Food for thought

Added 24.02.2009

New studies suggest that mental health is closely tied to our nutrition. Progressive brain disorders such as dementia, of which Alzheimer's disease is the most common form, may have a genetic factor, but scientists have found out that this genetic risk may never be turned on unless we lack certain nutrients.

What does this mean? Plain and simply that you can potentially avoid mental decline and disorders such as Alzheimer's by ensuring you get enough of the pertinent nutrients from early on.

Studies unveil which nutrients are key to mental performance

Studies from the Center for Cellular Neurobiology and Neurodegenerative Research at the University of Massachusetts have pinpointed several antioxidants that can improve and prevent the decline of mental performance. These include alpha-lipoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Their research determined that when mice were supplemented with these nutrients, cognitive decline was prevented unlike mice that were not supplemented.

Can you teach old dogs new tricks?

A study from the University of Toronto, Canada, has just proven that you can! Aged dogs were supplemented with nutrients including ginkgo biloba, vitamin E and vitamin B6 and compared to a placebo group of dogs to test mental performance. The study revealed that "performance accuracy on neuropsychological tests of short-term, visual spatial memory was significantly improved in the supplemented dogs compared with control dogs and the effect was long lasting."

Key mental health nutrients at a glance

Alpha-lipoic acid: is one of the most potent antioxidants because it is both water- and fat-soluble, which means it can carry out its functions in many different environments throughout the body. Alpha-lipoic acid has a host of benefits including helping the body get rid of free radicals, protecting cells against damage and reducing toxicity from heavy metals and other pollutants. Current scientific studies suggest supplementing with alpha-lipoic acid improves spatial and temporal memory.

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): is an essential omega-3 fatty acid of which fish oil is a rich source. DHA is the most abundant fatty acid in our brains (our brains are 60% fat) and retina. Low levels of DHA are linked to brain and nervous system disorders such as dementia, Alzheimer's, ADHD and depression. In essence, DHA is vital for the proper functioning of our brain and nervous system, especially for memory function.

Why supplements are a better source for obtaining nutrients than food

When we are young we can digest food and absorb nutrients easily thanks to good intestinal bacteria. However, as we age, our ability to digest food diminishes and our intestinal bacteria don't work as well. When this occurs, we are also unable to absorb sufficient quantities of important nutrients. This along with the fact that agricultural and manufacturing processes destroy much of the valuable nutrients in food is a major reason why more than 90% of the world poplulation is deficient in essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids etc. Natural, high quality supplements ensure that we are getting the right amounts of nutrients for us to stay healthy and avoid unnecessary disease.

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Dr. Bo Nielsen's comments:

We are all afraid of ending up in a nursing home because our brain no longer works as it used to. Most of us periodically experience "my memory is not what it used to be." What these new studies show however, is that we can actually do something quite simple to avoid premature mental decline. By taking daily nutritional supplements we can significantly reduce our risk of ending up in a nursing home. But remember that the right ingredients need to be in an effective dose and in a biochemical form the body can use to achieve these effects.