Brain Health

Health Brain Foods

Brain health...

Even in this day and age, many people still think of their brain and body as separate entities. However, it's important to understand that the health of your brain and body are unified, with one affecting the other.

Our discussion will not encompass the entirety of brain health...we will cover some health brain foods so that you can begin to nourish one of your most important organs.

We will also take a look at the vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other natural nutrients that you might want to include as part of your dietary supplement regimen to support brain health.

As sad as it is, rates of Alzheimer's and similar cognitive disorders are skyrocketing in the Western world.

Unfortunately, however, there is no guaranteed fix.

This is why it's so important to take preventative measures for brain health.

Brain Health

The Health Food and Brain Connection

Ok, so what are the best foods to eat for brain health?

Health brain foods...

The brain needs lots of fatty material...these fats help facilitate signals and messanges in nerves are are constantly being sent from one part of the brain to another and from the brain to parts of the body.

However, the fats need to be a certain kind for brain health.

Eggs and red meat: these are high in choline.

Choline is a building block for acetylcholine, which is a crucial neurotransmitter that is responsible for healthy mental functioning.

The part of the egg that is highest in choline is the yolk -- exactly the part that most people have been taught to throw away due to its high cholesterol content.

It is true that you might not want to eat too much red meat and egg yolks....that is why we believe that supplementation with choline should be a strong consideration. This way you can avoid a great deal of the extra cholesterol.

There is an excellent article at Sciencenews.org (http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20011103/bob13.asp ) that discusses nutrients for brain. To sum up, the article details how...."A few scientists are, for example, investigating hints that extra choline in the adult diet boosts brainpower."

On to other health brain foods...

Health Food and Brain

For example, not all fish is fatty. Salmon, as the best example, is a fish very high in the right kinds of omega 3 fats. It is also high in a nutrient called DMAE.

DMAE can elevate one's mood, counter depression, and boost cognitive functions, and even increase intelligence. These benefits stem from this nutrient's role in manufacturing the crucial neurotransmitter acetylcholine.

Acetylcholine's main role is in acting as the messenger for memory, and has been shown to be severely depleted in those afflicted with Alzheimer's.

When choosing the right kind of nuts, again, the key is to finding the ones with a high omega 3 content, such as almonds. The same is true for seeds.

So, there you have it...health brain foods...try to include more eggs, red meat, fish, nuts, and seeds in your diet.

For vegans and vegetarians this will be more difficult and using dietary supplements should be even more of a paramount consideration for such people.

Let's now address some herbs and supplements that have shown promise for brain health.

Gingko Biloba: long believed to be one of the best brain nutrients / supplements. Gingko is a well known herb that has been double-blind tested many times for its ability to increase the oxygen content to the brain (and other bodily tissues). Because of this, Gingko is often taken to enhance memory, and increase mental clarity.

Recently, researchers from University of California, Los Angeles Neuropsychiatric Institute showed that "the herbal supplement ginkgo biloba has demonstrated in brain scans to improve verbal recall among people with age-related memory impairment."

"Additionally, the researchers say, differing results could have much to do with the quality of ginkgo biloba used and the duration of studies." [Emphasis ours]

We will discuss below the basic requirements for buying only the highest quality gingko (and other herbs, vitamins, and brain health nutrients).

Gotu Kola:

The leaves of the Gotu Kola are a favorite food among elephants. Perhaps this is why there is an age-old adage that says "having a memory like an elephant."

Goto kola is showing promise as one of the best supplements for the brain. It has been attributed a broad range of benefits that include enhancing mental acuity, staving off memory deterioration, and improving blood flow by strengthening blood vessels.

Indeed, in the book published by Reader's Digest called "The Healing Power of Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs" it states: "In one study, 30 developmentally disabled children were found to have significantly better concentration and attention after taking gotu kola for 12 weeks..."

The following are some precautions that you should be aware of before taking any of the aforementioned brain health nutrients.

Ginkgo is a blood thinning agent; people who are already on other blood thinners -- such as aspirin -- should consult a qualified health practitioner first.

Gotu kola can cause sensitivity to sunlight in some individuals. If you are the kind of person who burns easily in the sun, take extra precautions.

There are no known side effects with DMAE.

As always, pregnant women or women who are nursing should refrain from taking herbal remedies -- even these nutrients for brain health -- before talking to their doctor about it.

This list of precautions is not exhaustive. It only represents some of the more well known possible side effects of these nutrients for brain health.

Nutritional-Supplement-Info's Tips on Choosing Brain Nutrients -- Supplements

1. Always purchase your supplements for brain health from pharmaceutical GMP compliant facilities, which adhere to the most rigorous manufacturing standards.

This is an issue consumers need to take seriously because supplements in the U.S., are largely unregulated, and many products on the market do not have the amount of ingredients stated on the label, or, worse, harbor contaminants.

2. Acetylcholine cannot be produced by DMAE alone; the presence of some B vitamins -- like Vitamin B5, Biotin, and Folic Acid aids in the production of DMAE.

3. Always purchase herbal nutrients for brain health made from standardized herbal extracts. These are produced with the highest quality and potency. Most supplement manufacturers do not use standardized herbal extracts because they cost more.

As the researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles Neuropsychiatric stated, results can be dependent upon the quality of the ingredients used.

Why not buy the best? Your health depends on it.

A Comprehensive Brain Health Product

Their neurological formula contains standardized extracts of gingko biloba, gotu kola, choline, the nutrient DMAE, B vitamins, along with many other potent nutrients for brain.

We here at Beat-your-Health-Condition have personally been using Xtend-Life products for almost 2 years.

Their Neuro Natural Product is brand new, having just been released in June 2004, and we look forward to including it as part of our health regimen -- due to the broad spectrum of powerful brain health nutrients it contains.

After using Xtend-Life products for a few months, particularly their Total Balance, we have noticed in increase in energy, mental focus and acuity, and general feeling of well being.