Researchers are increasingly recognizing most aging humans suffer from obstructions to cerebral blood flow. Low blood flow sets up the brain for a cascade of nerval injuries that manifests as memory loss, depression and cognitive dysfunction. It also has long term risks of stroke, dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Don’t let your brain shrink! Blood vessels in the brain are damaged by hypertension (high blood pressure, BP), and lose the ability to nourish cells. This can result in loss of brain function!
When your brain cells are not getting nourishment, they die and “shrink”, so your brain size decreases. The combination of high BP and low blood flow or bad circulation, is associated with smaller brain volume. Maybe that’s why you can’t remember; it affects memory and everyday thinking.
Other risk factors involving cerebral blood flow can be abdominal obesity, metabolic syndrome, high triglycerides (fats), stress, diabetes and high inflammation. That includes many of us today in one way or another.
To help boost cardiac blood flow to the brain and enhance cell’s energy production you may need the support of several natural products; CoQ10, lipoic acid, carnitine and green tea among others.
CoQ10 is an enzyme, vital for creation of cell energy. It is very effective at treating congestive heart and artery diseases and reducing blood pressure. Actually, CoQ10 is helpful for every system in the body, for immune enhancement, muscle strength and is great for cancer protection.
Increase your anti-oxidant intake with supplements for further protection against free radicals and oxidative damage. I suggest alpha lipoic acid, green tea, astaxanthin, pycnogenol and Astragalus. Foods to increase would be Shitake mushrooms, beta-carotene in yellow and orange fruits, veggies and sea greens; among others including Vitamins C and E.
The amino acid Carnitine, especially the form acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) helps reduce age related mental decline, increases alertness, attention span and improves learning and coordination.
Keep your BP in control by reducing stress with B vitamins and CoQ10 and boost essential fatty acids like Omega 3’s. Tone your arteries with flavonoids like Hawthorne, Ginkgo Biloba, cayenne or garlic in capsules or extract form.
The newest research and already prescribed in Europe and China for neurological and brain disorders is Gastrodia elata, an Oriental orchid extract, which acts as a “brain shield”, calming neurons protecting them from inflammation and oxidative stress. Gastrodia helps prevent cognitive impairment and memory loss due to aging, injury and bypass surgery.
Brain injuries can also cause cognitive function impairment. Such as professional football and baseball players, now being discussed a lot more in recent times. These injuries can accelerate brain aging.
The most important organ in our body, the brain, is also the most fragile! Stroke is the leading cause of death in the US today. Alzheimer’s incidence is spiraling upwards. Now you have the information to help control many of these and slow down the aging process!
Please put these to use now do not delay and let your cells decay or die!!
References:
Healthy Healing by Linda Page