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 ver- bal and spatial memory and fine motor skills and bolstering the blood-brain barrier to keep toxins out. Meanwhile, progesterone acts on the same brain receptors that Valium does, promoting calm and aiding sleep. In the days im- mediately prior to menstruation, when estrogen and progesterone levels are low, or once women begin to approach menopause and they stay low, the brain feels it.
In an ideal world, the ad- renal glands kick in to pick up where the ovaries leave off—produc- ing sex hormones. “But women that are stressed out or not nourishing themselves tend to experience adrenal fatigue, so their adrenals are not able to act as a secondary source of hormones,” says Steel- smith. For
ovulating women,
she recommends taking 100 to 175 milligrams (mg) daily of the herb Rhodiola rosea during the second half of the menstrual cycle to support fatigued adrenal glands and ward off hormone-related brain fog.
If the condition occurs only for a
few days before a menstrual period, and is accompanied by tender breasts, lack of sleep and heavy monthly bleed- ing, the problem may be low proges- terone. For that, try the herb chaste tree berry during the second half of the menstrual cycle, or consider a low dose, over-the-counter progesterone cream, says Northrup.
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For post-menopausal women, she recommends taking up to 50 mg per day of pregnenolone, an adrenal hormone that the body naturally con- verts into estrogen and progesterone. (While pregnenolone is available over the counter, Steelsmith suggests that women have a naturopath first test their hormone levels in order to determine an appropriate dose.) Or, older men and women expe- riencing age-related memory loss can try a soy-based nutritional supplement called phosphatidylserine (PS), which is believed to bolster cell-to-cell com- munication and levels of the memory- boosting neurotransmitter acetylcho- line.
Exercise mind and body. Aamodt notes that a common cause of cognitive decline is the accumulation of clogged blood vessels in the brain that choke off blood and oxygen. Thus, “Regular exer- cise is the single most useful thing you can do to maintain your cogni- tive abilities later in life,” she says. Recent studies by re-
searchers at the Univer- sity of Illinois and else- where have shown that as little as 45 minutes of aerobic exercise, three times per week, may not only stall age-related brain atrophy in the elderly, but
even help regenerate parts of the brain that have withered. “There is no medication on the planet that can do that,” says
Perlmutter. Brain exercise is helpful, as well. Exposure to new experiences prompts the brain to literally lay down new neuronal networks, becoming stronger. A 2009 Mayo Clinic study found that of 1,300 people ages 70 to 89, those that had regularly engaged in mentally challenging activities in their 50s and 60s (such as playing games, quilting, building model airplanes, or learning a new language or instrument) were 40 percent less likely to suffer memory problems. The key, advise the experts, is not
to stick with the same crossword puzzle for years. Instead, try something new. As Steelsmith puts it: “Use it or lose it.”
Lisa Marshall is a freelance health writer headquartered near Boulder, CO. Con- nect at
Lisa@LisaAnnMarshall.com.
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