profound effect on boosting memory,” Perlmutter notes. Eat a brain-building diet. Aside
from cutting calories, experts say it’s critical to load up on foods that boost neurogenesis (the development of new brain cells) and stall brain atrophy. Eat- ing more fish (or omega-3 supplements), adding fruits and vegetables and cutting back on refined carbohydrates do just that, advises Dr. Christiane Northrup, obstetrician, gynecologist and author of Women’s Bodies Women’s Wis- dom. “The brain is mostly made up of omega-3 fats, and many women, in particular, are lacking them in their diet,” she observes. Perlmutter notes that supplement-
ing one’s intake of omega-3 fatty acid DHA, present in fatty fish and marine algae, has been shown to switch on the genes that jumpstart BDNF production. DHA is also anti-inflammatory and pro- motes healthy blood flow to the brain. But people shouldn’t wait too long to load up on it. One 2010 trial of 485 healthy
adults with mild memory complaints found that those who took 900 mil- ligrams per day of algae-based DHA supplements for six months made significantly fewer errors on memory tests than they had at the study’s onset. Another study by the National Institute on Aging, however, found that DHA supplementation had little impact on patients once severe dementia had set in. So, sooner is better. Healthy fats aside, dark-colored
fruits such as blackberries, blueberries and plums are all rich with antioxi- dants, substances known to scavenge cell-damag- ing free radicals in the brain. Also, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and broccoli sprouts contain a powerful compound called sulforaphane, believed to boost the body’s own production of antioxidants. One famous
2005 study fol- lowed 13,388 women over several decades, and found that those that ate
www.naturalawakenings-houston.com
the most cruciferous vegetables and leafy greens stayed mentally sharp for far longer than those that ate the least. New research from Rush University, in Chicago, further suggests that a defi- ciency of B12
, found in fish, liver, milk
and eggs, may hasten brain shrinkage as previously functioning cells die off. Overloading on refined carbohy-
drates like white flour, pasta and pota- toes carries a similar result. “Elevated blood sugar can destroy the brain,” advises Perlmutter, pointing to a 2005 study in the journal Neurology, which linked accelerated brain shrinkage with elevated blood sugar. Prevent hormonal havoc. Ebbing
hormones can also have a measurable impact on our ability to recall words and follow through on tasks, says Hawaii naturopathic physician Laurie Steelsmith, author of Natural Choices for Women’s Health. One 2009 University of California
study of 2,362 women between the ages of 42 and 52 found that 60 percent suffered memory and mental-processing problems. “I hear about it almost every day from women in my practice,” com- ments Steelsmith. “They’re trying to find the word for, say, ‘garlic’ or ‘pen,’ and it just won’t come to them. It can be very frustrating.” Steelsmith notes that estrogen plays
a critical role in influencing verbal and spatial memory and fine motor skills and bolstering the blood-brain barrier to keep toxins out. Meanwhile, proges- terone acts on the same brain receptors that Valium does, promot- ing calm and aiding sleep. In the days immediately prior to
menstruation, when estrogen and progester- one levels are low, or once women begin to
approach menopause and they stay low, the brain feels it. In an ideal world, the adrenal glands kick
in to pick up where the ovaries leave off—pro-
ducing sex hormones. “But women that are stressed out or not nourishing themselves
Coming in March
Changing the Way America Eats
Natural Awakenings’ Food & Garden issue explores fresh ways to eat well on a budget.
For more information
about advertising and how you can participate, call
713-961-3400 natural awakenings February 2012 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48