Herbs and nutrients are good for the brain
Key herbs and nutrients have the ability to maximise learning potential, improve memory and prevent age related mental deterioration.
The health of the aging population in Australia provides a challenge for practitioners with growing importance. We currently see about 13% of the population over the age of 65 and this will more than double over the next 40-50 years.
The aging brain
When people’s brains age the brain mass shrinks. In some areas, including the frontal lobe and the hippocampus, the brain shrinks more than others. The outer surface also thins. This is often due to the loss of synaptic connections (begins around the age of 20), which can prevent communication and connectivity between cells.
White matter also decreases, meaning a drop in the speed of cognitive processes linked to reduction in Myelin, which effects the memory, decision making and attention span. The chemical messengers also decrease with age, such as the neurotransmitter production, responsible for serotonin, etc.
Detoxification is essential in regards to maximising and restoring cognitive function and memory.
What are the myths about the aging brain?
- You cannot change or improve your brain
- We lose brain cells everyday and eventually run out.
- The brain does not make new brain cells.
- Memory decline is inevitable as we age.
Truth about the aging brain
- In response to learning, the brain maintains its plasticity and can be changed by learning and cognitive therapy.
- Ne brain cells are constantly being produced, especially in the hippocampus where memories are created.
- How we live, learn and manage stress and genetics, all help to determine how well our brains age.
What are the benefits of nootropic substances?
Nootropics, which are popularly referred to as “smart drugs”, “smart nutrients”, “Cognitive enhancers” and “brain enhancers”, are a class of drugs that improve impaired human cognitive abilities. Typically, nootropics are alleged to work by altering the availability of the brain’s supply of neurochemicals (neutransmitters, enzymes and hormones), by improving the brain’s oxygen supply, or by stimulating nerve growth.
Nootropic nutrients include:
- Acetyl-L carnitine
- Choline
- Lecithin
- Vitamin E
- Tyrosine
- Vitamin C
Electrolyte minerals:
- Sodium
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Lithium
Nootropic herbs:
- Bacopa
- Withania
- Gingko biloba
- St. John’s Wort
- Gotu kola
- Schizandra
Bacopa monniera (Brahmi) is very useful for the memory, cognitive functions and ADHD. Its traditional use is as an important Ayurvedic traditional herbal medicine. It is used as a nerve and brain tonic to improve memory, learning and concentration. In addition, it used for treating epilepsy and psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety and depression.
It grows in India and the tropics in wet and marshy areas. It is also native to Australia. The entire plant can be used medicinally. The active constituents include alkalodis, saponins and sterols. Steroidal saponins bacoside A and B are thought to be responsible for Brahmis’s effects on the brain and nervous system.
The main actions include:
- Providing a nervine and brain tonic
- Providing antioxidants
- Acts as an antiinflammatory
- Acts as a sedative
- Is mildly anxiolytic
- Is mildly anticonvulsant
- Is Mildly cardiotonic.
It can help cognition and memory by enhancing memory and learning, improving concentration and mental clarity, enhancing mental cognition in older adults. In addition, it repairs nerve damage, as well as stroke and brain injury.
Hippocampus is involved in the formation and retrieval of memories. Age or disease damages synapses, disrupting neurotransmitters. As a result, new memory creation is impaired and memory loss occurs. Bacosides repair damaged neurons by boosting kinase, which is the protein used to synthesise new neurons. It improves the synaptic activity and thus memory can be restored.
What will be the cognitive effects in adults?
An Australian double-blind randomised placebo-controlled study of 76 adults aged between 40 and 65 years old showed that Brahmi has a significant effect on the retention of new information. Follow up tests also showed that the rate of learning was unaffected, suggesting that Brhami decreases the rate of forgetting newly acquired information (Roodenrys et al. 2002).
A double-blind placebo-controlled study of healthy adults taking Brahmi 300mg per day showed that it significantly improved the speed of visual information processing, learning rate and memory consolidation, compared to placebo. Maximal effects were seen after 12 weeks of treatment (Stough et al. 2001).
Benefits for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
A double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial was conducted on the effects of B. monniera on 36 children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Over 16 weeks, 19 children received standardised Brahmi extract (50mg twice daily) for 12 weeks, then a placebo for four weeks.
Children were evaluated for cognitive function at baseline, 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks. Treated children showed improved sentence repetition, logical memory and paired associate learning tasks. Improvements were maintained at 16 weeks, even after four weeks placebo treatment (Negi et al. 2000).
Epilepsy
Brahmi has been proved to reduces the incidence of epilepsy. An open clinical study of 13 patients with epilepsy taking an alcohol extract of B. monniera over two to five months showed improved fitting frequency. In five cases, the onset of epileptic fits was checked completely (Mukherjee & Dey 1968).
Brahmi has been used safely in Ayurvedic medicine for hundreds of years. Therapeutic doses are not associated with any known negative side effects (Singh & Dhawan 1997). They are also safe for children in the correct dosage.
What about Withania somnifera?
Studies show that this herb may alternate concentrations of neurotransmitters at brain level. It also has cognition enhancing and memory improving effects shown in both animal and human studies. Additionally, it has significant anti-stress adaptogenic effects by decreasing neuron activity and inhibiting the overfiring of nerve cells.
Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) is an ayurvedic herb tonic for greater vitality and longevity. It contains flavonoids and Withanolides, acts as an antioxidant, has anti-stress qualities, as well as anti tumour and mind boosting capabilities.
It is used in India to treat amnesia and mental deficits in geriatric patients. The effects are caused by increasing acetylcholine (neurotransmitter) receptor activity. This may explain the cognition enhancing and memory improving effects shown in both animal and human studies.
Finally, studies on Schisandra chinensis have shown it is effective to quicken reflexes, improve work efficiency, control anger and combat neurosthenias.
Evidence of improving memory, cognitive functions and reversing depression have also been shown. It is suggested that it should be taken in a herbal formula, such as Bacopa monnieri, Withania somnifera and Schisandra chinesis.
This is great news! And such an informative article. So what you’re saying is that we do have a chance of improving the physical health of our brain, right? I think we always associate the brain with its function to a point where we ignore the obvious fact that it’s also an organ. So the more we learn and keep on challenging it to actually work, we can keep it in shape (no pun intended).
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OliviaB.
San Francisco DUI lawyer