Most people believe a progressive decline in overall brain function is a natural process of aging. This degenerative process causes us to lose our short-term memory and abstract reasoning ability. It also may make concentration or learning new information difficult. Many neurological diseases are also directly related to aging such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.

Many published studies have shown that the decline of brain function can be delayed, or even reversed, by proper diet and/or supplementation. This report is a review of the existing research done on the ingredients in Melaleuca’s Unforgettables™ dietary supplement.

-Omega-3s in Fish Oil

Cold water fish is high on the list of brain foods because EPA and DHA, the omega-3 fatty acids found in cold water fish, have been linked to enhanced memory and brain function. The fish chosen by Melaleuca for the supplement Unforgettables are anchovy, mackerel, and sardine. These fish are small and live only a short time; not long enough to accumulate a buildup of harmful mercury. The fish are also pre-screened for mercury content before processing.

In the United States and Canada, omega-3 intake through diet alone is very low because it is usually limited to canola oil, corn oil, and other cooking oils, as well as walnuts and flaxseed oil. These plant-based sources give us a form of omega-3 which then needs to be converted into DHA by the body. In women, the conversion rate to DHA is about 7%, and in men it is less than 1%. Needless to say, these plant based sources of omega-3 are not the optimal way to feed our brains with plenty of DHA, which is what is needed for best brain, eye, and heart functioning. Since cold-water fish oil is already rich in DHA, adding it to the diet as a supplement is the best way to provide your body with DHA.
Scientists working on a nine-year study completed in 2006 found that patients with dementia have less DHA in their brains than patients of the same age without dementia. There is a 47% reduction in risk for developing dementia when DHA levels in the brain are high. Free radicals do more damage in the aged brain when there is a deficiency of DHA because DHA protects the brain from oxidative stress. Studies are finding that supplementation with fish-based DHA, and another component of fish o 1000 il known as EPA, can delay and lessen the impact of age-associated diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

-Vitamin E and Blueberry Extract

Vitamin E and blueberry extract act as antioxidants in Melaleuca’s Unforgettables. The two of these are together in a single supplement because the synergy between them increases their benefits. Just as we said in our “Antioxidants for Natural Cellular Protection” Research Report, “Many studies have indicated that combinations of antioxidant vitamins, carotenoids and flavonoids are believed to be more effective than supplementation with any of these nutrients alone.”
Vitamin E is purported to be a very important ingredient for optimal brain health. It could possibly halt or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease because it relieves oxidative stress to brain cells. The brain is rich in lipids (fatty compounds) which are susceptible to oxidative damage from free radicals. Oxidative stress can really damage memory function, and brain cells in general. When the damage has been done, older adults start showing symptoms of “age associated memory impairment.” In the brain, antioxidant molecules like those in vitamin E and blueberries “wage war against molecules known as free radicals, which can harm brain cells and brain function.” Vitamin E has actually been shown to block the death of neurons in the brain. Essentially, a good vitamin E supplement can prevent or slow the rate of cognitive decline as the brain ages.

Blueberries can alleviate inflammation in the brain and spinal cord, according to a study done by Thomas Kuhn, PhD, of the University of Alaska. Two of the most damaging players in brain aging are inflammation and oxidative stress. We learned that vitamin E helps to alleviate the oxidative stress and now we find that blueberries can help to lessen the inflammation of the spinal cord and brain tissue. Blueberry can also strengthen the communication between neural cells and can actually REVERSE damage done to the circuitry in the brain. The neural circuitry in the brain tends to resemble a tree or leaf, with branches and sub-branches feeding off the main stem. In brains of memory impaired rats, some of the branches have withered and become disconnected. Studies done on older memory impaired rats that were fed a diet supplemented with blueberries found that blueberry could return brain structure back to normal, as well as prevent the breakdown of neuronal communication. This m!
ade headlines for many health news outlets in November 2007

-Gingko Biloba

Gingko biloba is featured in all of Melaleuca’s ProVex products for cardiovascular health because its properties include the improvement of blood flow and the ability to block the effects of blood clotting. It is added as an ingredient in Unforgettables for these reasons and because of another property it possesses — the protection against oxidative cell damage from free radicals. A recent six-month study on the effects of gingko biloba in the diet of ten patients, with no dementia but mild memory loss, found that after supplementing with at least 120 mg twice daily, verbal recall was improved. PET scans showed better brain function in brain memory centers. A French study found that long term supplementation of gingko biloba “enables cognitive performance to be maintained for longer, and indicates that the development of Alzheimer’s disease can be prevented or at least delayed.”

In a meta-review of previously published studies on gingko biloba related to memory function, a “small but significant effect” to short-term recall was found when patients were treated with 120 mg to 240 mg over three to six months.(9)

-Phosphatidylserine

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a phospholipid normally found in nearly every cell in your body. A phospholipid is a type of lipid. Lipids add to cell structure and are a source of fuel. In the brain PS operates in part as a communication facilitator between nerve cells.
Most Phosphatid 1000 ylserine research has been conducted with PS derived from the brain tissue of cows, and shows a substantial health benefit in age-related cognitive decline, but because of concerns about the possibility of humans contracting infectious diseases such as “mad cow” disease, this form is not available in the US.

More recent data suggests that the complexation of standardized Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) with soy-derived phospholipids, the form used in Melaleuca’s Unforgettables, enhances the bio-availability of GBE’s active components.

Results of a recent study utilizing ginkgo biloba extract with soy-derived phospholipids showed that “administration of GBE complexed with Phosphatidylserine resulted both in improved secondary memory performance and significantly increased speed of memory task performance across all of the post-dose testing sessions.”

It appears from this study that Phosphatidylserine acts synergistically to enhance the cognitive effects associated with a low dose of GBE. Further research is required to identify whether this effect is due to the complexation of the extracts, their mere combination, or the separate psychopharmacological actions of the two extracts.

-Conclusion

The ingredients in Unforgettables are a well-chosen blend of brain health ingredients whose positive synergistic effects can help to maintain cognitive function in older adults. We have seen that two of the most damaging effects of age to the brain are inflammation and oxidative stress caused by free radicals. The ingredients in Unforgettables combat against both of these adverse side-effects of aging.

By: Arthor Pens

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

The Author has worked in the Wellness industry since 2003, and in the internet field since 2000. She is the editor for the Melaleuca Wellness Guide, and the and researcher and author of several research articles on the RM Barry Publications web site. If you are interested in learning more about Melaleuca please visit www.rmbarry.com

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The Benefits of Blueberry Nutrition

Blueberries have recently been hailed as a superfood for their health promoting   properties.  But is it possible that these humble fruits can really pack such a punch?

Like most fruits, blueberries are packed with health promoting compounds, not least among these being vitamin C, the most important water soluble antioxidant in the body.  But vitamin C functions best in the presence of plant flavonoids (or bioflavonoids) which are themselves antioxidants and as such are important protectors against the damage to cells and tissues, which may be caused by the compounds known as free radicals.

So luckily, blueberries are also rich in flavonoids and the most important blueberry antioxidant, the flavonoid known as anthocyanidin, is thought to be responsible for most blueberry health benefits, particularly those which relate to the eyes.

Anthocyanidin is believed to be crucial for the maintenance of the body’s connective tissue, or collagen, on which depends the strength of the capillary walls, and is also vital for efficient blood circulation and effective use of vitamin C throughout the body. Anthocyanidin pigment is also an effective anti-bacterial agent, which is especially good for soothing digestive and intestinal disorders, but . . .

…it’s from anthocyanidin’s stimulating and strengthening effect on the circulation and tiny blood vessels of the eyes that most of the benefits of blueberry nutrition are derived.

The central area of the eye’s retina, the macula, is made up of countless light sensitive cells which are essential to good vision. These cells depend for their effective functioning on huge numbers of tiny capillaries which supply them with oxygenated blood and essential nutrients.  Using the power of blueberry nutrition to ensure a good supply of anthocyanidin may therefore be a wise precaution because serious and even catastrophic loss of vision may occur if any weakening of the capillaries through disease or free radical activity leads to any leakage of blood into the retina itself.

These kind of eye problems are particularly common amongst sufferers from diabetes and as well as possibly helping prevent this condition – known as “diabetic retinopathy” there’s also evidence that blueberries may help reduce the high blood sugar which is the root cause of the problem.

Blueberry antioxidant effects within the eyes…

…are also believed by many practitioners to help prevent the cataracts and age related macular degeneration (AMD) which remain an all too common cause of progressive blindness in older people.

But it’s only fair to acknowledge that conventional opinion in the medical and opthalmic professions remains unconvinced of the benefits of blueberry nutrition, their attitude being sceptical if not downright hostile. But nutritional therapists, herbalist and many alternative health practitioners are nevertheless convinced of blueberry health benefits. And of course this attitude of most (but by no means all) opthalmic professionals is very much in keeping with the profession’s traditional hostility to those pioneers who have sought cures for visual disorders rather than being content to rely on mere artificial correction of symptoms (ie prescription lenses), and in its persistent rejection of the evidence which supports more natural methods of improving vision and eye health.

But whatever your views about alternative therapies or diet supplements in general, the good news about blueberries is that they’re an entirely natural food stuff, consumed by humans since time immemorial, which can be easily and cheaply obtained, and which present no risk to health in any quantities conceivably likely to be ingested, even if taken in the form of a concentrated extract.

Click here for an inexpensive high-potency extract of blueberry and many other antioxidant fruits

Blueberry supplements are now easily available in good health stores, and are often found combined in mixed berry formulations along with extracts of red raspberry, strawberry, grape and even passion juice – all valuable sources of antioxidant flavonoids in their own right. For eye health in particular, blueberry is often combined with lutein and zeaxanthin, more antioxidants which evidence suggests may have powerful beneficial effects within the eyes, particularly in tackling AMD.

So if the claims made for blueberry nutrition are even partly true, then blueberries or blueberry supplements can be a potentially hugely valuable (and completely harmless) addition to your dietary regime.

Technorati Tags: Bioflavonoids, Blueberries, Blueberry antioxidant, Blueberry health, Blueberry nutrition, Blueberry supplements, Eye Health, Free Radicals, Plant Flavonoids