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Better Health Update #52 - Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist

Memory Problems

One of the most common health complaints is declining memory. Though we typically think of this as an elderly person's problem, many younger people are also plagued by memory difficulties. Like a lot of health problems, there are many possible causes, and therefore, many possible natural medicine approaches. Many nutritional supplements are promoted for memory enhancement, but people often waste money buying products that don't relate to the cause of their memory difficulty.

MEMORY PROBLEMS IN THE YOUNG

Though I want to devote most of this Update to memory problems of seniors, let's look at the non-seniors, those in their 20's, 30's, and 40's with memory problems. Here are some possible causes:

1. Nutrient Deficiencies - If you're eating the typical American "junk food" diet, expect not only memory problems, but a lot of other health problems. Your brain needs nutrients to work right, particularly B-vitamins. Correcting your B-vitamin deficiencies alone can greatly help your nervous system including your brain function. Deficiencies of amino acids (protein building blocks) can also play a significant role.

2. Low Blood Sugar - Hypoglycemia causes a lack of glucose in the blood and therefore in the brain. It can produce mental spaciness, lethargy, and memory difficulties. If you notice episodes of poor memory when it's been too long since you've eaten, this is a likely cause. Eliminating refined sugar, eating a good whole foods diet with adequate protein, avoiding caffeine, and not skipping meals can help.

3. Candidiasis - Overgrowth of the common yeast organism, Candida albicans, frequently causes short-term memory problems and mental spaciness. Those symptoms are basically the response of the body to the toxins produced by the yeast organisms. This is a very common reason for memory problems in the non-elderly and elderly alike.

4. Food Sensitivities - Reactions to common foods can produce a very wide variety of symptoms, including mental fogginess and memory difficulty. Reactions to common foods like milk, wheat and yeast cause many to "space out."

5. Hormonal Imbalances - I have often observed with our pre-menopausal and menopausal clients, memory problems accompanying mental spaciness. If the memory difficulty coincided with hormonal changes, this is a likely cause. I've also observed this problem when women are on hormone replacement therapy that isn't quite right for their body.

6. Stress - In younger people, various forms of emotional stress tax the memory. Most people are just too busy to really enjoy optimum life and health. The average person is rushing around to and from work, and a hundred other commitments that frankly overload the brain. I like to think of the brain like a switchboard that can only have so many calls and then it's full. When you try to force your brain to handle more than it can comfortably handle, you forget things. This is your body's way of saving you from yourself! Slow down, do less, breathe once in awhile, stop and smell the roses, and recognize that everything depends on God, not on you.

SENILE DEMENTIA

"Dementia" refers to a general mental deterioration, while "senile" refers to old age. In addition to loss of short-term memory, there may also be moodiness, irritability, self-centeredness and child-like behavior. Alzheimer's Disease is just one type of senile dementia, which we'll cover shortly. Approximately 15% of the elderly population experience some degree of dementia, with 1.3 million experiencing severe dementia. I think it's important to note that not all elderly people lose their memory - many remain very mentally sharp until the end of life. Unless we adopt the foolish notion that "it's all genetics," we must assume that there are things you can do and things you cannot do that will result in retaining your memory.

Most of the memory loss causes we've already covered in regard to younger people - nutrient deficiencies, candidiasis, hormonal imbalances, hypoglycemia, etc. - also apply to the elderly. In addition to those we might add:

1. Poor circulation - With aging and diminished physical activity, circulation deteriorates - including circulation to the brain. If you are not continually stimulating your circulation, you are losing circulatory capacity. If you sit around in a rocking chair in your golden years, don't expect your memory to hold.

2. Cerebrovascular disease - Meningitis, encephalomyelitis, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and other neurological conditions may affect the memory in the elderly.

3. Chronic alcoholism

4. Diabetes

5. Metabolic disorders - Low adrenal, low thyroid, and low sodium, may affect memory.

6. Prescription drug side-effects - Many drugs, especially those that work on the brain, like anti-depressants, can disrupt memory. It's common for the elderly to be taking many different prescription drugs, unaware of possible side-effects or drug interactions. Remember, all drugs have side-effects.

7. Toxin reactions - Heavy metals, dental mercury, root canals, carbon monoxide, and various chemical toxins could adversely affect the memory. A detoxifying program is essential for anyone, young or old, in dealing with memory problems.

8. Cerebrovascular incidents - While it's understood that having a major stroke will affect the brain and memory, it's possible for an elderly person to have a lot of "mini strokes" that do not produce major symptoms and therefore go undetected. But with each one of these another part of the brain dies, and with it, more memory. It's essential to be taking the right supplements to maintain cardiovascular and cerebrovascular integrity.

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Alzheimer's disease causes about 50% of the senile dementia. That, of course, means that half of the senile dementia is not attributable to Alzheimer's disease. Four million people in the U.S. suffer from Alzheimer's, 10% of those over 65 and 50% of those over 85. It kills 100,000 people per year in this country. In Alzheimer's disease the brain develops tangled nerve fibers and plaque formation. There is also a reduction of acetylcholine and other brain neurotransmitters. These changes destroy intellectual ability.

It gradually destroys the ability to reason, learn and remember. As victims cease to recognize themselves and the world around them, depression, anxiety, and paranoia frequently result.
Possible causes of Alzheimer's include:

1. Aluminum toxicity - Increased levels of aluminum and silicon have been noted in the tangles and plaques of Alzheimer's victims brains upon autopsy. Aluminum has been found to decrease choline, acetylcholine, and other neurotransmitters.

2. Dental mercury toxicity - Toxicity to the nervous system from dental mercury has been observed to produce Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases. Beating Alzheimer's by Tom Warren describes the account of a non-elderly person in dealing with this and other causes of the disease.

3. B-12 Deficiency - Vitamin B-12 is often deficient in those with Alzheimer' s disease. One can be deficient in this nutrient without necessarily testing anemic on a blood test. The effects of prolonged deficiency may be irreversible, resulting in a lack of response to supplementation.

4. Free Radicals - These highly reactive molecules might be thought of as "oxygen sponges," as they lower cellular oxygen and produce other cell damage. Diet is the main cause of free radical build-up, especially from heated oils as in fried foods.

5. "Mini Strokes" - Some researchers feel that Alzheimer's is actually triggered by the mini strokes mentioned earlier. The theory is that everyone, if they live long enough, will develop the tangles and plaque in the brain, but it only becomes Alzheimer's with some mini strokes that affect key areas.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE APPROACH

Conventional medicine offers precious little to those with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. There are some drugs being used with doubtful benefits and considerable potential side-effects. Mostly conventional medicine just tries to make the victim comfortable and help the caregivers cope.

NATURAL MEDICINE APPROACHES

A number of natural remedies may be appropriate for general memory problems, as well as senile dementia. As always, individual testing at the clinic tells us which ones are right for someone.

1. Ginkgo Biloba - This herb has a 5000 year history in Chinese medicine. Ginkgo helps the blood flow and resultant oxygenation of the brain, as well as the extremities. Ginkgo Biloba is an antioxidant that can counteract the free radical damage cause of Alzheimer's. Ginkgo also inhibits PAF (platelet aggravating factor), which causes the platelet blood cells to clump together.

2. Phosphatidyl Serine - PS is found only in very small amounts in the body, since it is mainly synthesized from phopholipid building blocks. It is believed to increase the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, as well as increase the levels of calming alpha brain waves. PS supplements are currently derived from soy, and can slow memory loss or even improve brain function when taken for three to six months. In one study a 15% improvement was noted on standardized tests for mental functioning given to Alzheimer's patients.

Many believe PS isn't really a cure for Alzheimer's but may at least slow down the progression of the disease. Others are more optimistic. Dr. T. H. Crook of the Memory Assessment Clinics in Bethesda, Maryland notes that patients taking 300 mg of PS daily for three months reduced their mental deterioration equivalent to "de-aging" by 12 years. PS has no known side-effects or drug interactions.

3. Huperzine A - This substance occurs in Chinese club moss. It prevents the breakdown of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine by blocking a destructive enzyme. Chinese researchers have found that huperzine improves learning and memory in both animals and humans with Alzheimer's disease.

4. OPC's - Oligomeric ProanthoCyanidins are natural antioxidants found in the fibrous parts of fruits and vegetables. Like many nutrients they are generally destroyed by cooking. OPC's come primarily from a maritime pine bark and from grape seeds. The term "Pycnogenol" generally refers to the pine bark form, though this is in legal dispute over trademark. OPC's can cross the blood-brain barrier and exert a powerful protective effect on brain cells. Think of this as a super antioxidant, 50 times more powerful than Vitamin E and 20 times more powerful than Vitamin C. Having said that, I have not found the OPC's to test compatibly on our Electrodermal Testing in the clinic with very many people. Nevertheless, it is one of the possible supplements to consider.

5. Sublingual B-12 - Since B-12 is typically deficient in those with Alzheimer's, supplementation is usually appropriate. Sublingual tablets are the most effective absorption short of shots.

6. Natural Vitamin E - Vitamin E has long been established for its beneficial cardiovascular effect. It is a natural blood thinner, reducing the clumping of blood cells and fat. Use only natural vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol), not the synthetic dl-alpha tocopherol which is not as effective.

7. Free Form Amino Acids - These protein building blocks protect against brain deterioration. L-Carnitine amino acid has particularly shown promise in Italian research.

8. Co-Enzyme Q10 - Improves brain oxygenation.

9. Dimethylglycine (DMG) - Improves brain oxygenation.

10. Butcher's Broom - This herb has been used for circulatory problems.

11. Gotu Kola - Another herbal remedy to help circulation.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose illness nor prescribe treatment. Rather, this material is designed to be used in cooperation with your nutritionally-oriented health professional to deal with your personal health problems. Should you use this information on your own, you are prescribing for yourself, which is your constitutional right, but neither the author nor publisher assume responsibility.