Conventional medicine has long insisted that cognition naturally decreases as you get older.
But brand-new research confirms what I’ve been telling my patients for decades…
Your brain can actually improve with age.1
The findings, published earlier this year in Nature Human Behaviour, proved that you can increase critical aspects of cognition – including decision-making… learning… self-control… math… language… reading…
And most importantly – your memory.
The researchers looked at key brain functions in 702 participants. The patients were between the ages of 50 and 98 when cognition traditionally declines the most.
Researchers looked into three different brain networks:
- Alerting – your brain’s ability to respond to outside threats
- Orienting – the ability to locate targets and focus on them, and
- Executive function – complex thinking that involves planning, reasoning, decision-making, and memory
They found that only alerting declined with age. Both orienting and executive functions improve as we age.
At the Sears Institute for Anti-Aging Medicine, I’ve been helping patients prevent and reverse so-called “brain aging” for years.
You see, despite the doom and gloom dogma being doled out by conventional medicine, most types of memory loss – even dementia and Alzheimer’s – can be prevented.
In many cases, it can even be reversed – if it’s caught early enough.
So why then, is there such a dramatic increase in the number of Alzheimer’s cases over the years?
Traditional doctors believe it’s because of faulty genes. But it’s not about the genes you were born with… it’s more about the modern environment we’ve created.
Between 2000 and 2018, U.S. Alzheimer’s deaths skyrocketed by 146%. Alzheimer’s cases are expected to more than double by 2050, affecting 14 million Americans.2
Bad genes can’t explain how this huge increase happened in only a few generations…
Evolution just doesn’t work that fast.
The answer is linked to our toxic
environment. Let me explain:-
- A study at Rutgers University found people with Alzheimer’s had four times the average levels of pesticides in their blood.3
- Toxic chemicals in our food and personal care products called nitrosamines break down our energy-producing mitochondria, leading to major neurological damage.4
- Autopsies of young adults and children who lived in polluted Mexico City revealed highly elevated amyloid plaque levels in their brains.5
- Mice exposed to air pollution developed up to 129% more amyloid plaque.6
I believe in your brain’s power to heal and protect itself when given the proper nutrients. I’ve seen it many times over the years in my own patients. Here’s what I suggest…
Take these 3 nutrients to protect your brain
-
- First, increase choline: Damage to the brain’s acetylcholine-producing system is linked to a number of brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s. And you need choline to make acetylcholine. But 90% of Americans are choline deficient. The best way to get this essential macronutrient is from pastured eggs, grass-fed red meat, and liver. But I recommend supplementing. In one study, 95 people took 1,000 mg of CDP-choline or a placebo for three months. The patients with poor memory made incredible gains in their recall.7 At 2,000 mg daily, patients improved verbal memory.
- Then add this brain protection. Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a key building block for the billions of cells in your brain. In a recent study, patients with cognitive decline who took this supplement twice a day showed improvement in mental function after eight weeks.7 The best foods for PS are organ meats. But it’s hard to get enough from your diet. I recommend taking 100 mg three times a day.
- Next, increase DMAE. Choline works synergistically with dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) to produce acetylcholine. Studies prove just 50 mg twice a day improves brain function and puzzle-solving.8 It can also improve your mood, increase your attention span and prevent confusion. The best sources of DMAE are wild-caught fish like salmon and sardines. You need at least 35 mg per day. You can also take a supplement. For the best results, I recommend 100 mg per day.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References:
1. Verssimo J, et al. “Evidence that aging yields improvements as well as declines across attention and executive functions.” Nat Hum Behav. 2021:1-14.
2. Alzheimer’s Association. (2020). Facts and Figures. Retrieved from Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia website.
3. Richardson JR. “Elevated serum pesticide levels and risk for Alzheimer’s disease. “ JAMA Neurol. 2014;71(3):284-290.
4. Kumar A. “Mitochondrial dysfunction and neurological disorders.” Curr Neuropharmacol. 2016;14(6):565–566.
5. The University of Montana. “Evidence mounts for Alzheimer’s, suicide risks among youth in polluted cities.” ScienceDaily. April 13, 2018.
6. Kim S, et al. “Rapid doubling of Alzheimer’s amyloid-β40 and 42 levels in brains of mice exposed to a nickel nanoparticle model of air pollution.” F1000Res. 2012;1:70.
7. Alvarez X, et al. “Citicoline improves memory performance in elderly subjects.” Meth Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 1997;19: 201-210.
8. Geller S1. “Comparison of a tranquilizer and a psychic energizer used in the treatment of children with behavioral disorders.” JAMA. 1960.