Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements

There are a handful of herbal and natural substances that anybody over 50 should be on. These are particularly beneficial in those with MCI (mild cognitive impairment) or early to moderate stage Alzheimer’s, and they also have evidence that they boost cognition in healthy adults and provide an edge in challenging tasks.

It is unclear if any of the following can permanently reverse or slow decline or if they just help you make neural connections today. Nonetheless, those at risk for AD, should be on these daily. Even if they only make you smarter today. Why not? The only side effect of most of these natural remedies is feeling healthier.

  •  Probiotics and Prebiotics

  • Green tea — drink minimum of three cups a day.* May need 6+ (one cup has 50mg EGCG and many benefits are noted at the 300mg per day level). Alternatively, drink one cup of matcha tea per day or add 1 tsp per day to smoothies. Green tea leaves can be eaten or thrown in smoothies as well.

Green tea has been implicated in benefiting almost every organ system in the body. It is cardioprotective, neuroprotective, anti-obesity, anti-carcinogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-artherogenic,liver protective and beneficial for blood vessel health. These beneficial effects are seen in doses present both in green tea itself (as a drink) as well as from a supplemental form.

Bioavailability increased when taken with quercetin and fish oil or a meal containing them. If eating leaves check with eatgreentea.com to verify toxicity of specific brand. If consuming matcha, watch caffeine levels which could be 3x standard green tea and more in line with that found in a cup of brewed coffee. So as not to interfere with sleep it would be wise to eliminate caffeine consumption 6 hrs prior to bedtime. There is some concern of lead concentrations when consuming the leaf/matcha.

  • Blueberries or blueberry extract. Proven to improve cognition in those experiencing cognitive decline and some evidence they improve cognition in everybody. Should be eaten or supplemented daily. Also, they are fantastic antioxidants and good for the skin. Optimal dose is 5.5 – 11g blueberry extract. Eat one cup of blueberries per day or put in smoothie. Monitor blood pressure as blueberry consumption can lower it. The blueberry’s fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and phytonutrient content, coupled with its lack of cholesterol, all support heart health. The fiber in blueberries helps lower the total amount of cholesterol in the blood and decrease the risk of heart disease.

  • Magnesium. 80% of adults are deficient in this vital mineral. Naturally found in dark, leafy vegetables, MgT can be supplemented at 1g-2g/day. Let’s shoot for 2g. In a mouse study, remarkably, MgT treatment reduced Aβ-plaque, the plaque observed in Alzheimer’s brains, prevented synapse loss and memory decline; and even was beneficial in the end stage of the Alzheimers’-like disease. We recommend getting 2g per day from dietary and supplement sources. Order 500mg supplements here.

Food

Spinach 1 Cup: 157 Milligrams 40% Dv
Chard 1 Cup: 154 Milligrams 38% Dv
Pumpkin Seeds 1/8 Cup: 92 Milligrams 23% Dv
Yogurt Or Kefir 1 Cup: 50 Milligrams 13% Dv
Almonds 1 Ounce: 80 Milligrams 20% Dv
Black Beans Cup: 60 Milligrams 15% Dv
Avocado 1 Medium: 58 Milligrams 15% Dv
Figs Cup: 50 Milligrams 13% Dv
  • Vitamin D (D3). You are certainly deficient in Vitamin D. Everybody is, unless consistently spending 30 mins to an hour per day in sunlight. Take with a fat source. 1,000-2,000IU per day. We want to get your Vitamin D level to 60, per Dr Lipscomb. To increase level, subtract current level from 60, and multiply by 100 to get dose. If current level is 40, then subtracting that from 60 yields 20. 20 X 100 = 2,000 IUs per day. If taking more than 1000 IUs of D3 per day, it’s advisable to stack it with Vitamin K2 at 200 mcg per day, per Bredesen.

  • Vitamin B-12 (Methyl Cobalamin)– Get B12 level over 500, per Dr Lipscomb. B12 supplementation extremely helpful if patient has deficiency. Supplement 1,000 mcg (1mg) per day. We really need to see his B12 levels. Physicians should but do not always pull this, evaluate level and write level off as normal before diagnosing with AD, but this article indicates that many doctors consider a low level as normal. “[It] is well-established in the scientific literature that people with B12 levels between 200 pg/mL and 350 pg/mL – levels considered “normal” in the U.S. – have clear B12 deficiency symptoms. Experts who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of B12 deficiency, like Sally Pacholok R.N. and Jeffery Stewart D.O., suggest treating all patients that are symptomatic and have B12 levels less than 450 pg/mL.”  B12 Deficiency a silent epidemic with serious consequences.

  • Fermented cod liver oil  — best kind of fish oil. Also functions as a blood thinner — good for healthy heart. Average diet is high in Omega 6 and needs more Omega 3 fatty acids. (DHA/EPA). Cautions: if also taking aspirin or another blood thinner, supplement with caution. Also can increase cholesterol so need to monitor. American Heart Association recommends 1g per day. 250mg of EPA/DHA is combined minimum dosage and can be achieved through diet. Regular fish oil is much cheaper so if you feel you must stick to a strict budget, use the regular one, although many claim damage occurs in the heating process used.

  • Bacopa Monnieri — important for memory formation. evidence is very strong this helps with cognition, but must be taken 4-6 weeks before noticeable effect. Dosage? 150-250mg/day based on Bredesen. Need to confirm our own analysis.

  • Ashwagandha — neuroprotective, anti-cancer, enhanced virility. Clear evidence from human studies that Ashwagandha is significant adaptogen, or anti anxiety supplement. Reduces stress, anxiety, cortisol and C-Reactive protein. All of the following indications have strong evidentiary support, but the impact was minor: Ashwagandha is an antidepressant. Lowers blood pressure. Can lower pulse. Increases motivation. Increases social functioning and subjective well being. Very strong evidence of an increase in testosterone. Boosts T Cell count, thereby increasing immunity. Increased endurance in exercise. Cost effective dose is 300 – 500 mg per day taken with a meal. If taking one time per day, take with breakfast. Many effects were noted at a much higher dosage, 2,000 mg taken 3x per day for a total of 6,000 mg per day. This will make the patient feel better due to adaptogen effects. Reversed AB plaques in mice. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT

  • Curcumin– 500mg must be paired with something to help uptake, unless using to aid in digestion. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. This is one of the few things that’s been proven to reduce brain plaques, albeit in mice (impossible to study brain plaque in humans since would have to remove the skull to verify). Can cause diarrhea. Commonly causes diarrhea in those who dont often eat Indian food. Typically paired with black pepper (piperine). Or take as theracumin. High Absorption Theracurmin

  • Resveratrol . One glass spanish red wine per day. OR 140-440mg per day as supplement. Very important. Increases SirT1 Function.

  • Acetyl-l-carnitine arginate (ALCAR)** is a patented form of carnitine, an amino acid, which improves brain power and contributes to neurogenesis. Taken by many as nootropic to enhance performance.  630 – 2500 mg. Minimum dosage 500mg per day. Leads to nerve growth. Powerful. Acetyl L-Carnitine

  • Gingko biloba — Gotten a bit of a bad rap in the early 2000s and this is largely because there was a lot of early speculation that it could become a cure-all, but evidence is still strong that it’s beneficial. In 2009 study, it appeared to be equally as effective as Aricept (240mg v 10mg). Those who combined the two had the best outcomes. to alleviate cognitive decline, 40-120mg, 3x per day. For cognitive enhancement in normal brain, 120-240mg one to four hours before performance.

  • Cacao — Eat 26-40g dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa) per day and no need for supplementation. Clear evidence of increased blood flow to the brain. In theory it should improve cognition. In Portuguese study, long term chocolate consumption reduced risk of cognitive decline by 40%, as measured by the MMSE, although similar protection was noted in those who drank at least one coffee per day. If not ingesting, subject can supplement 500mg to 1g per day of cocoa flavanols. May play protective role during aging.

  • Lion’s Mane (yamabushitake) Only one human study and it used a dosage of 3g per day. Strong neuroprotective benefit in this one study. Showed “significant improvement on a rating scale of dementia in persons suffering cognitive decline.” In rats, when they ate these mushrooms as 5% of their diet, significant benefits were shown.

  • L Methyl Folate — much better than folic acid. Needed in very small dose 1000 mcg / 1 mg.

  • Alpha GPC – 500 mg per day. It’s a natural choline found in the brain. Strong evidence, should seriously consider. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha-GPC

  • A Lipoic Acidhttp://alzdiscovery.org/cognitive-vitality/report/ala Strong evidence.