Six supplements that help and Six additives or environmental toxins to avoid.
GABA, Bacopa Monnieri, Nattokinase, PQQ, Nicotinamide riboside, and Alpha GPC on cognitive performance and memory preservation in aging.
PQQ:
Kumazawa, T & Sato, K & Seno, H & Ishii, Akira & Suzuki, Osamu. (1995). Levels of pyrroloquinoline quinone in various foods. The Biochemical journal. 307 ( Pt 2). 331-3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/15465054_Levels_of_pyrroloquinoline_quinone_in_various_foods
Positive effects of PQQ supplementation on stress, fatigue, and sleep.
Nakano, Masahiko & Yamamoto, Tetsuro & Okamura, Hisayoshi & Tsuda, Akira & Kowatari, Yasuyuki. (2012). Effects of Oral Supplementation with Pyrroloquinoline Quinone on Stress, Fatigue, and Sleep. Funct. Foods Health Dis. 2. 307-324. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281323256_Effects_of_Oral_Supplementation_with_Pyrroloquinoline_Quinone_on_Stress_Fatigue_and_Sleep. (20mg daily in study below)
“They ingested 20 mg of PQQ daily for 8 weeks. Changes in stress, fatigue, quality of life measures and sleep were evaluated using various inventories and questionnaires. For example, the results of the Profile of Mood States-Short Form revealed that all six measures of vigor, fatigue, tension-anxiety, depression, anger-hostility and confusion were significantly improved following PQQ administration compared with scores for thosemeasures before administration of PQQ. Measures for quality of life, appetite, sleep, obsession and pain, also improved significantly.”
Nattokinase:
Kim JY, Gum SN, Paik JK, Lim HH, Kim KC, Ogasawara K, Inoue K, Park S, Jang Y, Lee JH. Effects of nattokinase on blood pressure: a randomized, controlled trial. Hypertens Res. 2008 Aug;31(8):1583-8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18971533/
Bacopa Monnieri:
Vollala, Venkata Ramana et al. “Enhanced dendritic arborization of hippocampal CA3 neurons by Bacopa monniera extract treatment in adult rats.” Romanian journal of morphology and embryology 52 3 (2011): 879-86 .https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Enhanced-dendritic-arborization-of-hippocampal-CA3-Vollala-Upadhya/999ab5c18895245136529606fa6d707c51c2e285/figure/1
GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid)
“Inake of 200 mg/day of Gamma-aminobutyric acid（GABA）Improves a Wide Range of Cognitive Functions ―A Randomized, Double—blind, Placebo—controlled Parallel—group Clinical Trial― Atsushi Yamatsu and et al.”
薬理と治療, 48, 461-474 (2020), https://www.pieronline.jp/content/article/0386-3603/48030/461
Nicotinamide Riboside (often sold as Nad+)
“A total of 20 preclinical studies have been published evaluating NR on various aspects of brain health in cell culture and rodent models. NR was evaluated in preclinical models of AD, ALS, Gulf War Illness, ASD, obesity-induced cognitive decline, alcohol-induced depression, and maternal supplementation, amongst others. Though various doses of NR were tested, 400 mg/kg/day (estimated at 1300 mg/day for an adult human) was most frequently utilized dose. NR increased NAD+ levels in the brain of mice following oral supplementation in seven separate studies. Multiple studies demonstrated NR-induced improvements in cognitive performance, behavior, and slowing of disease progression. The mechanisms of NR-induced augmentations were repeatedly associated with decreased neuroinflammation, potentially through a decrease in the cGAS–STING pathway, attenuation of neuronal degradation, reduction in amyloid-β, increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and an increase in sirtuins.”
Alpha GPC:
https://us.sfihealth.com/klairelabs/cache/file/0A0F9393-556F-4B1B-862167CF666396CD.pdf
“alpha–GPC has most frequently been evaluated for its ability to support cognitive function in the elderly with normal, age-related memory decline. At high doses (1,200 mg/d), alpha–GPC has been shown to significantly support cognitive abilities more so than choline and CDP-choline.1,4,10 Neural and Cellular Membrane Support”
And Six Substances which Degrade Cognition and Memory
Monoxodium Glutamate:
“The brain depends on careful control of chemicals to operate smoothly. Even small fluctuations in the concentrations of chemicals can cause drastic disruptions in brain function. When a category of chemicals known as excitotoxins enter the brain, they literally excite brain cells until they die. Monosodium glutamate is added to foods as a taste enhancer, but it is a well-established excitotoxin.
Additionally, some parts of the brain such as the hypothalamus and the pineal are not protected by the blood-brain barrier, yet these parts of the brain control many hormones in the body as well as other bodily functions, including mood. When MSG enters the brain, not only does it kill brain cells, it wreaks havoc on brain functions.”
https://www.ecowatch.com/msg-health-effects-2182662411.html
Diacetyl (artificial butter flavor)
“May 3, 2023 – In addition to respiratory issues, research has linked diacetyl exposure to oxidative stress and damage to DNA.8 Plus, evidence suggests that diacetyl may be able to cross the blood-brain barrier, potentially causing damage to brain cells and contributing to the development of neurological disorders.”
It has been shown in multiple studies to promote Alzheimer’s Disease:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120801132606.htm
Diacetyl is Harmful to the lungs also:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/diacetyl
“Diacetyl exposure has been linked to the development of bronchiolitis obliterans, a rare and life-threatening form of nonreversible obstructive lung disease in which the bronchioles are compressed and narrowed by fibrosis and inflammation.”
Sodium Benzoate or Potassium Sorbate
https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/4/2/33
“A high benzoate intake might also … on brain neurochemistry. There are therefore strong grounds for suspecting that dietary benzoate can have neuromodulatory (mood, learning, and personality) effects and influence child hyperactivity disorders. Keywords: preservatives; sodium benzoate; potassium sorbate”
Aspartame (“Equql”) and Sucralose (Splenda)
“Aspartame is made up of three brain-damaging chemicals — aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol.
Formerly known as Nutrasweet, but now also called AminoSweet, this is one of the easiest brain-damaging chemicals to avoid since it is clearly labeled.
Sucralose
While the affects of aspartame have been well-publicized, those of the artificial sweetener sucralose are not as well known. Sucralose is marketed as Splenda whose ads say “made from sugar so it tastes like sugar”. What the ads don’t tell you is that sucralose is sugar bonded to chlorine, making it a toxic chlorocarbon.
Some common neurological side effects are headaches, migraines, dizziness, brain fog, anxiety, depression, and tinnitus. Another side effect is weight gain, which rather defeats the purpose.
Sucralose prevents nutrient absorption and reduces the amount of good bacteria in your intestines by 50%. This leads to an overabundance of bad bacteria which has numerous negative effects on your brain including damage to the hippocampus, the part of the brain where memories are stored.
Stop drinking diet soda or eating foods with this or any other artificial sweetener. You’d be better off going back to sugar! My favorite healthy sweetener is stevia. This naturally sweet herb can be used to sweeten foods and drinks with zero calories, naturally.”
Aluminum
While not an additive per se, aluminum cookware, packaging (some acidic carbonated beverages in AL cans, and the Al used as an adjuvant in vaccinations all end up in the brain, as do aluminum traces from occupational exposures:
Exley C, Vickers T. Elevated brain aluminium and early onset Alzheimer’s disease in an individual occupationally exposed to aluminium: a case report. J Med Case Rep (2014) 8:41. doi:10.1186/1752-1947-8-41
It is not only dietary exposure but also exposure from anti-perspirants and antacids which can be concerning. Even in selecting baking powder, it is possible to find, for similar price, powders that do not contain aluminum.
“The connection between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease is less a myth than a longstanding scientific controversy. It began in 1965, when researchers discovered that injecting rabbits’ brains with aluminum caused them to develop neurofibrillary tangles, the twisted proteins found in brain cells of patients with Alzheimer’s disease, a degenerative brain disorder that destroys memory and cognition.
The finding spurred a rush of research. Just eight years later, a Canadian group studying brain tissue from deceased Alzheimer’s patients found that certain parts of their brains had two to three times more aluminum than a normal brain. By 1980, Daniel Perl and Arnold Brody had managed to actually peer inside human tangle-bearing brain cells — and found aluminum there, too.”
Suggested nutritional support supplements are offered for evaluation only. This a pastoral healing service based upon psychic and energetic approaches to healing. Use of herbal or homeopathic remedies is based upon the literature of each discipline and on anecdotal experiences of clients or practitioners who have used these over many millennia in the ancient Scandinavian tradition of Tietaja. In some modern Tietajar training, we shamanic students learn global herbalism and so suggestions may use herbs employed in diverse indigenous healing traditions. Do research the uses and applications of components yourself and discuss it with a licensed healthcare professional prior to using.