Do you ever forget where you put your keys, your jacket or whatever?  I don’t know about you, but it happens to me.  In addition to this, sometimes I forget a specific word that is important in the context of a sentence.  Is this the start of early dementia or Alzheimer’s?  Is there a specific nutrient strategy to circumvent the demise of our brain function? 

 Luckily for you, there are specific nutrients that  can repair the brain if the damage is not too advanced.  If you take the nutrients in the dosages I will describe below, you can possibly prevent brain damage or deterioration.

What seems to damage the brain the most are things that are under our control such as eating healthy foods, getting adequate sleep, refraining from smoking and reducing stress.  The brain is constantly being challenged and the brain has a limited supply of resources to repair the circuits and adapt.  When the brain gets to the point of damage and degradation, it is hard to rebuild it.  If you do want to affect growth factors that fix circuits in the brain, you want to do this early on before the brain is “totaled”.  Phosphatidyl Serine (PS), Glycophosphocholine (GPC), and Acetyl-L-Carnitine can stabilize early Alzheimer’s, but, don’t wait!  Once someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, there is only 20% of the nerve circuits left.

The brain helpers mentioned in this newsletter are phospholipids and are substances that build cell membranes.  They build the work surfaces for cells where enzymes and active proteins are held and 90% of the energy is produced. 

PS is highly enriched in the brain and it is found in every living thing which is an indication of its importance.  PS affects glucose utilization including the capacity of the brain to utilize glucose for energy, memory, learning, and mood.  PS works globally across the entire brain.  It requires a lot of energy for the body to make PS and, if the body is already compromised, it is a major problem.  That is why you want to add it in the diet.  80-90% of dietary PS comes from muscle foods which is why most vegetarians are probably deficient. 

Another great aspect of PS is that is offsets the effects of cortisol.  Cortisol is a hormone produced in our body when we get stressed.  Prolonged stress under the influence of cortisol can shrink an important area of the brain called the hippocampus.  The hippocampus takes experience and stores it into short term memory and then into long term memory.  This area of the brain is very important for us to protect.  Studies show that sustained stress affects the hippocampus and contributes to aging of the brain.  PS benefits the hippocampus as shown on PET scans and helps the brain consume more glucose once someone begins supplementing with PS.

In cases of Alzheimer’s, PET scans have shown that PS improved the metabolic capacity of the brain.  PS and GPC work better than any drug for Alzheimer’s according to Parris Kidd, Ph.D., leading researcher in brain function.  The dosage for PS for someone who is starting to have problems is 500 mg. daily for 3 months, then 300 mg. daily.  For someone with normal brain function, the dosage would be 300 mg. a day for the first month and then 100 mg. every other day.  PS is also a good antidepressant and the dosage for this is 300 mg. a day.

The other great nutrient to renew the cell membranes in the brain is phosphatidyl choline (PC).  This is also the single most important nutrient for the liver and for liver repair.  A good dietary source of PC is egg yolks.  If supplementing, the dosage should be 800 mgs. a day.

The third component of our brain program is GPC or glycophosphocholine which is found in mother’s milk and is protective of the brain.  GPC will help with mental performance and improve processing time, attention and reasoning.  The maintenance dose is 600 mg. a day.  In people with brain damage from stroke or after heart surgery, this nutrient can speed up the rate and extent of recovery.  70% of patients who have had bypass surgery have cognitive impairment and GPC can buffer all the cells of the brain against the waste products that build up in the cells due to decreased oxygen (hypoxia).  When there are vascular problems to the brain, GPC is better than anything out there. 

All of my patients with a history of dementia or Alzheimer’s in their family are on this program along with omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil, antioxidants from selenium, N-acetyl-cysteine, vitamin E and daily exercise to increase circulation to the brain. 

Avoidance of chemical exposure of products that contain lead such as hair products like Grecian formula, lipsticks that contain aluminum, deodorants that contain aluminum, and even some cleaning products and artist paints is important. 

• Avoid Nutrasweet and other artificial sweeteners. 
• Avoid pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals by eating organic fruits and vegetables. 
• Stabilize blood sugar by eating protein at every meal, 3 times per day.  Hypoglycemia, or lack of glucose, can damage brain cells. 
• Drink purified water, at least 8 glasses per day. 
•  I feel mercury is another huge aspect in damage to the brain but we will discuss this separately in the future.