I have had several people ask me to review the supplements on the market claiming to help preserve mental acuity and help avoid dementia.  The problem is so many of these supplements only have manufacturer claims which I always approach with caution.  Instead, I turned my attention to actual ingredients to see what the literature said and 7 areas to target if you are noticing some memory changes.

READ ON to learn some key things to do right now to protect your brain and 7 supplements to consider….

Let’s look at what you CAN do for brain health!

Know your risk factors and do something about it!

  1. Abnormal blood sugars – many studies indicate that higher glucose levels increase the risk of dementia so much that some people are calling Alzheimers “type 3 diabetes”. Get your glucose levels under good control and target a lower hemoglobin A1C closer to 5.0 for optimal levels.
  2. High cholesterol – we tend to think of high cholesterol only causing plaque in the heart and carotid arteries leading to risks of heart attacks and stroked but it can collect in the brain and contribute to dementia. Micro-infarcts (mini-strokes) can occur and add to this issue.  When you are looking at cholesterol, I find one of the most important markers is a test called apolipoprotein B (apo B).  When this marker is elevated, your bad cholesterol is basically being recruited to go make plaque!  Many other markers are important also.  Lipoprotein (a) is a genetic marker indicating you may be at higher risk of plaque formation even with “normal” levels of cholesterol.  Don’t forget to look at the triglycerides as they have been shown to be an independent risk factor of plaque formation in addition to the traditional markers of LDL.
  3. Inflammation – if you have high inflammatory markers this is affecting your entire body including your brain. Figure out the underlying cause and address it!
  4. Alcohol – a growing body of evidence is pointing to even small amounts of alcohol contributes to cognitive loss. The more you drink the worse it is.
  5. Sleep – lack of quality of sleep has been implicated in cognitive decline
  6. Other factors – mold toxicity, heavy metal toxicity, environmental toxins and undiagnosed tick borne illnesses can affect cognition and should be addressed as well as nutrient deficiencies.
  7. Genetics – APO E is considered a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s. If you have a 4 variant then you have a higher risk for Alzheimer’s and need to really tighten up on your lifestyle choices.  For example, anyone with an ApoE 4 variant should target their hemoglobin a1C blood sugar marker to be closer to 5.0 rather than settle for the “normal” range of less than 5.7.  Also, avoiding alcohol completely may be an important lifestyle change.

 

Supplements

You are going to be disappointed if you are expecting me to tell you which supplements to take for brain health based on literature.  This is because evaluating this huge topic is not only difficult based on all the other confounding factors like lifestyle, genetics, environment, personal history of brain injury as well as quality and consistency of supplements.  Most of these studies are self-reported questionnaire’s which typically are what a person wishes they were doing rather than being truthful.  While the studies don’t really point to a distinct supplement everyone should take there are some key supplements that may be useful.

  1. Omega-3s – Large studies really haven’t proved this is beneficial for brain health with the exception of people with the Apo E4 mutation which might help if started soon enough. However, omega 3’s have anti-inflammatory properties, lowers triglycerides as well as has a slight blood thinning property which are all beneficial.  If you aren’t eating foods with omega 3’s, then consider adding in some high quality fish oil. DHA is considered to be better for the brain but the EPA portion is more anti-inflammatory so choose one with both.
  2. B vitamins – As we age, the ability to absorb our B vitamins decreases. The lower the B levels are in our bodies, the more cognitive issues we can have at any age!  I use a B12 blood test to tip me off how low the levels are and aim for 500 or higher.  Anything below this needs supplementation not only with B12 but with the other B vitamins.
  3. Choline – phosphatidylcholine is part of the outer layer of nerve membranes and play an integral part of nerve protection. There have been some studies that indicated some memory benefit in elderly people who already have memory issues but no clear evidence if this can prevent memory loss.
  4. Plasmalogens – you may have not heard of these but they are type of glycerophospholipids that protect the cell membrane especially in the brain. Decreased levels have been linked to aging and neurodegenerative disorders.  There is no clear evidence that supplementing with these can prevent memory loss but there have been some small studies indicating improved cognition in people (especially women) who have cognitive impairment.  This is a hot area of research so we will be hearing more about these compounds.
  5. Gingko – large studies evaluating gingko and cognition have not shown to be helpful but before we toss this supplement completely off the list there may still be some benefit as gingko naturally thins the blood so people who may have cognitive issues due to plaque formation in the brain might notice some improvement due to increased blood flow. Of course, this has not been shown in studies and more evaluation needs to happen.
  6. Vitamin E – this fat soluble anti-oxidant seems to be on the fence with some studies indicating improvement in cognition and other studies expressing concern over actually causing oxidative damage. If you are a smoker then vitamin e supplementation should be avoided because studies are indicating that it might act as a pro-oxidant promoting lipid oxidation and plaque formation.
  7. Many other supplement ingredients have been thought to be beneficial for brain health but further studies need to be done to really determine if they are truly protective. Ingredients like acetyl-carnitine, L theanine, creatine, curcumin, magnesium (especially the threonate form) and grape seed extract may all have a role in cognition for a variety of reasons.
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The bottom line is …. Clean up your lifestyle first and foremost!  If you have a relative with dementia, have the apo E4 variation or are already having increasing memory issues then work on diet, exercise, no alcohol, no smoking, optimize blood sugar and lipids and add in a few of these supplements.   Actually, we should all be doing this anyway!

To your health,

 

Laura