognitive impairment that can impact their memory, ability to learn and more. The good news is that there are nutrients that can help.
phosphatidylserine
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey, Ph.
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There’s a nutrient found in your brain called phosphatidylserine. It is very important for the health of the brain, the way the brain functions, the memory and the ability to learn. Unfortunately, the level of phosphatidylserine declines with age, which can impact people’s ability to learn and remember things such as names, dates and tasks.†
There is about two ounces of phosphatidylserine in the human body, but half of it is in the brain. This shows you how important this nutrient is in the brain because you need the same amount for your brain as you do for the rest of the body.†
In the brain, phosphatidylserine is located in the phospholipid bilayer. Its tail points out towards the tail of another phospholipid called phosphatidylcholine. Together, these tails create vibrations that occur millions of times per minute, which is basically the life of the brain cells. It’s very important for the brain cells to communicate because this is what initiates and creates the various body functions.†
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Phosphatidylserine is also needed to build and recycle mitochondria, which convert sugar and oxygen into energy. This nutrient takes old mitochondria and recycles them into new, functioning mitochondria so your brain has plenty of energy, even into late old age.†
The problem is that by the age of 30, your phosphatidylserine starts to decline in the membrane of your brain cells, causing the cells to stiffen. This affects your ability to pay attention, your ability to focus, your mood and more. But phosphatidylserine is not in any food to any degree, so it is important to turn to supplementation. Research has shown that giving people about 300mg of phosphatidylserine every morning with their breakfast helps to promote memory functions and the ability to learn.†
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In this podcast episode, Jerry Hickey, Ph. talks about the importance of phosphatidylserine and how it impacts brain functions including memory, learning and mood. He shares various studies about the usage of this nutrient in the brain and provides tips for promoting your memory and brain health.†
Key Topics:
Thank you for tuning in to the Invite Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Invite Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the Invite Health Podcast.
Vitamin B6 Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Amanda Williams, MPH Subscribe Today! B vitamins play a really important role when it comes to supporting energy levels, metabolism, heart health, brain health and so many more systems that are crucial for the everyday functions of …
As you age, you may begin to wonder, “is it normal forgetfulness or is this something else?” This episode is designed to help you identify the difference between Alzheimer’s and normal brain aging.
Alzheimer’s
Invite Health Podcast, Episode hosted by Jerry Hickey. Ph
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There is a gene called the APOE4 gene that significantly increases your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. You inherit these genes, however, there is a report that discusses how you can fight back and minimize your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
There are three variants of the APOE gene and what it does is it brings lipids into the cells of your brain. That’s important because your brain is about 60% lipids. A lipid is a fatty substance. It’s part fat and part something else. Fish oils and vegetable oils, for example, mix with different things in the brain to make different components of brain cells.†
Once again, there are different APOE gene variants. There’s the APOE2 variant, APOE3 variant and the APOE4 variant. The E2 variant is thought to lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. If you inherited that from both parents, that’s wonderful. The E3 variant is neutral. It doesn’t seem to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s and it doesn’t seem to be protective from Alzheimer’s. It’s just going on brain business as usual. The E4 gene, if you inherit one copy, it increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but if you inherit a copy from both parents, then it is all the more dangerous. About 15% of Americans have the E4 variant of the gene.†
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The APOE genes bring lipids into your brain cells and the E2 and E3 variants of the gene do a good job with that. But the E4, instead of bringing lipids into the cell, actually clogs up the process. This causes the cells to die because they are clogged and inflamed and business is not going on as usual. Researchers at MIT found that the APOE4 gene significantly disrupts the ability of your brain cells to go about their normal functions, which is bad because you need them to think and solve problems.†
There are proven ways to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, even if you have the genetic susceptibility and the APOE4 variants of the gene. Leading a wholesome, healthy life can help. Getting enough sleep is really important because you detoxify and you rebuild your brain at night when you’re sleeping.†
Also, hearing loss is being increasingly tied into memory loss and dementias. Experts are thinking that when you can’t hear, you’re taking other parts of the brain to help the auditory processing part of the brain do its job. This creates a stressful environment in the brain and these other parts of the brain are not doing their job. This somehow affects your intellect. One thing you can do if you’ve lost hearing is to get hearing aids.†
Another way to help support your memory is with a great diet. Certain foods are potentially bad for the brain, like excessive alcohol, saturated fats and sugars. Smoking is also bad for the brain. A healthy diet includes lots of vegetables, fresh fruits, nuts, seeds and fish, all of which are great for the brain. Cocoa and green tea are also great for the brain. Exercise is also good for the brain.†
The MIT researchers found that the APOE4 gene inhibits the ability of a brain cell to function normally, but they also found a solution. It’s called choline, which is a widely-available B-complex vitamin. It could reverse many of these effects, according to MIT. Choline really does have a tremendous effect on the brain. The MIT scientists found that choline really was reversing a lot of these effects.†
Choline is really important for the liver, your heart, muscles and nerve tissues, but you also need a lot of choline in your brain. Choline gets tagged with an acetyl group and it becomes acetyl-choline, which has amazing effects in the brain. It allows you to capture data and learning. You cannot learn without acetyl-choline. You also need it to get at what you learned. Acetyl-choline is also tied into creating new memory cells at night when you go to sleep.†
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The problem is that typical choline supplements do not get into the brain. There are certain forms that get into the brain very easily, like CDP-choline. Taking krill oil is a fantastic way to get choline into your brain because in krill oil, it’s phosphatidylcholine, which is very easily absorbed into the brain and incorporated into the brain cells. The researchers found that if you had enough acetyl-choline, which you’ll make out of the phosphatidylcholine, that helps offset many of the issues associated with the APOE4 gene.†
Learn more about what you can do to support your memory health and reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease by listening to the full podcast episode.
Thank you for tuning in to the Invite Health Podcast. You can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting www.invitehealth.com/podcast. Make sure you subscribe and leave us a review! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at Invite Health today. We’ll see you next time on another episode of the Invite Health Podcast.
