392 Brain Supplements [24 Oct 2016]

I have written many times about brain function and memory. In August 2015 I listed 10 diet and lifestyle changes to help prevent loss of brain function [#333 Preventing Alzheimer’s]. To complement that list, this week I will list 5 supplements that support mental health. It’s based on an article in this month’s Vitality Magazine by Amanda Burke, CNP, called “Brain Food – My Five Favourite Supplements for Mental and Emotional Health”.

Amanda writes:

Thanks to great research in the area of nutritional medicine it is now known that good brain nourishment can not only prevent many of the health related issues associated with mental decline…and stack the odds in their favour for prevention of age-related, inherited, and environmentally-induced mental decline, but they can potentially reverse the brain’s biological age and access abilities like never before.

Her five favourite brain supplements are:
• High dose Probiotic – a healthy gut microbiome is essential for good mental health [see #320 Our Gut Microbiome & Our Brain] and a good therapeutic-dose probiotic helps restore a healthy population of beneficial gut bacteria
• Serrapeptase – reduces inflammation and helps heal leaky gut syndrome which can affect brain function [see #217 Serrapeptase]
• Curcumin – protects the brain by reducing inflammation and blocking plaque formation [see #384 Curcumin & Alzheimer’s]
• Magnesium L-Threonate – the magnesium that crosses the blood-brain barrier for optimal brain function [see #350 Magtein – Magnesium for the Brain]
• B-Complex – B vitamins are essential for brain function (memory and clear thinking) [see #157 Vitamin B12 & Your Brain and #390 The B Vitamins]; a high dose coenzyme formula is most effective along with herbs like ashwagandha, rhodiola [see #39 Rhodiola rosea], and ginseng to help manage stress

To Amanda’s list I would add Vitamin D [see #336 Alzheimer’s & Vitamin D], an Omega 3 with high DHA [see #194 Fish Oil & Your Brain], and perhaps phosphatidyl serine [#248 Phosphatidyl Serine]. In developed cases of Alzheimer’s coconut oil or the concentrated MCT oil provides an alternative energy source for the brain when it can no longer utilize glucose [see #153 Alzheimer’s and Coconut Oil].

For more information on this or other natural health topics, stop in and talk to Stan; for medical advice consult your licensed health practitioner.