I couldn’t resist posting this article from Dr. John Berardi’s site.
As you knowI’m a huge supporter of Dr. John Berardi’s Precision Nutrition program because I use it myself!
I also think that Dr. Berardi has a really incredible approach to nutrition and physical health.
Bryan Walsh is part of his team of advisers and when I read this articleI know I had to share it with my readers because it’s quite the eye opener.
I’ve always said that I will do ANYTHING to maintain my muscle mass and my muscle strength and let me tell you that when I’m bench pressing weights at the gymit’s more about being strong than fitting a Hollywood body-stereotype.
Knowing that I will age in a way that helps me maintain my independence and dignity is quite important to me.
I’ve seen my beloved grandmother go from an active person to a woman who became frail and weak as she aged. I (of course) thought at the time that when you got olderthis was a sentence you simply couldn’t escape.
WellI’m happy that fitness and nutrition have been passions of mine for over a decade now and since I read pretty much anything I can get my hands on … I’ve been able to age quite differently than many of my friends and people I know.
I know that knowledge has to do with the decisions I’ve made in my life and I’m hoping this article by Bryan Walsh will provide you with some knowledge that will help you make different choices. Remember … It’s NEVER too late!
Preventing Neurodegeneration by Bryan Walsh
Take a moment and think about an elderly person you know.
* How well do they taste or smell their food?
* How good is their memory?
* How well can they balance or walk?
* How healthy is their digestion?
If they haven’t aged gracefullychances are they can’t do any of those things very well. And you can thank their brain function for these symptoms of degeneration.
>>> Anti-Aging Gone Wrong
The degree to which the elderly can perform normal daily activities is directly related to the amount of brain degeneration they’re experiencing in their twilight years. In factthe anti-aging movement has it completely wrong. It’s not about hormones. It is about brain function.
When your brain stops functioningyour body stops functioning. And converselythe healthier your brainthe healthier your digestionyour response to stressyour hormones and your response to exercise.
In this articlewe’ll provide a broad overview of a very complex system in the bodythe brain. Pluswe’ll share some ways of nutritionally improving your brain function today.
>>> Your Brain – The Basics
Your brain is a vital organ that helps run every other system in our body. For example90% of the brain stem’s output goes into something called the pontomedulary reticular formationwhich stimulates the vagus nerve.
Uhwhat?
Wellthat’s just a fancy way of saying that 90% of your brain’s output directly impacts activities such as digestiongastrointestinal motilityenzyme production and salivationand other parasympathetic activities.
Of coursethere is a vast array of anatomical structures in your brain. And covering them all is well beyond the scope of this article. Just know that there are at least 30 distinct parts to the brain with a dizzying number of connections between them all. It’s this communication that’s critical for healthperformanceand body composition.
> The Brain’s Chemical Messaging System
One important communication method worth noting is chemical messaging. Through this methodcertain chemicalscalled neurotransmitterstravel around and relay messages between the neuronal receptors of different parts of the brain. Their signals impact moodbehaviormemorycoordinationand more. Some examples of powerful neurotransmitters include dopamineserotoninGABAnorepinepherineand acetylcholine.
> The Brain’s Immune System
In addition to an elaborate communication systemyour brain also has its own independently operating immune system! These cellscalled microglia cellsare found throughout the brain and serve the purpose of searching the brain for unwanted invaders and then destroying them.
Unfortunatelythe microglia cells can be hypervigilant at times. And this means they can end up destroying healthy brain tissue in the process. The other problem with microglia cells isonce they turn onthey don’t easily turn off. Unlike other immune cells in the body that receive a signal when it is time to end the attackmicroglia cells turn on and attack virtually everything in their pathincluding neurons. This makes sense from an evolutionary perspective becauseif something were to attack your brainyour quality of life would quickly disappear. Thereforemicroglia cells are there to protect one of your body’s most critical organs. And they do so with a vengeance.
> The Brain’s Hormonal System
In addition to having its own immune systemthe brain also manufactures its own hormones. Hormones have a critical impact on brain function. For examplemany people are familiar with the personality changes that occur during a woman’s monthly cycle. This is largely due to hormonal impacts on the brain. Hormones play a very important role to the brainwhich is why it’s not surprising to learn that the brain can independently produces its own hormonesincluding testosteroneestrogen and progesterone.
> The Brain’s Protective Barrier
Lastlythe brain is protected by a semi-permeable membrane called the blood brain barrier. This barrier is designed to protect the brain from unwanted substances and invaders. Againknowing that the function of the brain directly impacts the health and function of the rest of the bodylearning that it has a structure designed to protect it is not surprising.
Hundreds of thousands of pages have been dedicated to describing the intricate structuresmechanisms and functions of the brain. Soobviouslythis article doesn’t do it justice. What must be knownhoweveris that the brain is an incredibly sensitive organgoverning multiple functions in the body. It has the ability to synthesizesecrete and utilize a number of different substances including hormones and neurotransmittershas an independent immune systemand it has a barrier to protect it.
Those are the basics. Now let’s look at what can go wrong.
>>> Causes of Neurodegeneration
One point that must be understood is this. When a neuron diesit’s dead. Permanently. There’s nothing you can do to get it back. In factyou will have probably lost quite a few neurons by the time you’re done reading this article. It happens. It’s normal. But there are things you can do to speed up the process of neurodegenerationand there are things you can do to slow it down. It’s all up to you.
Againask yourselfdo you want to age gracefully? If sodon’t worry about anti-wrinkle cream or hormone balancingyou should worry about your brain.
The brain only needs three things for proper function: Oxygenglucosestimulation. Let’s look at how each of these can impact neurodegeneration.
> Lack of Oxygen and Glucose
If the brain does not receive adequate amountsor stable levels ofoxygen or glucosebrain function will diminish. One way to know if you have poor circulation in your brain is to see if you have poor circulation to the other extremities. If you have cold hands and feet you may have poor blood flowwhich means you probably have poor circulation to the brain. Also blood sugar issueseither chronically elevated or lowwill impact neurotransmitter synthesis and ATP productionwhich impacts neuronal firing.
> Lack of Antioxidants
Another issue is oxidation. As much as we need oxygen in the brainwe also need anti-oxidants to combat free radical damage that occurs to neurons. Unfortunately neuronal tissue is highly sensitive to oxidative damage and therefore must receive adequate amounts of antioxidants to reduce this damage. The caveat is that these antioxidants must be able to cross the blood brain barrier to effectively protect the brain. Inadequate levels of antioxidantsor excessive amounts of free radical damage greatly contributes to neuronal deathor neurodegeneration.
> Overactive Microglia Cells
As previously discussedactivation of the brain’s immune system is important for reasons of protection. But over-activation of microglia cells is a major promoter of neurodegeneration. Activated microglia cells serve an important functionbut can lead to neuronal death if left unchecked. There are a number of natural compounds that have been shown to reduce microglia cell activitywhich can be important in anyone with a history of head traumablood brain barrier permeabilityor immune activation elsewhere in their body due to the impact these have on microglia cell activation.
Lack of Stimulation
Another issue is lack of stimulation. Surefailing to engage in varied activities such as exercisestretchingmusicartmathlearning and reading can cause this lack of stimulation. But you also need neurotransmitter stimulation too. As discussedneurotransmitters are necessary for neuronal signaling and communicationwhich are required for healthy brain function. Therefore if any given neurotransmitter is deficient or out of relative balance with other neurotransmittersbrain function will decline.
> Lack of Brain Protection
As a somewhat separate issue to the brain itselfa damaged blood brain barrier can lead to neurodegeneration simply because it allows substances into the brain that otherwise should not be thereincluding compounds that can lead to microglia cell activation or that are damaging to brain tissue. Things like alcoholthe stress hormone cortisolhomocysteineoxidative stress and blood sugar dysregulation have all been shown to break down the blood brain barrier.
There are morebut these are some of the most common triggers for neurodegeneration. Nextwhat to do about them.
>>> How to Prevent Neurodegeneration
Optimal brain health and function is far more complex than can be described in this article. But here are a few key things you can do to protect your most vital organ.
1. Improve oxygen flow to the brain – Firstlyrule out any subclinical anemic tendencies you may have using blood work. Secondlythere are things you can take that can help increase blood flow to the brain. Compounds like ginkgo bilobacapsicumand feverfew have all been shown to increase oxygen to the brain.
2. Improve blood sugar management – Using blood workidentify any tendencies towards either hypoglycemia or insulin resistance. Either will decrease glucose flow to your brain and negatively impact its function.
3. Decrease oxidative stress – Oxidative damage to mitochondria in our brain promotes massive neurodegeneration. Therefore it is important to take nutrients shown by research to stop free radical damage in the brain. Such nutrients include N-acetyl-cysteinealpha lipoic acidmilk thistleN-acetyl carnitine and creatine monohydrate.
4. Decrease inflammation – There are strong connections between the gut and the brain. Thereforefollowing an anti-inflammatory diet and improving gut function can have profound impacts on brain function. Also compounds such as curcuminrutinresveratrolapigenin and luteolin have all been shown to have a positive impact on reducing neuroinflammation.
5. Improve fatty acid status – One of the most important fatty acids for the brain is Docosahexaenoic Acidor DHA. There is ample research showing DHA to be helpful in brain functionincluding with cell signaling and neurotransmitter function.
6. Balance neurotransmitters – There are no valid laboratory tests to evaluate neurotransmitters. Some labs do existbut the neurophysiology and scientific literature do not validate their use. Therefore the only clinically valid way is to use subjective questionnaireswhich can be found onlinebut are best evaluated by a medical professional.
7. Evaluate Blood Brain Barrier Function – Take 500mg – 1000mg of GABA on an empty stomach during a time when you’ll be able to evaluate symptoms. If you have any response from taking the GABAsuch as getting sleepylethargic or even anxious or giddythat may be a strong indication you have a breach in your blood brain barrier. While it is beyond the scope of this article to go into what to do about thisthe first step is to know whether or not your BBB is intact.
The health of your brain directly impacts your entire life including your ability to taste and digest foodyour ability to lift weightsyour ability to recover from exerciseand your long term success in life. The more you do to protect your brain todaythe better off you will be throughout the rest of your life.
So if you do most of your time thinking about your muscle mass and body fatit’s time to start thinking more about that organ between your ears. And if you’ve been thinking about your brainit’s probably time to do something about it.
A great first step is to contact a medical professional who can help you evaluate your brain function with questionnaires and physiological assessments. Thenarmed with dataan appropriate nutritionsupplementand lifestyle plan can be put into place.
If you need more evidence that the brain can and does degenerate massivelycheck out this short video. It’ll serve as a nice wake-up call.
>>> If you’ve not yet the incredible Precision Nutritionyou should take a few minutes to check it out and see how it can support your healthy weight and healthy aging goals: Precision Nutrition
Photo by Kinnéidigh Garrett
© All copyrights reserved to http://www.eatsmartagesmart.com in all countries.
>>>> If you’re viewing this healthy eating or healthy living tip as part of an aggregated content stream from different sitesor as a re-blogged postplease check out the content on the original Web site at www.EatSmartAgeSmart.com
I couldn’t resist posting this article from Dr. John Berardi’s site.
As you knowI’m a huge supporter of Dr. John Berardi’s Precision Nutrition program because I use it myself!
I also think that Dr. Berardi has a really incredible approach to nutrition and physical health.
Bryan Walsh is part of his team of advisers and when I read this articleI know I had to share it with my readers because it’s quite the eye opener.
I’ve always said that I will do ANYTHING to maintain my muscle mass and my muscle strength and let me tell you that when I’m bench pressing weights at the gymit’s more about being strong than fitting a Hollywood body-stereotype.
Knowing that I will age in a way that helps me maintain my independence and dignity is quite important to me.
I’ve seen my beloved grandmother go from an active person to a woman who became frail and weak as she aged. I (of course) thought at the time that when you got olderthis was a sentence you simply couldn’t escape.
WellI’m happy that fitness and nutrition have been passions of mine for over a decade now and since I read pretty much anything I can get my hands on … I’ve been able to age quite differently than many of my friends and people I know.
I know that knowledge has to do with the decisions I’ve made in my life and I’m hoping this article by Bryan Walsh will provide you with some knowledge that will help you make different choices. Remember … It’s NEVER too late!
Preventing Neurodegeneration by Bryan Walsh
Take a moment and think about an elderly person you know.
* How well do they taste or smell their food?
* How good is their memory?
* How well can they balance or walk?
* How healthy is their digestion?
If they haven’t aged gracefullychances are they can’t do any of those things very well. And you can thank their brain function for these symptoms of degeneration.
>>> Anti-Aging Gone Wrong
The degree to which the elderly can perform normal daily activities is directly related to the amount of brain degeneration they’re experiencing in their twilight years. In factthe anti-aging movement has it completely wrong. It’s not about hormones. It is about brain function.
When your brain stops functioningyour body stops functioning. And converselythe healthier your brainthe healthier your digestionyour response to stressyour hormones and your response to exercise.
In this articlewe’ll provide a broad overview of a very complex system in the bodythe brain. Pluswe’ll share some ways of nutritionally improving your brain function today.
>>> Your Brain – The Basics
Your brain is a vital organ that helps run every other system in our body. For example90% of the brain stem’s output goes into something called the pontomedulary reticular formationwhich stimulates the vagus nerve.
Uhwhat?
Wellthat’s just a fancy way of saying that 90% of your brain’s output directly impacts activities such as digestiongastrointestinal motilityenzyme production and salivationand other parasympathetic activities.
Of coursethere is a vast array of anatomical structures in your brain. And covering them all is well beyond the scope of this article. Just know that there are at least 30 distinct parts to the brain with a dizzying number of connections between them all. It’s this communication that’s critical for healthperformanceand body composition.
> The Brain’s Chemical Messaging System
One important communication method worth noting is chemical messaging. Through this methodcertain chemicalscalled neurotransmitterstravel around and relay messages between the neuronal receptors of different parts of the brain. Their signals impact moodbehaviormemorycoordinationand more. Some examples of powerful neurotransmitters include dopamineserotoninGABAnorepinepherineand acetylcholine.
> The Brain’s Immune System
In addition to an elaborate communication systemyour brain also has its own independently operating immune system! These cellscalled microglia cellsare found throughout the brain and serve the purpose of searching the brain for unwanted invaders and then destroying them.
Unfortunatelythe microglia cells can be hypervigilant at times. And this means they can end up destroying healthy brain tissue in the process. The other problem with microglia cells isonce they turn onthey don’t easily turn off. Unlike other immune cells in the body that receive a signal when it is time to end the attackmicroglia cells turn on and attack virtually everything in their pathincluding neurons. This makes sense from an evolutionary perspective becauseif something were to attack your brainyour quality of life would quickly disappear. Thereforemicroglia cells are there to protect one of your body’s most critical organs. And they do so with a vengeance.
> The Brain’s Hormonal System
In addition to having its own immune systemthe brain also manufactures its own hormones. Hormones have a critical impact on brain function. For examplemany people are familiar with the personality changes that occur during a woman’s monthly cycle. This is largely due to hormonal impacts on the brain. Hormones play a very important role to the brainwhich is why it’s not surprising to learn that the brain can independently produces its own hormonesincluding testosteroneestrogen and progesterone.
> The Brain’s Protective Barrier
Lastlythe brain is protected by a semi-permeable membrane called the blood brain barrier. This barrier is designed to protect the brain from unwanted substances and invaders. Againknowing that the function of the brain directly impacts the health and function of the rest of the bodylearning that it has a structure designed to protect it is not surprising.
Hundreds of thousands of pages have been dedicated to describing the intricate structuresmechanisms and functions of the brain. Soobviouslythis article doesn’t do it justice. What must be knownhoweveris that the brain is an incredibly sensitive organgoverning multiple functions in the body. It has the ability to synthesizesecrete and utilize a number of different substances including hormones and neurotransmittershas an independent immune systemand it has a barrier to protect it.
Those are the basics. Now let’s look at what can go wrong.
>>> Causes of Neurodegeneration
One point that must be understood is this. When a neuron diesit’s dead. Permanently. There’s nothing you can do to get it back. In factyou will have probably lost quite a few neurons by the time you’re done reading this article. It happens. It’s normal. But there are things you can do to speed up the process of neurodegenerationand there are things you can do to slow it down. It’s all up to you.
Againask yourselfdo you want to age gracefully? If sodon’t worry about anti-wrinkle cream or hormone balancingyou should worry about your brain.
The brain only needs three things for proper function: Oxygenglucosestimulation. Let’s look at how each of these can impact neurodegeneration.
> Lack of Oxygen and Glucose
If the brain does not receive adequate amountsor stable levels ofoxygen or glucosebrain function will diminish. One way to know if you have poor circulation in your brain is to see if you have poor circulation to the other extremities. If you have cold hands and feet you may have poor blood flowwhich means you probably have poor circulation to the brain. Also blood sugar issueseither chronically elevated or lowwill impact neurotransmitter synthesis and ATP productionwhich impacts neuronal firing.
> Lack of Antioxidants
Another issue is oxidation. As much as we need oxygen in the brainwe also need anti-oxidants to combat free radical damage that occurs to neurons. Unfortunately neuronal tissue is highly sensitive to oxidative damage and therefore must receive adequate amounts of antioxidants to reduce this damage. The caveat is that these antioxidants must be able to cross the blood brain barrier to effectively protect the brain. Inadequate levels of antioxidantsor excessive amounts of free radical damage greatly contributes to neuronal deathor neurodegeneration.
> Overactive Microglia Cells
As previously discussedactivation of the brain’s immune system is important for reasons of protection. But over-activation of microglia cells is a major promoter of neurodegeneration. Activated microglia cells serve an important functionbut can lead to neuronal death if left unchecked. There are a number of natural compounds that have been shown to reduce microglia cell activitywhich can be important in anyone with a history of head traumablood brain barrier permeabilityor immune activation elsewhere in their body due to the impact these have on microglia cell activation.
Lack of Stimulation
Another issue is lack of stimulation. Surefailing to engage in varied activities such as exercisestretchingmusicartmathlearning and reading can cause this lack of stimulation. But you also need neurotransmitter stimulation too. As discussedneurotransmitters are necessary for neuronal signaling and communicationwhich are required for healthy brain function. Therefore if any given neurotransmitter is deficient or out of relative balance with other neurotransmittersbrain function will decline.
> Lack of Brain Protection
As a somewhat separate issue to the brain itselfa damaged blood brain barrier can lead to neurodegeneration simply because it allows substances into the brain that otherwise should not be thereincluding compounds that can lead to microglia cell activation or that are damaging to brain tissue. Things like alcoholthe stress hormone cortisolhomocysteineoxidative stress and blood sugar dysregulation have all been shown to break down the blood brain barrier.
There are morebut these are some of the most common triggers for neurodegeneration. Nextwhat to do about them.
>>> How to Prevent Neurodegeneration
Optimal brain health and function is far more complex than can be described in this article. But here are a few key things you can do to protect your most vital organ.
1. Improve oxygen flow to the brain – Firstlyrule out any subclinical anemic tendencies you may have using blood work. Secondlythere are things you can take that can help increase blood flow to the brain. Compounds like ginkgo bilobacapsicumand feverfew have all been shown to increase oxygen to the brain.
2. Improve blood sugar management – Using blood workidentify any tendencies towards either hypoglycemia or insulin resistance. Either will decrease glucose flow to your brain and negatively impact its function.
3. Decrease oxidative stress – Oxidative damage to mitochondria in our brain promotes massive neurodegeneration. Therefore it is important to take nutrients shown by research to stop free radical damage in the brain. Such nutrients include N-acetyl-cysteinealpha lipoic acidmilk thistleN-acetyl carnitine and creatine monohydrate.
4. Decrease inflammation – There are strong connections between the gut and the brain. Thereforefollowing an anti-inflammatory diet and improving gut function can have profound impacts on brain function. Also compounds such as curcuminrutinresveratrolapigenin and luteolin have all been shown to have a positive impact on reducing neuroinflammation.
5. Improve fatty acid status – One of the most important fatty acids for the brain is Docosahexaenoic Acidor DHA. There is ample research showing DHA to be helpful in brain functionincluding with cell signaling and neurotransmitter function.
6. Balance neurotransmitters – There are no valid laboratory tests to evaluate neurotransmitters. Some labs do existbut the neurophysiology and scientific literature do not validate their use. Therefore the only clinically valid way is to use subjective questionnaireswhich can be found onlinebut are best evaluated by a medical professional.
7. Evaluate Blood Brain Barrier Function – Take 500mg – 1000mg of GABA on an empty stomach during a time when you’ll be able to evaluate symptoms. If you have any response from taking the GABAsuch as getting sleepylethargic or even anxious or giddythat may be a strong indication you have a breach in your blood brain barrier. While it is beyond the scope of this article to go into what to do about thisthe first step is to know whether or not your BBB is intact.
The health of your brain directly impacts your entire life including your ability to taste and digest foodyour ability to lift weightsyour ability to recover from exerciseand your long term success in life. The more you do to protect your brain todaythe better off you will be throughout the rest of your life.
So if you do most of your time thinking about your muscle mass and body fatit’s time to start thinking more about that organ between your ears. And if you’ve been thinking about your brainit’s probably time to do something about it.
A great first step is to contact a medical professional who can help you evaluate your brain function with questionnaires and physiological assessments. Thenarmed with dataan appropriate nutritionsupplementand lifestyle plan can be put into place.
If you need more evidence that the brain can and does degenerate massivelycheck out this short video. It’ll serve as a nice wake-up call.
>>> If you’ve not yet the incredible Precision Nutritionyou should take a few minutes to check it out and see how it can support your healthy weight and healthy aging goals: Precision Nutrition
Photo by Kinnéidigh Garrett
© All copyrights reserved to http://www.eatsmartagesmart.com in all countries.
>>>> If you’re viewing this healthy eating or healthy living tip as part of an aggregated content stream from different sitesor as a re-blogged postplease check out the content on the original Web site at www.EatSmartAgeSmart.com