While I see signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s every day at my clinic, I’m also fortunate enough to see — and prescribe — the latest cutting-edge therapies that prevent and even reverse this devastating memory-stealing disease.
And one of the most exciting technologies I’ve brought to the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine is Intracranial Laser Light Therapy. Here’s how it works…
And when the mice recalled a memory, the neuron was marked with red dye.1
A week later they tested the mice. The healthy mice remembered the scent and froze, fearing the shock. The neuron with the memory was marked with both yellow and red dye.
But the Alzheimer’s mice only remembered half of the time. Instead of remembering the information in the yellow neuron, they were bringing up a different neuron — a different memory marked in red.
Then the researchers gave the mice a little help… They stimulated the correct yellow neuron with laser light. Lo and behold, the Alzheimer’s mice could now recall their “lost” memory!
In other words, zapping the correct neuron brought their memory back.
In a second, recently published study, researchers tested laser light therapy on a small group of patients with mild to moderately severe dementia or possible Alzheimer’s. Patients were assessed with both the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog). These are the two most widely used exams to evaluate cognitive impairment.
For 12 weeks, participants were treated with Intracranial Laser Light Therapy. They were then assessed again using the same cognitive exams. The results were dramatic. Patients who had increased function, better sleep, fewer angry outbursts, fewer episodes of anxiety, and wandering reported post-PBM.
Without any negative side effects.
The researchers reported “significant improvement in cognition in mild to moderately severe dementia cases.”
This is amazing
research. It means Alzheimer’s is not a disease that destroys memories. It’s more like a malfunction. It’s kind of a short circuit in your brain’s ability to retrieve memories. Your precious memories are not gone at all.If you’re interested in helping to restore missing memories using Intracranial Laser Light therapy, please call the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine at 561-784-7852. My friendly staff will be happy to arrange an appointment.
2 more ways to supercharge your brain right now
For decades, I’ve been helping my patients prevent and even reverse memory loss — without poking around in their brains. You can rediscover the clear thinking and memory agility of your youth.
- Use strawberries to keep your brain sharp: New research shows that a compound found in strawberries protects your brain and keeps it young and sharp as the years pass. It’s a powerful antioxidant called fisetin.
A recent study from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies shows that fisetin may prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia. And it could protect you against memory loss.2
Other research shows that fisetin is very good at creating new brain growth.3 It also increases the strength of the brain’s long-term memory pathways4.
Fisetin seems perfectly designed by nature for your brain. It’s one of the only compounds that can cross the “blood-brain barrier.” That’s the network of blood vessels that allows essential nutrients into the brain but blocks other harmful substances.
Once inside the brain, fisetin is powerful. It limits the buildup of proteins like beta-amyloid that create the plaques and brain tangles found in Alzheimer’s.5 And it decreases inflammation in brain cells called microglia that are linked to neurodegenerative diseases.6
Fisetin is found in very small amounts in various fruits and vegetables. It’s in apples, persimmons, grapes, mangoes, kiwi, peaches, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers. But far and away, the richest food source is strawberries.
Even with strawberries, you’d have to eat about four cups a day to get enough for the brain benefits.
That’s why I advise my patients to take a supplement. Look for one made from “wax tree,” an Asian species of sumac that is rich in fisetin. Take 100 mg per day.
- Stimulate your memory with lemon balm: One of the most effective brain herbs I’ve found is lemon balm (Melissa officinalis). You might mistake it for a backyard weed. But lemon balm stimulates memory and supports your brain’s white matter. That’s the network that carries signals between brain cells. If it’s not firing, your memories are stuck.
Studies show lemon balm improves memory,7 alertness, and mental processing.8 It works by increasing the activity of acetylcholine.
Alzheimer’s patients have low levels of this essential neurotransmitter. Without it, brain cells can’t communicate. And that leads to memory loss.
When researchers gave young adults 300 mg of lemon balm, it immediately improved their memory. It also dramatically increased their math skills.9
You can make a tea with lemon balm leaves or inhale the essential oil with a diffuser. But for best results, I recommend a supplement. Take 300 mg to 500 mg three times a day.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References:
1. Perusini JN, et al. “Optogenetic stimulation of dentate gyrus engrams restores memory in Alzheimer’s disease mice.” Hippocampus. 2017;27:1110–1122.
2. Currais A, et al. “Fisetin reduces the impact of aging on behavior and physiology in the rapidly aging SAMP8 mouse.” J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2018;73(3):299-307
3. Sagara Y, et al. “Induction of PC12 cell differentiation by flavonoids is dependent upon extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation.” J Neurochem. 2004;90(5):1144-1155
4. Maher P, et al. “Flavonoid fisetin promotes ERK-dependent longterm potentiation and enhances memory.” Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2006;103(44):16568-16573.
5. Kim S, et al. “Fisetin stimulates autophagic degradation of phosphorylated tau via the activation of TFEB and Nrf2 transcription factors.” Sci Rep. 2016;6:24933.
6. Zheng LT, et al. “Suppressive effects of flavonoid fisetin on lipopolysaccharideinduced microglial activation and neurotoxicity.” Int Immunopharmacol. 2008;8(3):484-494
7. Kennedy DO, et al. “Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of single doses of Melissa officinalis (M. Officinalis) with human CNS nicotinic and muscarinic receptor-binding properties.” Neuropsychopharmacology. 2003;28(10):1871-1881.
8. Kennedy DO, et al. “Attenuation of laboratory-induced stress in humans after acute administration of Melissa officinalis (M. Officinalis).” Psychosom Med. 2004;66(4):607-613.
9. Scholey A, et al. “Anti-stress effects of M. Officinalis-containing foods.” Nutrients. 2014;6(11):4805-4821.