An antihypertensive medication is usually the first-line treatment for high blood pressure. However, you may be able to achieve similar blood pressure-lowering results with a simple change in your diet, according to a small study published online recently by JAMA. Study par­ticipants included 213 people, ages 50 to 75, with normal blood pressure, controlled high blood pressure, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or untreated high blood pressure. They were asked to try two different diets. Half of the group was randomly assigned to eat a high­salt diet for one week that included 2,200 milligrams (mg) of salt per day. The other half of the group was randomly assigned to eat a low-salt diet for a week that allowed just 500 mg of salt per day. Study participants then switched diets for one week. Their blood pressure measure­ments and urine samples (to measure salt intake) were collected periodically throughout the study. Researchers found that when participants followed the low-salt diet, most of them experienced an eight-point drop in their systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure measurement), compared with when they ate a high-salt diet; and a six-point drop, compared with when they ate their usual diets. The low-salt diet reduced sodium intake by about a teaspoon of salt per day, compared with participants’ usual diet. Since most sodium in the diet is found in pre-packaged foods, take a careful look at the ingredients list of various products, and, when possible, opt for sodium-free or low-sodium options that you can enhance with seasonings that boost flavor but won’t boost your blood pressure.

Harvard Study: Smaller Hippocampus Associated with Cognitive Decline Researchers continue to seek a better understanding of memory loss and thinking skills changes that occur in people who develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Are those cognitive changes due to the buildup of two toxic proteins in the brain—tau and amyloid-beta—or perhaps other neu­rodegenerative conditions? One of the early consequences of AD is a loss of volume in the hip­pocampus, a region of the brain primarily involved with learning and memory. Abnormal levels of tau and amyloid-beta damage neurons, in turn causing brain atrophy, particularly in the hip­pocampus. But in a study published recently in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, researchers from Harvard Medical School found that loss of volume in the hippocampus was associated with cognitive decline irrespective of amyloid and tau levels. Hippocampus atrophy on its own accounted for about 10 percent of the difference in cognitive decline experienced by study participants between the start of the study and its conclusion about

seven years later. Researchers noted that dementia is a complex condition with many underlying causes, and that other disorders besides AD may contribute to shrinkage of the hippocampus and cognitive decline. The researchers added that monitoring hippocampal volume may help doctors determine which individuals may best respond to the new drugs being developed to halt or reverse the buildup of toxic proteins in the brain.

Reading and Writing Poetry May Help with Loneliness

Various COVID-19 pandemic coping behaviors continue to produce interesting findings for researchers trying to understand why certain people thrived and others struggled during that time. In a study published recently in the Journal of Poetry Therapy, researchers found that reading, writing, and sharing poetry can help people cope with loneliness or isolation and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. A team of British researchers found that many people who started writing poetry and discussing poetry with others experienced “demon­strable positive impacts on their well-being.” Study participants told researchers that reading and writing poetry helped them deal with challenging feelings of anxiety and depression. The findings were based on interviews with users of the former poetryandcovid.com website, which has since been archived as poetryandcovidarchive.com. Users who submitted original poems and offered reactions to the poems of others found a supportive community, as well as a way to give some structure to complicated emotions and experiences. Both of these benefits appear to help people endure difficult experiences by providing outlets that allow them to make sense of those experiences.

The post News Briefs February 2024 appeared first on University Health News.

The Facts. Despite its name, the sweet potato, a member of the morning glory family of plants, is not related to the potato (Solanum tuberosum). There are about 400 varieties in different skin and flesh colors (white, purple, yellow, orange), some round or oblong, like a potato, others long and slender with tapered ends. Common varieties like Garnet or Japanese Purple have different textures (firm and dry or soft and moist) and degrees of sweetness. One medium sweet potato has just 103 calories, yet packs 438% DV (DV=Daily Value, based on 2,000 calories/day) of vision-protecting vitamin A, 37% DV of antioxidant vitamin C, and the powerful, health-promoting plant compounds, beta carotene and anthocyanins, that give the yellow/orange and purple varieties respectively, their color.

The Findings. Antioxidant capacity of sweet potatoes is mainly due to anthocyanin and carotenoid content, consumption of which is associated with lower risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and cognitive performance (Antioxidants, 2022). Orange-fleshed sweet potato ranked number one among all vegetables from a dietary point of view and nutritional perspective, according to a review of studies in different countries (Food Science & Nutrition, 2019), due in part to its significant vitamin A content, especially needed in countries with vitamin A deficiencies.

The Finer Points. Peak season for sweet potatoes is October through December, but they are available all year. Select small and medium sweet potatoes for a sweeter, moister flesh. Choose those with smooth, firm, and blemish-free skin.  Store in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place, but never refrigerate them. Sweet or savory, these taters will not disappoint. Bake them whole and top with yogurt, nuts, and maple syrup, mash with regular potatoes, or cut into fries and roast.

The post Savor the Sweet Potato appeared first on University Health News.

The post Living with Dementia Means Having a Greater Fall Risk appeared first on University Health News.

In January 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval for lecanemab, with the brand name Leqembi. The approval is based on the results of a phase 3 randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phase 3 is the final phase of testing needed for a new drug approval, and randomized placebo-controlled trials are the gold standard for drug testing. The trial was presented at the Clinical Trials for Alzheimer’s Disease Conference in November and published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Lecanemab (Leqembi) is a new type of drug called an anti-amyloid antibody. Dementia from Alzheimer’s disease is caused by a type of protein that builds up in the brain and destroys brain cells called neurons. The protein is amyloid beta and collections of this protein in the brain are called amyloid plaques. Imaging studies of the brain in people with Alzheimer’s disease show that amyloid plaques increase as cognitive loss increases. Other proteins called tau also increase, and are called tau tangles. Why these plaques and tangles form remains a mystery.

Leqembi is laboratory designed antibody, called a monoclonal antibody. Antibodies are proteins that your body’s defense system – your immune system – uses to fight off foreign invaders like viruses or bacteria. Antibodies can bind to foreign invaders and keep them from doing damage. Anti-amyloid antibodies are created to bind to amyloid proteins in the brain and prevent them from killing neurons.

The Leqembi Trial

The trial used to approve Leqembi lasted 18 months. It took place at 235 sites in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The first goal of the trial was to show that patients taking the new drug would have a significant slowing of cognitive decline. To do this they used a test called the Clinical Dementia Rating scale. Other important goals were to show actual slowing of amyloid plaque formation with brain imaging studies, and less decline on an Alzheimer’s disease assessment scale that measures activities of daily living.

All the people in the trial had early Alzheimer’s disease diagnosed with brain imaging and cognitive testing. There were about 1,800 people in the study. Half of the patients got the actual drug and half got an inactive placebo. Neither the patients or the researchers knew which patients got a placebo or the drug.

At the end of the study, patients who got the drug had 27 percent less decline on the clinical dementia scale than the placebo group. They also had significantly fewer amyloid plaques on their brain scans compared to the placebo group. The drug slowed decline on the activities of daily living scale by 37 percent compared to the placebo group. The benefits of the drug started to show up after 6 months of treatment.

Another important part of any drug approval trial is safety. Unwanted side effects in clinical trials are called adverse events, and adverse events were 13 percent more common in the drug group than the placebo group. Although six people taking the drug died during the trial, seven people taking the placebo also died, and there was not enough evidence to say the drug caused the deaths in the drug group.

According to the FDA approval news release, the accelerated approval was based mainly on the reduction of amyloid plaques seen on brain scans of the patients taking the drug. Leqembi is given as an intravenous infusion every other week. The FDA has placed a warning in the prescribing information about temporary swelling of the brain and small spots of bleeding on the surface of the brain. These adverse events usually cause no symptoms and go away. Possible adverse symptoms may include headache, confusion, dizziness, and flu-like reaction to the infusion. The FDA has approved Leqembi for patients with early Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment.

Other Drugs for Alzheimer’s Disease

Leqembi is not the only anti-amyloid antibody being used for Alzheimer’s disease. Aducanumab (Aduhelm) was approved by the FDA because it was shown to reduce amyloid deposits, but it has not shown the ability to slow progression. Older drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors increase a brain messenger, called a neurotransmitter. They may reduce symptoms in early Alzheimer’s. Memantine is a drug that increases a different neurotransmitter, and can be used for more severe symptoms. These medications have been around since the 1990s and they do not slow down the disease but they help healthy neurons work better while they can. [5] More anti-amyloid antibodies are coming. The next one is called donanemab, and early reports from the trials are encouraging.

The doctors who did the Leqembi trial concluded that it slows decline in thinking and functioning in early Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer’s Association says, “The results of the trial show that this treatment may change the course of early Alzheimer’s disease in a meaningful way and give people more time to remain independent and participate in daily life.” Time will tell if these anti-amyloid antibodies will be the major breakthrough in Alzheimer’s treatment that people have been hoping for.

Until then, you should know that research shows you can significantly reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease with a healthy lifestyle. This includes a heart-healthy diet (also good for brain health) and regular exercise, not smoking and using alcohol only in moderation. As you age you can build extra brain power by challenging your brain with new activities and learning skills. Some studies show that this brain power, called cognitive resilience, may delay cognitive decline, even in people with early Alzheimer’s brain changes.

The post Lecanemab: The First Drug to Slow Down Alzheimer’s Disease appeared first on University Health News.

What is Fusobacterium nucleatum

A new study from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine suggests that bacteria commonly found in the mouth called  Fusobacterium nucleatum may be the culprit. Most of the time these bacteria live in your mouth without causing any problem, but if you have poor oral hygiene or other risk factors for gum disease like smoking or diabetes, these bacteria can enter the tissue inside your gums, multiply, and cause infected gums. Early gum infection is called gingivitis. If gingivitis goes untreated, the infection can become more advanced, called periodontitis.

F nucleatum is what researchers call an emerging pathogen, which means it is showing up in unexpected places. It should not be found anywhere outside the mouth, but when it causes gum infection it has the ability to travel to other areas of the body. These bacteria have a high risk of causing disease in the body because they are adhesive, invasive, and inflammatory. That means they can linger and mix with other bacteria, they can invade cells and tissues, and they cause a lot of swelling and irritation.

When F nucleatum infects the gums, it has been linked to diseases that include poor pregnancy outcomes, colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, appendicitis, atherosclerosis, diabetes, lung infections, and brain aneurysm. The new study has found the bacteria could cross from the blood and into the brains of mice causing a type of brain inflammation seen in Alzheimer’s disease.

Gingivitis and Periodontitis

Gingivitis is swelling of your gums. It starts when you don’t brush or floss your teeth regularly and bacteria combine with secretions in your mouth to form a film over your teeth called plaque. Because F nucleatum are adhesive bacteria, they are often involved in plaque buildup. A buildup of too much plague is called tartar. Untreated gingivitis progresses to periodontitis causing red swollen and bleeding gums. Deep inside your gums pockets of bacteria can form between your teeth and gums, eventually causing loosening of your teeth and tooth loss. Studies show that F nucleatum bacteria thrive in these deep infections.

As your gums pull away from your teeth (receding gums), it makes your teeth look longer.  Other signs of gum infection are gums that are red, swollen, and tender. Infected gums bleed easily, so you may see blood when you brush or floss. Gum disease may cause painful chewing and bad breath.

How to Prevent Periodontitis and the Spread of F nucleatum

Periodontitis is surprisingly common. It may occur in almost half of adults over age 30 and up to 70 percent in people over age 65. The good news is that it can be prevented with good oral hygiene and dental care.

Start by brushing your teeth morning and night, flossing every day, and not smoking. If you have diabetes, work with your doctor to get your blood sugar under the best control. See your dentist for regular cleaning and removal of plaque or tartar. In most cases, this will prevent or greatly reduce your risk of periodontitis.

Treatment of periodontitis may require deep cleaning procedures called tooth scaling and planing. Periodontal surgery may be needed to open deep pockets of disease near your tooth roots, called flap or pocket reduction surgery. You may also need to use an antibacterial mouthwash or gum gel.

Making the commitment to good oral hygiene and dental care is about more than keeping your teeth. Research continues to show that what happens in your mouth does not stay in your mouth. Avoiding gum disease may also prevent invasion of F nucleatum and a host of other conditions you don’t want, including Alzheimer’s disease.

The post The Link Between Gum Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease: Fusobacterium Nucleatum appeared first on University Health News.

What Is Cognitive Impairment?

Cognitive impairment is any loss of high-level intelligence that includes brain functions like memory, attention, language, judgment, reasoning, and understanding. Cognitive impairment can be severe, like Alzheimer’s disease and or mild cognitive impairment that comes with aging. There are many causes of cognitive impairment, but all the causes result from damage to brain cells called neurons.

Cognitive Impairment and Heart Attack?

A heart attack is decreased blood flow through the arteries that supply your heart muscles. When your heart is not getting enough blood, it is not getting enough oxygen carried by your blood, so heart muscle cells become damaged and may die. Also, when you are having a heart attack, your heart is not pumping out blood to the rest of your body very well.

A heart attack deprives your body of oxygen, explaining heart attack symptoms like shortness of breath and dizziness. Another type of body cell that needs a constant supply of blood and oxygen are your brain cells, called neurons. Damage to neurons starts to occur quickly if blood flow is decreased, which can happen during a heart attack. Recent studies find that about half the people who have a heart attack have enough decreased blood flow to the brain to cause some cognitive impairment.

What Does the Research Show About Memory Loss After Heart Attack?

Back in 2011, a study reported in the American Heart Journal found that out of 772 patients who had a heart attack and were tested for cognitive function one month later, only about 45 percent had normal cognitive test results. About 30 percent had mild cognitive impairment and 25 percent had moderate to severe impairment. The authors of the study concluded that cognitive impairment after a heart attack could be a common problem and suggested that patients have support and assistance after coming home from a heart attack and that they participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program.

In 2019, one of the largest studies on cognitive impairment after a diagnosis of coronary heart disease was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. It included close to 8000 patients. These patients did not have dementia before their heart disease diagnosis. Over a period of 12 years, they were tested for memory, language, and knowledge of present circumstances. Patients with a diagnosis of heart attack had significant impairment in all three tests over the 12 years. The authors of this study conclude that cognitive impairment after a heart attack is common and probably due to decreased blood flow. They suggested that the best way to prevent this type of impairment is to prevent heart disease, called primary prevention.

Most recently, in a study presented at the 2022 meeting of the American College of Cardiology, researchers pointed out the accumulating evidence of the link between heart attack and cognitive impairment. This study found a high rate of cognitive impairment in patients after a heart attack who had no diagnosis of cognitive impairment before their heart attack.

The researchers tested 220 patients with a cognitive test called the Mini-Mental State Examination. They tested at the beginning of the study and six months later.  According to the mini-mental exam, 40 to 41 percent of the patients had cognitive impairment right after the heart attack. At six months, the rate of cognitive impairment went down to between 33 and 34 percent. The authors of this study concluded that cognitive impairment after a heart attack may be both temporary and permanent and that patients after a heart attack should be checked regularly for any signs of cognitive impairment.

What Are the Symptoms of Cognitive Impairment?

You may notice symptoms of cognitive impairment yourself, but more often a friend or loved one will notice warning signs. These signs and symptoms may come and go at first, so it is important to tell your health care provider about them:

• Trouble remembering
• Asking the same questions over and over
• Telling the same stories over and over
• Difficulty learning new information
• Missing appointments
• Trouble concentrating enough to follow a conversation, book, or movie
• Trouble finding the right words when speaking, or losing your train of thought while talking
• Becoming easily confused and agitated
• Trouble doing simple tasks

Prevention and Treatment

All the things you do for heart health will also help protect your brain before or after a heart attack. Lifestyle changes that reduce your risk of heart disease and cognitive impairment include:

• Regular physical activity
• Proper sleep, at least seven hours every night
• Relaxation techniques to reduce stress
• The Mediterranean diet, which is low in saturated fat and features whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and fish
• Limiting your use of alcohol
• Not smoking
• Maintaining a healthy weight

Work with your doctor to control your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. If you have sleep apnea, get that under control. You can also protect your brain by building up cognitive resilience. The more exercise you give your brain by doing brain-teasing puzzles or learning new activities that require thought and memory, the more you can lose some brain cells and still have enough reserve to avoid cognitive impairment.

The post Symptoms of Brain Damage After Heart Attack – Is Memory Loss Permanent? appeared first on University Health News.

Studies show that type 2 diabetes increases your risk for Alzheimer’s disease by about 60 percent. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. About 5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease and that number is increasing as people live longer. One in eight people will have Alzheimer’s disease after age 65. By age 85, 50 percent of people have Alzheimer’s disease.

What Are the Warning Signs of Type 3 Diabetes?

Even without developing Alzheimer’s disease, people with type 2 diabetes may have more memory problems as they get older than people without diabetes. They may also have problems with executive brain functions. These are high-level brain functions like organizing, planning, and decision making.

Having Type 2 diabetes doubles your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Signs of Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias include memory loss, loss of ability to learn, loss of executive functions, changes in personality, loss of ability to communicate, and a gradual loss of the ability to do every day activities of life.

How Does Type 2 Diabetes Become Type 3 Diabetes?

Men and women with type 2 diabetes have double the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than people without diabetes. Women with type 2 diabetes have a higher risk than men of developing another type of dementia called vascular dementia. This dementia is caused by decreased blood supply to the brain. If you have type 2 diabetes, your risk of type 3 diabetes increases even more if you have high blood pressure, a family history of dementia in a close relative (parent or sibling), obesity, or sleep apnea.

Although the exact way type 2 diabetes causes type 3 diabetes is not known. These are some possible ways:

• High blood sugar may cause inflammation in the brain that increases the risk of proteins called amyloid plaques and tao tangles. These proteins cause nerve cell damage and Alzheimer’s disease.
• High blood sugar damages blood vessels and decreases blood flow to the brain. This may cause the death of brain cells and Alzheimer’s disease.
• Insulin resistance decreases the ability of brain cells to use insulin for energy. This may lead to nerve cell damage and Alzheimer’s disease.

Can You Reduce Your Risk of Type 3 Diabetes?

Yes, you can. About half your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is preventable with lifestyle changes. These are the lifestyle changes:

• Get regular exercise. That means about 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every day or at least on 5 days out of the week, along with some type of muscle-strengthening exercise twice per week.
• Eat a healthy diet. That includes avoiding fats and red meats, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, avoiding added sugar and processed foods, and increasing whole grains.
• Get to a healthy weight and stay there. Having a lot of weight around your belly is a risk for both diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
• Work with your diabetes care provider to get your blood sugar under control.
• Exercise your mind as well as your body. Mental exercises that challenge your brain help to reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
• Work with your health care providers to manage high blood pressure and your cholesterol.

The best way to prevent type 3 diabetes is to avoid type 2 diabetes. The good news is that lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease also reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes. Ask your health care provider about your risk for type 2 and type 3 diabetes and what you can do to lower your risk.

The post Type 3 Diabetes: Does Diabetes Cause Memory Loss? appeared first on University Health News.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), for most people with COVID mild enough to recover at home, the only neurological symptom is a headache. However, for people admitted to the hospital, there have been more serious neurological symptoms including severe headache, dizziness, loss of taste and smell, and confusion. Less common, but more dangerous have been cases of COVID strokes, seizures, and severe brain or spinal cord inflammation.

How Acute COVID Infection Affects the Brain

An acute infection is a sudden and active infection. According to NINDS, COVID probably does not infect the brain or nerves directly. Inflammation and damage are caused by proteins called antibodies that the immune system makes in response to the infection. These antibodies may cause a severe immune system reaction that could cause brain or nerve swelling. There are also other ways COVID can cause neurological symptoms:

• COVID mainly affects the lungs and causes oxygen levels to drop. The brain and spinal cord (central nervous system) require oxygen to function. Low oxygen levels can cause damage to the central nervous system. Without oxygen brain cells start to die.
• Some research shows that COVID viruses can attack the cells in the walls of blood vessels and make them weak. This can cause microbleeds. In the brain, these microbleeds lead to mini-strokes.
• COVID may also increase the risk for blood clots. A blood clot in a blood vessel that supplies part of the brain can also cause a mini-stroke.
• A large bleed or large blood vessel clot in the brain can cause a full-blown stroke with permanent brain damage.
  

  Common COVID symptoms don’t typically include neurological symptoms, but brain fog and memory loss can occur because of “long COVID.”

What About Long-Term Neurological Symptoms Like Brain Fog?

Symptoms that continue after acute COVID infections have been called “long COVID.” Long COVID neurological symptoms may occur more commonly in people who have been hospitalized for COVID, but they are also reported in people with milder COVID.

The main symptom of long COVID is fatigue. Other people complain of COVID memory loss and COVID brain fog. Brain fog is not a medical term and may mean different things to different people. Brain fog can include headaches, sleep problems, confusion, and memory loss. Possible causes include:

• Extreme fatigue may cause brain fog.
• There may be some brain damage from mini-strokes or microbleeds.
• There may be long-term inflammation in the central nervous system.
• Brain fog symptoms may be caused by PTSD or depression.

COVID mini-strokes and microbleeds are more likely in people over age 70. COVID has killed more Americans than Viet Nam, Korea, and World War I combined, and severely disrupted all our lives, so depression or PTSD could certainly be a cause.

Is There Any COVID Brain Fog Treatment?

Until we have more time and more studies, there are more questions than answers. We don’t know how long brain fog lasts after COVID or how long fatigue lasts after COVID. Until we know more, there is no known treatment for long COVID neurological symptoms. The best thing to do is tell your doctor about your symptoms and work with your doctor to find what works best for you.

The post COVID Memory Loss and Brain Fog is Becoming More Common appeared first on University Health News.

Grey matter is where your brain neurons are located. Grey matter is found in the outer areas of your brain. Neurons are the key players in brain activities like thinking, remembering, feeling, and doing. All these functions working together are called “cognition”. Loss of cognition – cognitive decline – is what happens when you start losing neurons and grey matter. The human brain has better cognition than any other animal brain. The outside of the huma brain, called the cerebral cortex, is overdeveloped in humans compared to other animals. It makes up over 80 percent of the brain mass and contains about 100 billion neurons.

Each neuron communicates with other neurons through nerve fiber extensions, called axons. Like the cable coming off a computer, axons need to be wrapped with a protective coating to effectively carry nerve signals. This wrapping is called myelin. Because myelin is white, areas thick with axons bundles are called white matter. White matter is found in the inner areas of the brain and the outside of the spinal cord. If white matter is lost, it may regrow as long as axons are connected to healthy neurons. Unlike skin cells or bone cells, once neurons are lost, they are usually gone forever.

Is It Possible to Replace Grey Matter?

Grey matter decreases when neurons die. A common cause is a stroke or brain hemorrhage. Neurons also die naturally with age, although they are the longest living cells in the body. Unnatural causes of neuronal death include Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and traumatic brain injury. Until recently, brain researchers believed you are born with all the neurons you will ever have. Some newer research suggests that some areas of the brain can make new neurons, called neurogenesis, but this is still an unproven theory. For now, there is no known way for you to replace lost grey matter.

What Happens to Grey Matter as You Age?

As you age, and you naturally lose neurons. Messages passing through white matter begin to slow down. Part of aging is also a decreased blood supply to your neurons, caused by aging of your heart and blood vessels. Waste products and other chemicals also begin to build up in the aging brain causing plaques and tangles to form, which can break down neurons. That is why some gradual slowing of thought, memory, and thinking – cognitive decline – is a normal part of aging. These changes do not usually cause severe memory loss or dementia unless you have a disease like Alzheimer’s.

Tips for Brain Health

Grey Matter Supplements

You probably can’t prevent loss of grey matter that comes with age, but you may be able to slow it down. You have probably seen adds for brain supplements that can increase cognitive function, reduce your risk of dementia, or prevent Alzheimer’s disease. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), this is what the science says about supplements and their effect on brain matter:

• Ginkgo biloba. A review of studies on Gingko biloba for brain health that included over 2,500 people found that it may slow down cognitive decline, especially in people who already have some cognitive impairment.
• Omega-3 fatty acids. There has been research supporting the use of this supplement for reducing cognitive decline, but most studies have found it has no effect on cognition in older people.
• Vitamin E. There is some evidence that this vitamin may slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease. However, most studies do not find any benefit.
• In laboratory and animal studies, this supplement shows promise for decreasing the plaques and tangles that occur in aging and Alzheimer’s disease, however, human studies have been few and inconsistent.

NCCIH says that other supplements including vitamin B, vitamin D, multivitamins, coconut oil, and melatonin do not have enough research to support their use for brain health.

Brain Maintenance

According to Harvard University’s Harvard Health and the Alzheimer’s Association, the best way to maintain the health of your grey matter is with a healthy lifestyle. These are their tips for brain health:

• Get regular aerobic exercise. This will keep your neurons supplies with blood and oxygen and reduce cognitive decline.
• Stimulate your brain. Although stimulation may not grow new neurons it can grow new connections between neurons, called brain plasticity. Examples include doing mental gymnastics like puzzles or learning something new through reading or taking a class.
• Switch to a Mediterranean style diet. People who eat lots of fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and olive oil have less cognitive decline and dementia. A diet for brain health also includes less animal fat and less salt.
• Don’t smoke. Smoking increases cognitive decline.
• Work with your doctor to control your blood pressure, blood sugar, and to maintain a healthy weight.
• Get enough sleep. Poor sleep has been linked to increased problems with memory and thinking.
• Watch out for depression. Untreated depression has been linked to cognitive decline. Get help if you are struggling with depression, stress, or anxiety.
• Don’t be a loner. Studies show that people who have more healthy and active relationships have better brain health.
• If you drink alcohol, don’t abuse it. Excessive drinking is a big risk factor for dementia.
• Prevent head injuries. Traumatic brain injuries kill neurons. Wear a helmet when riding a bike or plying a contact sport, and wear your seatbelt.

The post What is Grey Matter? How to Upgrade Your Grey Matter for Better Cognition appeared first on University Health News.

First, you’re probably wondering, what is grey matter in the brain? Grey matter is mostly made up of nerve cells called neurons. Neurons are mostly found in the outer layer of the brain called the cerebral cortex. This is the part of your brain responsible for complex functions. Neurons communicate with each other through nerve fibers called axons. Axons are coated with a white, fatty substance called myelin. The part of the brain where axons are most common is called white matter. _[3]

How Does Caffeine Affect Your Neurons?

The main effect of caffeine comes from blocking a brain chemical called adenosine. When adenosine attaches to a neuron, it decreases the excitability of the neuron and decreases the release of stimulating brain chemicals like dopamine in the cerebral cortex. _[2] An important function of adenosine is to slow down brain functions enough to make you sleepy at night. _[1]

When you ingest caffeine, caffeine gets into your bloodstream and eventually into your brain. In your brain, caffeine binds to the same receptors on neurons that adenosine uses. Just one to three cups of coffee are enough to significantly reduce the effects of adenosine. The result is more energy, less sleepiness, and the stimulation that coffee drinkers are looking for. _[2]

How Does Caffeine Affect Sleep?

The most common side effect of caffeine is loss of sleep, called sleep deprivation. The part of your brain that controls your sleep-wake cycle – your biological clock – is the most sensitive to caffeine. One to three cups of coffee may be enough to affect your sleep. The effects usually require more than 200 milligrams of caffeine. _[2] You may have trouble falling asleep, have fewer hours of sleep, and have a less deep and restful sleep, called slow-wave sleep. _[1,2]

Sleep deprivation may cause side effects like daytime sleepiness and problems with concentration or memory, called brain fog. These symptoms may cause you to drink even more coffee to stay awake and alert, making it harder to recover your lost sleep, leading to a vicious cycle. _[1]

How long the effects of caffeine last vary from person to person depending on how sensitive they are to caffeine.  Caffeine has a half-life of about three to seven hours. Half-life is the time that half of the caffeine’s effect has worn off by being removed from your system. _[2] For most people the effects of caffeine last about six hours. _[1]

Are There Other Brain Side Effects of Caffeine?

Low to moderate caffeine intake is between 50 and 300 mg. If you take in about 5 to 10 times that much, you may have a caffeine reaction that includes anxiety, restlessness, and a rapid pulse. _[2] Another brain side effect can occur if you use caffeine for a long time and then stop suddenly. This can cause a caffeine withdrawal reaction that includes headache, fatigue, drowsiness, anxiety, and irritability. These symptoms can last up to one to two days. They can be relieved by taking caffeine. _[1,2]

On the other hand, caffeine can also affect the brain in positive ways. It is effective as a headache medication, especially for migraine headaches. It may also reduce the risk of the brain disorder Parkinson’s disease and may reduce some symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. _[2]

How Much Caffeine Is Safe?

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it is safe to take up to 400 mg of caffeine per day. That’s about four to five cups of coffee over a day. To avoid sleep deprivation, avoid caffeine for at least six hours before bedtime. Other tips for healthy sleep include getting daytime exercise, and not drinking too much alcohol. Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and comfortable, and stick to a regular bedtime routine, going to bed at about the same time every night. _[1]

Sources

1. Caffeine’s Connection to Sleep Problems | Sleep Foundation
2. Neurologic Effects of Caffeine: Overview, Consumption of Caffeine, Physiologic Effects of Caffeine (medscape.com)
3. cerebrum | Description, Anatomy, & Functions | Britannica

The post How Does Caffeine Affect The Brain and the Brain’s Grey Matter? appeared first on University Health News.