New Alzheimer Pill beats Anxiety, Dementia, and other Mild

cognitive impairment. Aging antioxidants Can Be Preventive.

igh omocysteine !in"ed to Poor Memory
By #eremy Appleton, ND
Healthnotes Newswire A high level of homocysteine in the blood
has been linked with poor memory among Americans over 60 years
old, according to data from the third National Health and Nutrition
Eamination !urvey "NHANE! ###$, published in this month%s
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition&
'
(ver '0,000 volunteers had their blood levels of homocysteine and
folate measured, and also took part in word)recall and paragraph)
recall tests of cognitive "thinking and memory$ function& *esearchers
found two significant trends+ first, the higher the levels of
homocysteine in the blood, the poorer the recall, second, the lower
the level of folate in the blood, the poorer the recall& -olate is the form
of folic acid that circulates in the blood, along with vitamins .'/ and
.6, folate keeps homocysteine at safe levels&
$hat is omocysteine%
Homocysteine is an amino acid "a building block of protein$& #t is a
toic chemical that is not meant to accumulate unchecked in the
body& *ather, homocysteine needs to be transformed into safer amino
acids, like methionine and cysteine& Elevated homocysteine levels in
the plasma portion of the blood are caused, at least in part, by
metabolic problems that can be inherited or can result from nutritional
deficiencies& #n healthy people, homocysteine levels should be low&
Elevated blood levels of homocysteine are now a widely accepted
risk factor for atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and stroke&
/

Homocysteine elevations have also been associated with an
increased risk of Al0heimer%s disease,
1

2
while higher blood levels of .
vitamins "like folate$ appear to be protective&
3
4he now famous 5Nun
!tudy,6 published last year in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, found that low blood levels of folic acid are related to a
relatively high risk of Al0heimer%s disease7related brain
degeneration&
6
Does omocysteine &mpair Memory%
4he common finding of high homocysteine levels in stroke and in
Al0heimer%s disease suggests that homocysteine may be the
common link between these two causes of age)related memory
impairment&
8

9
.yproducts of homocysteine metabolism could be
directly toic to the brain and nerve tissue,
:
and thus may be directly
responsible for the memory deficits observed in this study& However,
other eplanations for the association between high homocysteine
and poor memory must also be considered&
4he researchers ecluded people who had had a stroke, so any
association between high homocysteine and poor recall cannot be
eplained by stroke)related brain damage& However, it is still possible
that the sub;ects with high homocysteine were the ones with more
advanced cerebral atherosclerosis "hardening and blockage of the
arteries supplying the brain$ and that their memory impairment was
the result of reduced blood flow to the brain&
'olic Acid( )he Missing !in"%
Another possibility is that the low folate status observed in
participants with poor recall could have impaired the function of
folate)dependent neurotransmitters "chemical messengers in the
brain$&
'0

''
#n this case, high homocysteine may simply have been a
marker for low folate& However, the researchers found a link between
high homocysteine and poorer recall that was independent of folate
status, suggesting a more direct effect of homocysteine on mental
status&
Nonetheless, of all the . vitamins, folic acid supplementation has
been shown to lower homocysteine levels the most for the average
person&
'/
<iven the results of the new study, older Americans seeking
to preserve their cognitive function may wish to consult their doctor
about supplementing their diet with additional folic acid&
*e+erences
'& =orris =!, >ac?ues @-, *osenberg #H, !elhub >&
Hyperhomocysteinemia associated with poor recall in the third
National Health and Nutrition Eamination !urvey& Am J Clin Nutr
/00',81+:/8711&
/& Ahristen B<, A;ani CA, <lynn *>, Hennekens AH& .lood levels of
homocysteine and increased risks of cardiovascular disease& Arch
Intern Med /000,'60+2//712&
1& Nilsson D, <ustafson E, -aldt *, et al& Hyperhomocysteinaemiaa
common finding in a psychogeriatric population& Eur J Clin Invest
'::6,/6+9317:&
2& Eehmann =, <ottfries A<, *egland .& #dentification of cognitive
impairment in the elderly+ homocysteine is an early marker& Dement
Geriatr Cogn Disord ':::,'0+'/7/0&
3& *iggs D=, !piro A 1rd, 4ucker D, *ush F& *elations of vitamin .)
'/, vitamin .)6, folate, and homocysteine to cognitive performance in
the Normative Aging !tudy& Am J Clin Nutr '::6,61+1067'2&
6& !nowdon FA, 4ully AE, !mith AF, et al& !erum folate and the
severity of atrophy of the neocorte in Al0heimer disease+ findings
from the Nun study& Am J Clin Nutr /000,8'+::179&
8& =iller >B& Homocysteine and Al0heimer%s disease& Nutr Rev
':::,38+'/67:&
9& *efsum H, Celand @=, Nygard (, Gollset !E& Homocysteine and
cardiovascular disease& Annu Rev Med '::9,2:+1'76/&
:& Alarke *, !mith AF, >obst DA, et al& -olate, vitamin .'/, and
serum total homocysteine levels in confirmed Al0heimer disease&
Arch Neurol '::9,33+'22:733&
'0& *osenberg #H, =iller >B& Nutritional factors in physical and
cognitive functions of elderly people& Am J Clin Nutr '::/,33"6
!uppl$+'/18!721!&
''& .ottiglieri 4, Hyland D, *eynolds EH& 4he clinical potential of
ademetionine "!)adenosylmethionine$ in neurological disorders&
Drugs '::2,29+'1873/&
'/& !tein >H, =c.ride @E& Hyperhomocysteinemia and
atherosclerotic vascular disease+ pathophysiology, screening, and
treatment& Arch Intern Med '::9,'39+'10'76&
#eremy Appleton, ND, is a licensed naturopathic physician, writer,
and educator in the field of evidence)based complementary and
alternative medicine& Fr& Appleton is Ahair of Nutrition at the National
Aollege of Naturopathic =edicine and !enior !cience Editor at
Healthnotes&
Dementia Prevention , -tatement 'rom &nternational .xperts(
A group of ''' international scientific and medical dementia eperts
from 16 countries issued a statement today to the <9 dementia
summit saying that effectively tackling known risk factors for dementia
could perhaps prevent up to one)fifth of new cases by /0/3& 4he
eperts call upon governments urgently to support more research into
prevention and to adopt public health policies that arise from the
outcomes of this research& 4hey say that prevention is a powerful
additional approach to the development of drugs for treating
dementia& Frug development has so far cost around H20 billion
without any benefit in slowing disease progression&
$hat Did )oday/s 01 -tatement -ay%
4he statement is as follows+
/$e call 2pon the governments o+ the 01
co2ntries to ma"e prevention o+ dementia one o+
their ma3or health aims. 4he commonest dementia
"Al0heimer%s disease$ is irreversible, and develops slowly over many
years& !o far drugs have only relieved symptoms, but have not been
effective against disease progression&
About half of the large decline in deaths from heart disease and
stroke over the past 30 years has been the result of public health
measures to modify risk factors& Be are confident that the same
approach will work for dementia&
Be propose that a concerted effort be made to discover modifiable
risk factors for dementia and to exploit those already identified&
#nternational collaboration is needed on large)scale clinical trials to
test whether modifying risk factors will lead to prevention of dementia&
Health authorities should aim to identify high risk individuals at an
early stage, when intervention is more likely to help&
There is already sufficient evidence to justify immediate action&
4rials in those at risk of developing dementia should be done of the
following+ eercise, controlling blood sugar, including diabetes
treatment, depression treatment, high blood pressure treatment, B
vitamins, omega)1 fatty acids, cognitive training and social activities&
@ublic health policies should encourage middle)aged people to stop
smoking, eercise, eat diets rich in fruit and vegetables and fish
"=editerranean foods$, avoid becoming obese and diabetic, avoid
ecessive alcohol intake, treat high blood pressure& #n other words 7
tell people that adopting a healthy life)style may help to ward off
dementia as it does for other diseases&
#t is notable that the prevalence of dementia and cognitive impairment
in some Bestern countries is now less than anticipated, possibly as a
result of changes in life)style and the reduction in cardiovascular risk
factors, although this may not necessarily mean that worldwide trends
in the burden of dementia will be substantially reduced&
We estimate that about half of Alzheimer disease cases world-
wide might be attributable to known risk factors& 4aking
immediate action on the known risk factors could perhaps prevent up
to one)fifth of predicted new cases by /0/3&
4he world)wide costs of dementia in /0'0 have been estimated to be
H602 billion, most of it in <9 countries& @revention of dementia would
thus not only prevent a lot of human suffering but would save huge
sums of money& Be call upon the Health =inisters of the <9
countries to greatly increase government funding for research on the
prevention of dementia&
Betrinac4 is a new antioxidant and vitamin s2pplement which
incl2des vitamin B
5
, vitamin B
67
, +olic acid and NAC. Betrinac8s
ingredients help lower blood levels o+ the amino acid
homocysteine.
-ho2ld yo2 be ta"ing vitamin B to protect against
Alzheimer/s%
For as long as he can remember, John Hough has suffered from a poor memory. I hated
learning poems at school after a few lines it had all gone, says the 8!year!old retired
electrical engineer from "anbury.
His memory only worsened with age. Hes always been forgetful, says #athleen, his
8$!year!old wife, who %ust happens to ha&e a photographic memory. "ut, increasingly,
she was finding herself ha&ing to remind him about things.
'e ha&e had our differences o&er memory, she adds diplomatically. "ut both are firmly
agreed on one thing( the letter fi&e years ago in&iting John to ta)e part in a trial to test
whether high doses of se&eral " &itamins could protect his ageing memory was a
godsend.
For although #athleen, a retired uni&ersity lecturer in physiology, still has to remind her
husband to ta)e his &itamins, she is happy to do so because I really noticed the
difference when he stopped ta)ing them.
*his has been reinforced by research published yesterday in the top %ournal +roceedings
of the ,ational -cademy of .ciences, which showed that people in the trial who got the
" &itamins were almost entirely protected from the brain shrin)age suffered by those who
only got a placebo pill.
- rapidly shrin)ing brain is one of the signs of a raised ris) for -l/heimers. *hose
ta)ing the " &itamins had 0$ per cent less shrin)age in their brains.
-nd the research showed the areas of the brain that were protected from damage are
almost e1actly the same -l/heimers typically destroys. *his -l/heimers footprint
includes areas that control how we learn, remember and organise our thoughts, precisely
those that gradually atrophy as the ghastly disease progresses.
I&e ne&er seen results from brain scans showing this le&el of protection, says +aul
*hompson, professor of neurology and head of the Imaging 2enetics 3enter at 435-
.chool of 6edicine, 3alifornia.
Hes a leading e1pert in brain imaging, and his centre has the largest database of brain
scans in the world. 'e study the brain effects of all sorts of lifestyle changes alcohol
reduction, e1ercising more, learning to handle stress, weight loss and a good result
would be a 78 per cent reduction in shrin)age, he says.
In other words, the 0$ per cent reduction seems really impressi&e. .o, could the simple
answer to memory problems be to ta)e " &itamins9
Vitamin B6, B9, B12 Pill startling results
*he new research part funded by the 2o&ernments 6edical :esearch 3ouncil was
based on data from the trial in which John too) part. *his was run for two years by
;+*I6- <;1ford +ro%ect to In&estigate 6emory and -geing= at ;1ford 4ni&ersity, and
in&ol&ed 7>? people with early signs of a fading memory, )nown as mild cogniti&e
impairment. *his can be a precursor to -l/heimers.
*he study was designed to disco&er whether gi&ing high doses of three " &itamins "@,
"?7 and folic acid <"0= could slow the rate at which the participants memory
worsened.
-s well as gi&ing the participants standard memory and cogniti&e tests, the researchers
scanned some of the &olunteers brains at the beginning and end of the study to see what
effect, if any, there was on the rate these were shrin)ing.
'e all lose brain cells as we get older, normally about half a per cent a year. If you ha&e
mild cogniti&e impairment, that rises to ? per cent, and when -l/heimers sets in, the
atrophy speeds up to 7A per cent.
)his is the +orm2la( Pro+essor -mith says he 9wo2ld not hesitate8
to ta"e the coc"tail o+ 7:mg o+ vitamin B5, :.1mg o+ vitamin B;,
or +olate, and :.<mg o+ vitamin B67, himsel+, i+ he were
diagnosed with MC& =mild cognitive impairment>
ow it slows brain shrin"age
Bhy do eperts think . vitamins might be the answerI 4he link is that
they effectively help keep in check our levels of an amino acid called
homocysteine& Normally we don%t have much of this because it is
?uickly turned into two important brain chemicals, including
acetylcholine, which is essential for laying down memories&
4here have been lots of studies showing that Al0heimer%s patients
have unusually high levels of homocysteine in their bloodstream&
4hey also have low levels of acetylcholine "in fact, the most common
Al0heimer%s drug works by boosting acetylcholine$&
!ome people with mild cognitive impairment will go on to develop
Al0heimerJs, a neuroscience epert claims
!o it seems that the usual conversion of homocysteine into
acetylcholine is going wrong& And that%s where the . vitamins are
thought to come in&
(lder people are particularly likely to be deficient in these nutrients&
4hat%s because, as we age, our bodies become less good at getting it
from food, and certain widely)used drugs, such as proton pump
inhibitors for acid reflu, make the etraction process even more
difficult&
!o the thinking is, boost . vitamins and you boost the conversion of
homocysteine into acetylcholine& Another theory is that high levels of
homocysteine may actually trigger brain shrinkage&
A further reason . vitamins could help is given by @rofessor 4eodoro
.ottiglieri .aylor, at the #nstitute of =etabolic Fisease in Fallas,
4eas& K4he link between brain deterioration memory loss,
cognitive deficits and . vitamin deficiency is standard neurology
tetbook stuff,% he says&
KLou get it with various disorders that prevent . vitamins functioning
properly, such as severe alcoholism and pernicious anaemia&%
However, the (ford trial was the first time the vitamin . theory had
been tested in a proper trial& Bhen the initial results were published in
the leading ;ournal @Eo! (NE in /0'0, two findings attracted a lot of
attention&
-irst, the vitamins appeared to halve shrinkage across the whole
brain compared with the brains of the people taking the placebo pill&
.ut second, and very significantly, the vitamins only benefited people
who had a high homocysteine level over '1 "a healthy level is said
to be between about seven and ten$&
K#t was a useful finding,% says Favid !mith, professor emeritus of
pharmacology at (ford, and lead researcher on the trial& K#t showed
you%ll only benefit from the vitamins if your homocysteine level is high,
but it also told us that when it rises above a healthy level it can
damage brain cells&%
.ut the trial didn%t answer an important ?uestion+ Foes brain
shrinkage make you lose your memoryI #t sounds very plausible that
it should, and tests showed that the memory of people getting the
vitamins stopped getting worse& However, the researchers couldn%t
say for certain this was because their brains weren%t shrinking as
?uickly&
4hat%s where the latest study comes in& #t involved a much more
sophisticated analysis of the brain scans from the first study, by a
new team from the -unctional =agnetic *esonance #maging Aentre
at (ford&
4his analysis showed that the protection against shrinkage was even
more effective than reported previously not ;ust halving it, but
reducing it by :0 per cent&
4he old study had looked at the whole brain, this one only looked at
the effect in the Al0heimer%s footprint and found that in there, ;ust
where help was needed, the vitamins had an even greater impact&
4he new study also made the connection between less shrinkage and
greater cognitive improvement&
A new statistical analysis established that slowing the rate of brain
atrophy was directly responsible for slowing the rate at which the
memory deteriorates&
$ho8s li"ely to bene+it%
4he studies make a clear connection between too much
homocysteine and poorer memory& 4he net step might be for
homocysteine to be a new biomarker for Al0heimer%s risk, tested for
and lowered if necessary&
K4he study needs to be repeated because there%s a lot to learn about
why homocysteine is damaging and whether lowering it can stop
people with memory problems progressing to Al0heimer%s,% says
@rofessor 4hompson& K.ut if the results survive retesting,
homocysteine level could be a useful biomarker for Al0heimer%s risk&%
!o could . vitamins stop you developing Al0heimer%sI KBe can%t tell
from this research because it didn%t go on long enough,% says
@rofessor !mith& K#t would cost about M6 million to do the study to
prove it, but we haven%t been able to get the funding& !urely it would
be well worth it&%
Fr <wenaelle Fouaud, an imaging and neuroscience epert and
leader of the new study, says+ K!lowing the progression is the Holy
<rail of Al0heimer%s research&
KBe know some people with mild cognitive impairment will go on to
develop Al0heimer%s and the best marker of raised risk at the moment
is the amount of shrinkage in an area called the medial temporal lobe&
4his is right in the middle of the Al0heimer%s footprint the area .
vitamins protect&%
4here are a number of theories about how high homocysteine harms
the brain& K4here is some evidence that it stimulates the growth of the
5tangles6 of protein in the brain that are one sign of Al0heimer%s,% says
Fr Fouaud&
KAnother possibility is it could be stopping the growth of new brain
cells in the hippocampus, a crucial region for making memories&%
4he impressive results from this latest study raise ?uestions that
need more research& 4hey do suggest that it might be worth having
your homocysteine level tested to see if it is too high& .ut it is not an
easy test to get done&
$hat abo2t side,e++ects%
K=ost <@s are not very familiar with homocysteine risks, and it%s not a
standard test, although you can get it done privately,% says Fr
!iobhain Nuinn, a psychiatrist specialising in older mental patients at
!t @eter%s Hospital, in Ahertsey, !urrey&
KHowever, testing for .'/ is ?uite common in the elderly and it is
standard practice to give tablets or in;ections if it is too low& !o that
could be a way of getting treatment, but probably not in the high
doses used in the (ford trial&%
@rofessor Favid !mith believes it would be wrong not to offer high)
dose vitamins to someone with memory problems and raised
homocysteine& His published papers state that he is named as an
inventor on two patents held by the Cniversity of (ford on the use of
folic acid to treat Al0heimer%s disease&
?M?C@-).&N. ANB.&!.D
"written by 4essa >upp ) from the book O4he H -actorO$
OHomocysteine reflects the health of your genes&O say @atrick Holford
and Fr >ames .raly =F in their /001 publication O4he H -actorO&
OLour H score is more important than your weight, your blood
pressure or your cholesterol level& #t is your most vital, preventable
and reversible health statistic&O and OLour Homocysteine level is a
more accurate predictor than cholesterol of our risk of heart attack or
stroke&O
!o why arenJt doctors looking at itI 4hey can& And L(C can ask your
<@ to do the blood test ) a fasting plasma homocysteine& 4he Eabs
will give Onormal levelsO as 6&3 ) ''&:mmolPE or even higher but
Halford recommends a level below 6&
Alinipath results here in BA come back with a notation for the doctor
that says ) OElevated Homocysteine levels are associated with
increased independent risk of cardiovascular disease& A 3 mmolPE
rise in HoAy correlates to a 0&3mmolPE increase in Aholesterol&
Elevations are also found in anaemia, genetic homocystinuria, renal
disease, deficiencies of . group vitamins .'/, -olate, @yridoine "ie
.6$ and some drug therapies&O
*oyal @erth Hospital began a study about 2)3 years ago on the
effectiveness of using .'/, .6 and folic acid to lower homocysteine
levels& 4his was replicating previous similar studies already
undertaken in other parts of the world& #Jm not sure what stage this
present study at *oyal @erth Hospital has reached but we donJt need
to wait&
4he new book by Holford, brings in some more essential nutrients
that are needed for these same chemical pathways to occur& Be, the
public, have not been told of these additional essential co)factors )
namely ./, 0inc, magnesium and choline "or 4=<$&
H(=(AL!4E#NE is a naturally occurring by)product of methionine
metabolism in the body& =ethionine is an amino acid, ie part of food
proteins and is found primarily in meats, eggs, dairy products, fish,
chicken, seeds, nuts and some vegetables& Homocysteine pathways
normally pave the way to body production of other essentials
including glutathione a powerful detoifier in the body on the one
hand and brain chemicals serotonin "the happy hormone$, melatonin
"sleep and mood improving hormone$, dopamine "euphoria hormone$
and adrenaline "the fight and flight hormone$&
According to Holford, the reason Homocysteine accumulates in the
body causing cell damage and the onset of ma;or disease, is because
the biochemical transformation process is not working properly,
usually due to lack of these needed vitamins and minerals for the
given Homocysteine pathways&
#n this diagram, protein foods like meats in the diet breakdown to
methionine then to homocysteine& Normally it then goes on to fulfil
various important pathways to provide essential hormones etc&
"!A=e is a metabolic precursor to the essential brain hormones&$ #f
we are short on the needed vitamins and minerals for these
pathsways we end up with dangerous ecess homocysteine levels
and ill health&
!o as you can see we do need homocysteine to get the end)result
good things like serotonin, adrenaline, melatonin and dopamine and
to detoify in the liver but unless the other vitamin and mineral co)
factors are present we end up building dangerous and damaging
levels of homocysteine in the body& .ut we can fi this ) take the
appropriate supplements, have your <@ test your H levels and get
them down to 6&
-o how wo2ld yo2 rate the state o+ yo2r health%
-AP.* .A!)@ B.*)&CA!!@ &!! ?*&C?N)A!!@ &!!
boundless energy constant tiredness chronic fatigue
enlivened by life feel drained feel ehausted
sharp mind poor concentration constant pain
positive outlook mood swings depression
full of life eercise ehausts pessimistic
physically fit unfit unable to eercise
rarely ill fre?uently ill incapacitated by ill
lead full life easily overwhelmed life is hard work
well toned body flabby like a vegetable
content, happy dissatisfed in despair
Bhat is your !coreII
?M?C@-).&N. C.CD !&-)
4ired a lot of the timeI
Deeping up getting harderI
Beight unstableI
(dd pains ) arthritis, aches, cramps, migraines
-re?uent colds, fluJsI
Eyesight deterioratingI
Not so much on the ball these daysI
@roblems with sleep, getting to or staying
=emory on the declineI
A touch depressed "or more than a bit$I
/ or more glasses alchol per dayI
=ore than 1 cups coffee per dayI
!moker ) cigarettesI
!trict vegetarian dietI
omocysteine levels are E: times more predictive o+ heart attac"
than Cholesterol levelsFF
D&-.A-.- A--?C&A).D
$&) &0 ?M?C@-).&N.
Aging Heart conditions
Alcoholism Didney failure
Al0heimers =ental retardation
Anaemias =igraines
Angina =iscarriages
Arthritis (steoporosis
Artheriosclerosis @arkinsonJs
Auto)immune @olycystic ovary disease
.irth defects @regnancy complications
Aancers @soriasis
Aholesterol ) high *heumatoid arthritis
Ahronic -atigue !chi0ophrenia
Aoeliac disease !trokes
AhrohnJs 4hyroid disorders
Fepression Clcerative colitis
Fiabetes and many more&&&&&&
Epilepsy
-ibromyalgia
MA&N -APP!.M.N)- N..D.D
"check for indicators first$
B67 , by in3ection or tablets 6,:::mcg
B5 6::mg , <::mg
'olic Acid , <::mcg , 7,:::mcg
B7 6::mg , E::mg
Cinc , 77:mg , 11:mg
Magnesi2m chelate twice daily to bowel tolerance =below diarrhoea>
B.N.'&)- o+ !?$.*.D ?M?C@-).&N.
'& improved mood, memory and mental clarity
/& improved liver function
1& better condition of hair, skin and nails
2& increased energy
3& better sleep
6& reduction in arthritic pain
8& slowed aging ) better deto
&ndicators +or omocysteine s2pplements
B67 ) Eack of moons on thumb)
nails ) good levels of .'/ if moons
are white and a third of the way up
the nail, procrastinate,
disorganised, untidy, vague, vacant,
memory loss, confusion,
depression, tingling hands Q feet,
numbness, neuralgia, macrocytic
anaemia fatigue, shortness of
breath, grey hair early, split ends,
need to wash hair often, bursitis,
spurs, heavy periods or none&
B7 ) *ed gritty itchy bloodshot
eyes, dry thin cracked or red
swollen shiny lips, red sore smooth
tongue, sore tongue tip, enlarged
taste buds, cracks corner of mouth,
red oily flaky skin side of nose,
rosacea, migraines, sickle cell
anaemia, digestive ulcers&
B5 ) Hand test, sharp electric shock
type pain, pins Q needles,
numbness, ;oint pain, swelling,
nausea, vomiting, morning
sickness, loss of appetite, poor
dream recall,
depression, epressionless face,
shuffling gait, carpel tunnel, @=4,
menopause&
Cinc ) !melly feet, short term
memory loss, learning problems,
AFF, hyperactive, irritable,
irrational, bite fingernails, white
spots on fingernails, loss of sense
of taste Q
smell, poor appetite for meat, poor
sleep, racing mind, creaky ;oints,
leg ulcers, @=4, menopause&
'olic Acid ) No moons on thumbs
"pink moons are good folate but
poor .'/$ large cell anaemia, nerve
Magnesi2m ) Aramps, tight
muscles, aches Q pains,
headaches, migraines, anal
pain, fatigue, difficulty walking,
abnormal pap smears&
cramps, twitches Q spasms,
hiccups, grinding teeth, body
rocking, restless legs, canJt
keep still, aniety, panic attacks,
noise, skinQ feet sensitivity, cold
hands Q feet, @=4, menopause&
D*A0- that raise ?M?C@-).&N. levels
R Aholesterol reducing drugs )
cholestyramine ) bile acid binding
lopid ) fibric acid derivtives
R Fiabetic controlling tablets
diabe, fibric acid derivatives
R Aortisone drugs for asthma, arthritis etc
R 4heophylline for asthma
R Epileptic drugs
dilantin, phenobarb
R !ulphasala0ine for arthritis Q ArohnJs
R E)Fopa for @arkinsonJs
R Ahemotherapy drugs for cancer ) also
methotreate used for arthritis, psoriasis
cyclosporin ) for immune suppression
6: -tep 'actor Diet
6. .at less +atty +oods , more +ish, eggs, lean meat and
vegetables
7. .at yo2r greens
G. Clove o+ garlic a day
E. Ase good H2ality sea salt sparingly on +oods
<. C2t bac" on tea I co++ee
5. !imit alcohol
J. *ed2ce yo2r stress
1. Avoid smo"e toxins
;. Correct hormonal de+iciences =not *) , nat2ral or n2tritional>
6:. -2pplemental n2trition =m2lti pl2s individ2al needs>
6: *.A-?N- )? !?$.* @?A* ?M?C@-).&N.
'& !peeds aging
/& Famages arteries
1& Beakens immune system
2& Famages brain Q #N
3& @ain Q inflammation
6& Gulnerable to Aancer
8& Fementia prone
9& Hormonal problems
:& #ndicates nutritional
deficiencies ) particularly
. vitamins Q minerals
'0& Eess OhappyO hormones
M?-) C?MM?N *&-D 'AC)?*-
=ale
Aged 20 S
@ost menapause
Frink alcohol or smoke
(ften angry or suppress anger
Eercise rarely
Frink caffinated drinks ) coffee, tea, coke
@regnant
!trict vegetarians
High fatPprotein diet
Cse salt liberally
*arely take nutritional supplements
4ake low dose supplements
Cnderactive thyroid
Ahronic kidney problems
4ake anti)epileptics
!uffer chronic ill health
eg digestive problems, auto)immune, asthma, ec0ema, arthritis,
osteoporosis, ulcers, diabetes, heart conditions, high blood pressure,
thrombosis, cancer
?M?C@-).&N. !.B.!-
ealth *is" 'asting level
super healthy below 6
low risk 6 ) 9&:
moderate risk : ) '/
high risk '/ ) '3
very high risk '3 ) /0
etremely high risk above /0
omocysteine and the !ethylation "ycle
Homocysteine is an intermediary within a metabolic cycle known as
methylation& =ethylation reactions, relying largely on .)vitamin
cofactors "particularly, .6, .'/, and folic acid$, are critical for the
proper synthesis of the neurotransmitters that play an important role
in mood regulation&
As .)vitamin levels decline, the methylation cycle becomes impaired)
leading to a concurrent increase in homocysteine levels "because it is
no longer being recycled efficiently$ and a disruption in
neurotransmitter synthesis& 4he close relationship between
neurotransmitter synthesis and homocysteine formation has lead
some researchers to suspect that there is a link between
homocysteine and mood& #ndeed, studies suggest that levels of
homocysteine are an effective marker for .)vitamin status, and that
changes in homocysteine levels correlate with changes in mood&
#nterestingly, homocysteine levels have predicted duration of @4!F
"Eevine /009$, suggesting that lowering homocysteine levels through
supplementation with .)vitamins might reduce symptoms of mood
disorders by freeing up metabolic resources involved in
neurotransmission& (ther studies have clearly tied genetic
abnormalities such as a mutation in the folic acid)activating en0yme,
=4H-*, to high homocysteine levels "and increased symptoms of
mood disorders$& 4his reinforces the notion that homocysteine
metabolism is an important target in psychiatric imbalances "Aoppen
/003$& !upplementation with homocysteine)lowering .)vitamins was
shown to relieve aniety in 22 women with premenstrual aniety "Fe
!ou0a /000$&
Another compound involved in the methylation cycle is S
adenosylmethionine "!A=)e$& !A=)e functions to donate methyl
groups into the methylation cycle thereby facilitating the formation of
neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin& #n clinical trials,
!A=)e supplementation has been shown to be as effective as
tricyclic antidepressants in treating depressive disorders "@apakostas
/00:$&
<iven the role of healthy methylation in maintaining biochemical
balances within the central nervous system, a target blood level of
less than J K 1 LmolM! of homocysteine helps to ensure proper
neurotransmitter metabolism and may balance mood during times of
stress, depression and aniety&
&mpaired -tress *esponse( Anxiety, Depression, and the
ypothalamic,Pit2itary,Adrenal Axis
*arely does an aniety disorder manifest itself alone& =ore typically,
other mood disorders accompany it, particularly depression& #n fact,
depression and aniety can both be viewed as manifestations of impaired
stress response, the underlying physiology of which are both very similar&
Bhen an individual eperiences a stressor, physical or emotional, internal
or environmental, the body initiates a comple system of adaptive
reactions to help cope with the stress& 4his reactive response involves the
release of glucocorticoids, also known as stress hormones, which
stimulate adaptive changes in a variety of bodily systems&
Cnder short)term circumstances, stress)induced changes prioriti0e
functions involved in escaping danger such as redirection of blood flow to
the muscles from most other body parts, dilation of pupils, and inhibition
of digestion for energy conservation& Furing this time, fatty acids and
glucose "blood sugar$ are liberated from storage sites into the
bloodstream where they are readily available for utili0ation by the
muscles& 4his is known as the fight-or-flight response& 4his reactive
and adaptive protection system originates in the brain& Bhen a threat is
perceived by the hypothalam2s "a brain region$, chemical signals are
sent to the pit2itary gland "another brain region$& 4he pituitary gland
then sends chemical signals to the adrenal glands "endocrine glands
atop the kidneys$, which in turn releases the stress hormone cortisol&
Aortisol then goes on to initiate many of the physiological changes that
allow the organism to respond to the impending danger&
4he fight)or)flight response is shared among nearly all animals in that the
need to escape from imminent danger is paramount for the survival of the
species& However, modern humans live in an environment filled with
emotional stressors, such as financial worries, deadline pressures at work
or school, as well as unnecessary physical stressors such as ecessive
caloric intake, obesity, and inactivity& All of these modern stressors
chronically activate the hypothalamic,pit2itary,adrenal axis, leading
to adverse health conse?uences such as increased rates of
cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and mood disorders like depression
and aniety&
4he relationship between chronic stress, depression, and aniety is
comple and incredibly powerful& 4he chronic elevations in
glucocorticoids "primarily cortisol$ caused by ecessive stressors in
industriali0ed societies lead to actual physical changes in brain structure&
-or eample, dendrites, the branches of neurons that receive signals
from other neurons, are shifted into less functional patterns upon chronic
eposure to glucocorticoids& 4his has been documented in key brain
regions associated with mood, short)term memory, and behavioral
fleibility "Drugers /0'0$& -urthermore, glucocorticoids cause receptors
for the mood)regulating neurotransmitter serotonin to become less
sensitive to activation "van *iel /001, Darten ':::$& (ther detrimental
effects of chronic stress include both increased susceptibility to neuronal
damage and impaired neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons
are 5born6 "Drugers /0'0$&
#nterestingly, emerging research suggests that psychoactive drugs, like
those used in aniety and depression, may stabili0e mood not only by
acting upon neurotransmitter levels, but by modulating the action of
glucocorticoids receptors in the brain itself "Anacker /0''$& 4hese new
findings strongly support the idea that in order to alleviate mood
disorders, controlling stress response is an important aspect of treatment&
#ndeed, several genetic and epidemiological studies have linked
ecessive stress, and the inability to efficiently adapt to stress, to
increased rates of aniety and depression "!trohle /001, .inder /0'0,$&
B Bitamins elp to Prevent Brain -hrin"age and Memory !oss
4he causes of cognitive decline is multifactorial but what is known is
that both brain shrinkage and higher blood homocysteine levels, an
amino acid that is part of normal metabolism, are associated with
various forms of dementia including Al0heimer%s disease&
A new study published in the =ay /0'1 issue of the ;ournal
!roceedings of the National Academy of Sciences sheds new light on
the role of . vitamins, brain shrinkage and Al0heimer%s disease&
Bhat is homocysteineI
Homocysteine is an amino acid that is produced as part of normal
metabolism& Abnormally high homocysteine levels are associated
with many poor health conditions such as cardiovascular disease
including congestive heart failure, poor bone health, and cognitive
impairment including Al0heimer%s disease& Homocysteine levels are
normally kept low because the body converts it to other substances
via a process that re?uires the . vitamins folate, .6 and .'/&
Bhat did the study findI
-ollowing up on previous research, this study looked at the impact of
supplementation with . vitamins on brain shrinkage, brain function
and the area of the brain affected by Al0heimer%s disease&
@articipants were randomi0ed into one of two groups+ placebo and
vitamin treatment+ 900 mcg of folic acid, /0 mg of vitamin .6, and
300 mcg of vitamin .'/, amounts considered to be Khigh% compared
to what is needed to prevent overt vitamin deficiencies but consistent
with what can be found in everyday supplements, amounts without
any safety concerns&
After two years, brain shrinkage was found in both groups keeping in
mind that there is some amount of shrinkage that naturally occurs
with aging, so it was epected to see some atrophy& Bhat was
impressive about the results is that there was an average of 98
percent less grey matter shrinkage "they type of brain tissue that is
responsible for visual and spacial learning, memory and organi0ation
of thoughts, and is most affected by Al0heimer%s disease$ in those
receiving the . vitamins&
4hose with high homocysteine levels not only saw an improvement
with the . vitamins, but when high homocysteine levels dropped
within the normal range, brain shrinkage was reduced by almost :0
percent&
.ottom line
!upplementation with folate, vitamins .6 and .'/ in amounts higher
than the *FA "*ecommended Fietary Allowance$ was able to reduce
age)associated brain shrinkage& 4he greatest benefit was seen in
those who were at an increased risk for dementia as a result of high
homocysteine levels by decreasing the loss of grey matter and brain
shrinkage in areas of the brain associated with Al0heimer%s disease&
4he study certainly showed a clinical effect with promising results&
ow 'olic Acid May Prevent Memory !oss
6ost people eBuate folic acid supplements with women who are pregnant or trying to
become pregnant. *his is due to the fact that folic acid has been pro&en to pre&ent certain
birth defects. Howe&er, recent research has lin)ed consuming an adeBuate amount of
folic acid with the o&erall impro&ement of memory. "ut how can a simple compound
affect something as comple1 as the memories we form and hold onto for years and years.
"elow youll find out how folic acid wor)s to fight memory loss and how you can ensure
that youre getting enough.
Decreases Homocysteine
;ne way that folic acid helps the brain is by decreasing the amount of homocysteine
produced in the body. Homocysteine is a to1ic amino acid that can cause damage to brain
cells. .cientists ha&e disco&ered definite lin)s to ele&ated le&els of homocysteine
performed worse on memory!based tests than those with lower concentrations of the
amino acid. *herefore, since folic acid, when ta)en regularly o&er an e1tended period of
time, reduces the amount of homocysteine in our bodies, researchers belie&e its possible
that such a supplementation can lead to the preser&ation of a higher memory le&el further
into old age. High le&els of homocysteine also lead to the build!up of plaBue in our
arteries, which ma)es the supplementation of folic acid important to both the fight against
brain aging and cardio&ascular disease.
Sources of Folic Acid
Coctors regularly urge patients to try and retain nutrients from food as opposed to ta)ing
a pill!based supplement. 6any different foods contain folate <the naturally occurring
form of folic acid found in food= including fruits li)e oranges and strawberries, as well as
green leafy &egetables, beans and other legumes. Coctors recommend that you get a daily
allowance of at least D$$ milligrams. Howe&er, women who are pregnant or are loo)ing
to become pregnant are urged to increase this amount. A British study also found
that those ho are age !" and o#er might $enefit from daily doses as
high as %"" milligrams&
'ot the (nly Anser
*hough doctors ha&e always stressed that e1ercise, social stimulation and a sensible diet
are the )eys to allowing memory to thri&e well into old age, sometimes our chemical
ma)e!up needs a bit more of a boost. It is certainly worth it to e1plore increasing your
inta)e of folic acid now in hopes that it will lead to impro&ed memory in the future. .ince
there are few negati&e side effects to maintaining an adeBuate daily dosage of this
compound <and such great potential gains in the long!term= this should be one thing you
definitely bring up during your ne1t physical e1am. *hat said, folic acid should not be
considered a cure all. Eou still ha&e to e1ercise, stay mentally stimulated and eat right to
increase your chances of carrying all those precious memories with you well into old age.