saw their verbal memory scores jump by more than 20 percent. Perlmutter notes that just being


overweight in the prime of life can promote excess inflammation and free radical production—two enemies of a healthy brain. A 2005 study of 10,000 men and women conducted by re- searchers at Kaiser Permanente found that people that were obese in their early 40s had a 74 percent increased risk of developing dementia later in life. “Just a 25 percent reduction in calories over one month’s time can have a 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. Eating more fish (or omega-3 supplements), adding fruits and veg- etables and cutting back on refined carbohydrates do just that, advises Dr. Christiane Northrup, obstetrician, gynecologist and author of Women’s Bodies Women’s Wisdom. “The brain is mostly made up of omega-3 fats, and many women, in particular, are lacking them in their diet,” she ob- serves. Perlmutter notes that supple-


menting 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 promotes 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 milligrams 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, how- ever, found that DHA supplementa- tion 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-damaging 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 antioxi- dants.


One famous 2005 study followed


13,388 women over several decades, and found that those that ate 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 potatoes 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


Already, one in five people old- er than 65 suffer from “mild cogni- tive impairment” (persistent memory problems severe enough to be no- ticeable by others).


also have a measurable impact on our ability to recall words and follow through on tasks, says Hawaii naturo- pathic physician Laurie Steelsmith, au- thor of Natural Choices for Women’s Health.


One 2009 University of Califor-


nia 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,” comments 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 frustrat- ing.”


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. Mean- while, progesterone acts on the same brain receptors that Valium does, pro- moting calm and aiding sleep. In the days immediately prior to menstrua- tion, 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 adrenal


glands kick in to pick up where the ovaries leave off—producing sex hor- mones. “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 Steelsmith.


natural awakenings February 2012 17


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