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Question:
I am 67 years old and starting to feel that my brain is just not working like it used to. I have heard that ginkgo can help, do you agree or is there something else that I should use?
Answer:
Most
people desiring to improve their memory and overall mental function
are very familiar with Ginkgo biloba extract. Over 400 scientific
studies have been conducted looking to explain and demonstrate ginkgo’s
brain boosting effects. Suffice it to say ginkgo produces a myriad
of effects that increase the “functional capacity” of
the brain. Putting it more simply, ginkgo simple makes the brain
work better. But, in many respects ginkgo is like stepping on the
gas pedal of a car. If there is plenty of gas, great – the
car goes faster, but what if the gas tank is empty or the engine
is in need of a tune-up? In those situations stepping on the gas
pedal doesn’t do much good does it?
What I recommend is building a strong foundation first. The brain
is the most metabolically active of all body tissues. It requires
a constant, steady stream of oxygen, glucose, and essential nutrients.
It is also the richest concentration of highly polyunsaturated fats
in the body, hence it is also the most susceptible to free radical
and oxidative damage. Insuring and achieving optimal brain function
requires that you feed the brain the critical nutrients that it
needs to function best. In this goal there are three foundational
supplements.
A high potency multiple vitamin and mineral formula to provide
sufficient levels of vital nutrients. A deficiency of any of a number
of nutrients can lead to impaired mental function. I recommend the
MultiStart multiples from Natural Factors.
Powdered drink mixes containing green super foods like chlorella,
spirulina, wheat grass juice, and barley grass juice to provide
a high intake of powerful antioxidant support. Boosting antioxidant
status is associated with enhancing mental function in experimental
studies. I recommend the MultiStart multiples from Natural Factors.
A high quality fish oil product providing at least 600 mg of the
long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. These omega-3 fats are
critical to proper brain function. A relative lack of omega-3 fatty
acids has been linked to poor brain function in children, attention
deficit disorder, Alzheimer disease, depression, and virtually every
other brain disorder. I recommend RxOmega-3 Factors from Natural
Factors.
When additional support is necessary, Ginkgo biloba extract, 120
to 240 mg daily, is a great start. However, if you really want to
provide even greater support use it along with phosphatidylserine
or PS for short. PS is the major fatty substance (phospholipids)
in the brain. It plays a major role in determining the integrity
and fluidity of cell membranes. Without sufficient levels of PS,
brain cells do not transmit the nerve impulse properly.
Normally the brain can manufacture sufficient levels of phosphatidylserine,
but there is evidence that insufficient production in the elderly
is linked to depression, poor memory, and impaired mental function.
Lower levels of PS in the elderly may be related to deficiency of
key nutrients needed in the manufacture of PS, an increased rate
of free radical damage to PS, or simply be the result of reduced
manufacture because of aging.
Table 1. Functions of Phosphatidylserine
Phosphatidylserine is responsible for helping brain cells:
- Develop their electrical charge by moving electrolytes into
and out of cells.
- Communicate with other brain cells by assisting cell-to-cell
recognition and communication.
- Release the neurotransmitters that control brain function.
- Receive the chemical messages from neurotransmitter released
by other brain cells.
- Transform the chemical messages into enzymatic responses.
- Exchange nutrients for waste products.
Just like people with osteoarthritis need to supply their joints
with a key compound like glucosamine sulfate, people with impaired
mental function need to supplement their diet with PS. Good clinical
results have been obtained in numerous double-blind studies. In
these studies, PS supplementation has been shown to improve mental
function, mood, and behavior in elderly subjects including those
with early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s
disease. Unlike typical antidepressant drugs, phosphatidylserine
does not influence serotonin and other neurotransmitters suggesting
another mechanism of action such as a reduction in the secretion
of the stress hormone cortisol.
Commercially available PS is manufactured from soy lecithin and
contains the following:
- Phosphatidylserine 100 mg.
- Phosphatidylcholine 45 mg.
- Phosphatidylethanolamine 25 mg.
- Phosphatidylinositol 5 mg.
The typical recommendation is 100 mg of PS three times daily. There
are no known side effects or drug interactions with PS. However,
with ginkgo biloba extract because it may potentiate the effects
of the blood thinning drug Coumadin® (warfarin) as well as enhance
the antiplatelet effects of drugs like aspirin and Ticlid® (ticlopidine)
it should not be used with these drugs without medical supervision.
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