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Brain Nutrition

I am horrified at the thought of ending up in a Home for the Befuddled. So, as I approach the "Duh" phase of my life, I find myself keenly interested in keeping my thinking organ alive and well. I scour the literature - recent and past - for any lifestyle changes I can make to please my brain and any nutrition I can take to feed my brain. First, the lifestyle changes.

Any drug or alcohol addiction is very bad for the brain. So is chronic insomnia. On the other hand, oxygen is very good for the brain, so exercise regularly. Walking 30 minutes 4X a week is a good goal and breathe deeply while you walk. Eat right and try for that goal of 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. It might help you to know that a "serving" is 1/2 cup, which means that a big salad could easily handle over 1/2 of your daily requirements.

It would be good for you to exercise your intellect as well. All the research is pointing to the fact that those of us who learn new languages or make a stab at the daily New York Times Crossword puzzle or take continuing education classes at the local college or relearn to play the piano keep those all-important brain connections intact and even growing. And to relax your brain? A daily meditation practice would be excellent.

Now for the nutrition: I am going to give you preventive amounts. This will maintain your already marvelously agile thinking organ. If you are experiencing cognitive decline, are over 80 or have a compelling genetic history, please triple or even quadruple any of the amounts I am about to give you. Just a warning: Brain nutrition is expensive.

1) Acetyl-l-carnitine: By far my favorite and the one that works best for me. ALC is a brain energizer and revitalizer. It lights up all the little cells in the brain and increases neurotransmitters to enhance memory and focus. It repairs stress related damage to brain cells, relieves depression and enhances your immune system. Sometimes I can feel the effects of a 500 mg dose in as little as 20 minutes. Because it is an energizer, I don't take it any later than 3PM. If you can afford only one brain nutrient, this is the one I would recommend. Dose: 500 mg daily in the morning.

2) Phosphatidyl Serine: This is a phospholipid which is good for the overall health of the brain. While ALC is like a spark plug, PS is your lube job. Since the brain is 60 % fatty tissue, it will immediately gobble up any phospholipid we throw at it. PS will enhance memory and recall, help with age-related memory loss, slow dementia and will also help with seasonal affective disorder. It is also good for kids with ADHD. Dose: 600 mg daily anytime.

3) Phosphatidyl Choline: This is another phospholipid that the brain loves. It's a greatly enhanced and absorbable form of lecithin which is mostly made from soy, so if you are allergic to soy, eliminate this one. You cannot do too much PC, because it is totally non-toxic and your entire body loves it as it is the basic building block of every membrane in the body. Great for the liver, good for hormone balancing and excellent for aging cells. Dose: I would buy it in powder form so you can take great gobs of it, maybe adding it to your smoothies. Two tablespoons of the kind of PC I use (Designs for Health) would give you 7 grams of PC and 20 grams of soy lecithin.

4) Glycerophosphocholine: This is a fairly new brain neutraceutical which works more effectively than PC and is excellent in preventing and treating cognitive decline. Current research shows that GPC works as well as current Alzheimer's drugs and without the side-effects. Dose: Take one capsule (325 mg) of GPC daily.

5) Inositol: For relaxation, brain wellness and hormonal health. As it's not good to have your thinking organ constantly tensed and flexed for action, inositol will provide your brain with some nutritional downtime. This is also good for age-related insomnia, depression, anxiety, agoraphobia. Dose: Take 6 grams daily for brain health. Buy it in powder form as this makes it less expensive to take in large doses. It tastes sweet so is easy to take in water. For depression or insomnia or panic attacks quadruple the dose and take as the situation demands.

6) Alpha Lipoic Acid: Though not typically thought of as a brain nutrient, ALA should be part of anyone's anti-aging program. It is powerful antioxidant, recycler of other antioxidants (ie.makes them work better) remover of toxic metals, and essential for good blood sugar metabolism. Plus, it prevents wrinkling by protecting collagen in the skin. I have been taking 600 mgs daily for over a year now and have noticed wonderful youthful things happening to my skin. Dose: 300-600 mgs daily.

7) Docasahexaenoic Acid or DHA: This is an essential fatty acid preferential to brain lipids. Since the eye is considered to be part of the brain, it also helps the aging retina. It is good for preventing neurological disorders. Dose: 500 mg daily.

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A Recipe for Punch: Because the warm weather seems to be on us and because many of you are asking me for it, I want to remind you of a wonderful punch recipe that I keep in my fridge at all times. Since we are not drinking Diet Cokes anymore, this is a great substitute.

Get yourself a 2 qt. glass container. Fill it 3/4 full with good (not tap) water. Drop 3 Tazo Passion tea bags in the water, Add 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 cup of Knudson's Just Cran and Stevia Clear to taste. (The last three ingredients are to taste: More Cran? Less lemon? Lots of stevia? Up to you) Then fill to the top with more water. You can keep the teabags in the punch. They won't get grody. Sometimes I will add a couple of green tea bags, just for the good and healthy epigallicatechins.

I usually dilute the punch further with water when I serve it. And for special occasions, I might dilute it with some bubbly mineral water.

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