FLORIDA EAST
COAST POST-POLIO SUPPORT
GROUP - Vol. 7 #6
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*Saturday, May 20
-- RED LOBSTER RESTAURANT
Sunday,
June 14 - Discussion of GINI
Conference.
JULY and
AUGUST - No Meetings
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OUR
UPCOMING CONFERENCE
DEC 8
- 10, 2000
Well, our conference plans are coming along –
At the end of this newsletter you will find our
“Conference Packet” with a list of our speakers and also a Room Reservation
Card from the Hilton, and a Conference Registration form.
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EASTER SEAL
SOCIETY
I’m sure all of you have
gotten name labels in the mail from various groups requesting a donation. Well, my brother brought in a label sheet he
received – imagine my surpris when it turned out to have the following on the
reverse side of the label:-
Post Polio
Syndrome
Post polio syndrome is a
“second” disability affecting a large number of polio survivors. If you had polio and are experiencing
unexplained symptoms, you may have the late effects of polio, often referred to
as post polio syndrome.
Post polio symptoms can
appear in the muscles that were affected at the time polio was contracted or in
previously unaffected areas. It can
appear at any time and is frequently triggered by a trauma such as surgery, death
in a family, emotional upheaval, or accident.
Reportedly, there are 1.6
million polio survivors in the United States, many of whom will experience the
late effects of polio.
Understand that:
·
Post polio syndrome is not a recurrence of the virus.
·
The rate of decline can be very slow if properly treated.
·
Unexplained symptoms do not mean that you are imagining things.
·
It can strike 10 to 50 years after the polio attack.
·
Your participation in the treatment is a must.
·
Information and support are available.
·
Support groups are vital links to educational information.
Symptoms:
·
Unaccustomed fatigue – either rapid muscle tiring or feelings of total
body exhaustion.
·
New weakness in muscles – both those originally affected and those
unaffected.
·
Pain in muscles and/or joints.
·
Breathing difficulties.
·
Swallowing problems.
·
Non-recognition/denial of symptoms by medical professionals.
·
Function decline.
·
Depression.
·
Muscle spasms/twitching.
·
Sleep problems.
·
Weakness and muscle atrophy.
·
Anxiety.
As a first step, a general
evaluation should be made to exclude other conditions which may mimic post
polio syndrome. Further diagnosis and
treatment by a specialist may then be necessary. Some of the specialists dealing with post polio syndrome are neurologists,
pulmonologists, physiatrists, and orthopedists. Easter Seals provides therapy services and post polio support
groups throughout the United States.
For more information contact your area Easter Seals.
Editor’s Note:- Our local Volusia/ Flagler Easter Seals has been one of our
staunchest supporters from the very beginning of our group in May 1993. On a personal note – it was through an
Easter Seal radio blurb that I first learned about post-polio syndrome back in
1986 while still living on Long Island.
I joined that group at its second meeting and was active in it until
moving down to Ormond Beach in January 1992.
When it was found that we needed a post-polio support group in Volusia
County, Linda Richards (our co-founder) and I went to the local Easter Seals
for support and they have been with us ever since. Thank you Easter Seals for all your help.
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UPCOMING GINI
CONFERENCE
The International Polio
Network, GINI, will be holding its Eighth International Polio and Independent
Living Conference in St. Louis, MO on June 8th to 10th, at the St. Louis
Marriott Pavilion Downtown – 800
228-9290 or 314 421-1776
($119./night). Be sure to tell them you
are with the GINI Post-Polio Meeting.
Registration for the Conference after May 1st is $190. for polio
survivor; the meal package is $105. If
you want a registration form or further information you can get it at
www.post-polio.org or give GINI a call at 314 534-0475 or Barbara at 904 676-2435.
If you’ve never been to the
International Polio Conference, you should make every effort to attend. Besides having the very best speakers, the
meting and networking with other polio survivors from all over the world is
well worth the trip.
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Reprinted from Post Polio Support
Group of Orange County, Fountain Valley, CA – March 2000
POLIO
ABOVE THE NECK
WITH DR. SUSAN
PERLMAN
Reported by Mary Clarke Atwood
Editorial assistance by V. Duboucheron, and
S. Perlman, Neurologist
Dr.
Susan Perlman, Director of the UCLA Post-Polio Clinic, spoke at the May 2, 1999
meeting of the Orange County Post-Polio Support Group. In addition to her responsibilities in the
Post-Polio Clinic, Dr. Perlman also serves at the University of California-Los
Angeles (UCLA) as Associate Clin8ical Professor of Neurology, and Director of
the Neurogenetics Clinic.
Previously
much attention has been given to post-polio problems involving the limbs -- a
weak leg, fatiguing arms, etc. These
manifestations of Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS) occur in people who had spinal
poliomyelitis – the acute infection that affected anterior horn cells in the
spinal cord segmentally.
People
who had nonparalytic polio, by definition had polioencephalitis. They had involvement of those brain areas
above the spinal cord, and could well have had poliovirus changes in the
brainstem (bulbar polio). So breathing
and swallowing problems may be present even in people who ostensibly had
nonparalytic polio and also in others who may have no complaints about their
legs or arms.
This
report focuses on the problems of bulbar polio and other problems that are now
manifested in people who have PPS. The
cause of these problems is polio damage that occurred in the upper cervical
spine and upward. Bulbar is defined as
polio involvement of the motor nerves in the brainstem.
Early Studies:-
Polio
autopsy reports following the epidemics of the 1940s and 1950s showed signs of
acute polio infection throughout the body; it was not just restricted to the
spinal cord. There were changes found
in upper motor neuron pathways and there were changes found in central brain
structures that control alertness, central fatigue, and autonomic functions
such as temperature regulation etc.
There were also many changes seen in the brainstem itself.
Probably
greater than 90% of a polio survivors motor neurons were somehow affected
during the acute stage and had some damage, even if not paralytic. Autopsy studies have shown that during the
acute attack as few as 3 or 4% of the motor neurons remained intact.
There
are not many polio survivors seen now who had severe residual effects from the
acute bulbar polio infection. This is
probably because when there is a 50% loss of the motor neurons that control
breathing or swallowing, a person is going to be in serious trouble. Many did not survive the acute infection. Those who survived bulbar polio truly are
survivors, said Dr. Perlman.
Respiratory Problems:-
There
are some people who had only mild breathing weakness with the original polio,
(chest wall weakness or a little diaphragmatic weakness) but their breathing
centers in the brainstem were actually intact.
People who had true bulbar polio had involvement that didn’t trigger
breathing – they needed to be assisted until those centers came back. So when looking at post-polio breathing
problems, people who had primary muscular manifestations should be included
along with those who had bulbar polio.
In
other parts of the body such as arms and legs, surviving motor neurons
remodeled and adopted the injured or orphaned ones in order to take over
function. However this was not as
common in the brain and brainstem.
Since the brainstem has less plasticity and flexibility, it was harder
for remodeling to occur to the nerves of the pharyngeal muscles and to those of
the upper part of the esophagus. For
years, many survivors have been using compensatory strategies, such as
swallowing on the other side of their throat.
Those who had residual problems such as vocal cord paralysis may also
have been able to compensate for this.
But when the muscles on the “good” side of their throat begin to weaken,
they become aware of a “new” problem in that area.
Muscles
that control breathing and swallowing are the same groups of muscles that are
involved with speech, to some extent.
These groups of muscles are located in the throat. So people with PPS who are having problems
with swallowing, breathing, or shortness of breath during activities of daily
living, might also complain of speech problems. Although facial, jaw, and throat muscles are controlled in the
brain stem, they have rarely been thought of in connection with polio.
Are
people who had bulbar polio going to be having increasing bulbar
dysfunction? The following criteria re
used to determine increasing bulbar problems:
1.
Severity of residual disability.
2.
Residual bulbar or
respiratory signs.
3.
Later age at onset of acute polio
(past age 10).
4.
(Possibly) recent falls or
injuries; or surgical procedures in the pharyngeal area; or weight gain,
because it puts more pressure on the diaphragm and pharyngeal area.
Fortunately our bodies have
several safety factors to assure that breathing muscles meet our oxygen and
carbon dioxide demands. The primary
muscle for breathing is the diaphragm and the secondary breathing muscles are
the external intercostals (the muscles between the ribs). So if a person has a fatigable diaphragm
that tires out by the end of the day, the intercostals will kick in and the
person will begin breathing from the chest.
There are also accessory respiratory muscles that help lift the chest
from the shoulders.
With post-polio breathing
problems, part of the problem is going to be muscular. There may be a diaphragm or secondary
assistive muscles not kicking in as well as they should. There can also be central (brain) changes
contributing to this, such as decreased respiratory drive, if those centers
were affected originally. There may be
changes in the chemoreceptors: perhaps the sensors are not sensing carbon
dioxide (CO2) buildup as sensitively as before.
Scoliosis can also cause
restriction of breathing. A person who
has a scoliotic spine cannot expand his chest as well so he underbreathes
because of it. If scoliosis is getting
worse as a post-polio symptom, it’s going to make that aspect worse and will
interfere with breathing.
When doctors are looking at
respiratory problems of PPS patients, they should look at not only peripheral
problems and muscular problems, but also central disregulation of breathing as
well. All these factors are addressed
at the UCLA sleep lab, directed by Dr. Frisca Yan-Go.
Recent Findings:-
Dr.
Perlman cited a report (“Epidemiology of the Post-Polio Syndrome” by J Ramlow,
et al. American Journal of Epidemiology, October 1, 1992) that involved 77
subjects with non-paralytic polio and 474 subjects with paralytic polio. A change in breathing was observed in 10% of
the nonparalytic subjects and in 12% of the paralytic ones. Swallowing problems were noted in 6% of the
nonparalytic subjects in 7% of the paralytic ones.
In
the larger ongoing studies at polio centers such as Mayo Clinic, Rancho Los
Amigos, and centers in Canada, possibly as many as 40% of the people with PPS
are having new respiratory complaints.
(About 80% of PPS patients complain about fatigue.)
Another
study of 74 polio survivors who were having shortness of breath found two good
measuring devices for patients with increasing respiratory problems:
1. Forced expiration (a
pulmonary function test) can be a very helpful monitor. This test shows how hard it is for a person
with PPS to breathe out and it requires the use of some of the intercostals
muscles and the abdominal muscles. Dr.
Perlman recommends this test every year or so for her patients who have
significant breathing complaints.
2. The other helpful thing is to monitor CO2
levels in the blood. The question is
not how much oxygen is a person inhaling, but how much CO2 is a person
retaining? Is a patient not breathing
fast enough? Is the person fatiguing so
that he cannot ventilate? It is the
amount of ventilation a person gets that clears the CO2. So if you are ventilating less efficiently,
your CO2 levels are going to go up slowly.
For patients at risk, these
researchers felt that anything that was in danger of happening could be
detected by measuring maximum expiratory pressure and carbon dioxide levels on
a regular basis.
Swedish research on
cardio-respiratory parameters in PPS patients found a significant incidence of
deconditioning. This goes back to the
old thought that everybody should be doing some exercise. Dr. Perlman says doctors are no longer
saying people with PPS should do no exercise:
some exercise, conditioning or aerobic exercise, is important. Survivors can improve heart function,
circulation, and breathing to some extent by doing something that increases the
heart rate. These researchers suggested
increasing the heart rate to 70% of maximum by using a pool or other
equipment. They felt these were
tolerable levels for their PPS patients.
Researchers in Toronto
looked at 3 areas of muscles (respiratory, diaphragm, chest wall), bulbar
symptoms, the control rate, and scoliosis.
They found that the control panel in the brainstem was the least
important of the group. These people
were having problems because of the diaphragm, chest wall fatigue, or due to
progressing scoliosis.
A
few of Dr. Perlman’s patients have experienced increased breathing problems at
higher altitudes. Adjustments can be
made so those patients can travel at higher altitudes and not feel short of
breath all the time.
Swallowing:-
The
motor neurons that control swallowing are located in the brainstem. In order to have an effective swallow,
groups of muscles are used to insure that the food is chewed, forms into a
bolus, and goes down properly. The
swallowing center coordinates other activities related to swallowing: chewing, licking, gagging, coughing,
sneezing, vomiting, belching, and breathing to some extent (when a person is
swallowing, he doesn’t breathe). It is
hard to eat or swallow at the same time as breathing, because the two groups of
muscles and nerves are competing against each other.
There
are at least a dozen places in the body where a post-polio patient who had some
pharyngeal problems or brainstem related swallowing problems could begin to
have trouble now with swallowing – either in the steps or in the sequence of
swallowing. For example, people who
have weakness in the jaw muscle as a complication of PPS will find it hard to
chew when fatigued. Or people who have
a weak soft palette will find that food is slipping into their throat before it
is fully chewed and food or drink – drink especially – may be coming out of
their nose.
Swallowing
problems have been identified in recent studies. However it is rare to see a PPS patient who is having constant
choking. Most people can think about it
and use their conscious mind to control what is going on, thereby preventing
swallowing problems from occurring. Any
part of the gastro-intestinal tract – from the mouth all the way to the bottom
– could be slowed, weakened, or not working properly due to PPS. But don’t assume that every symptom a polio
survivor gets is due to PPS.
Although
common pathways are used for breathing and swallowing, not everyone who has
swallowing problems has breathing problems and not everyone who has breathing
problems has swallowing problems.
Bulbar muscles can slowly dysfunction and there can be silent swallowing
problems. In a 1991 swallowing study by
Dalakas he concluded “…in bulbar neurons there is a slowly progressive
deterioration similar to that in the muscles of the limbs.”
Blood Pressure and/or Variable Heart
Rate:-
Can
high or low blood pressure be a result of polio and PPS? Can variable pulse rate be made worse, not
because of heart disease, but because of post-polio symptoms affecting the
area?
The
average internist may be hard pressed to believe it possible for polio to be
related to current blood pressure or pulse rate problems. However, vaso-motor centers that control
blood pressure and pulse rate are located in the medulla (in the lower
brainstem) and also in the autonomic area of the brain. Since polio damage has been seen in the
brain and in the brainstem, this is an area that needs further study.
As
we understand what was involved in acute polio and the amount of brain that was
involved, recovered motor neurons that might have looked quite complete on the
surface could actually be functioning on very shaky ground. “The majority of motor neurons, in whatever
region the poliovirus got to, were probably affected in some way or another”,
said Dr. Perlman.
To contact
UCLA Post-Polio Clinic:-
Dr. Susan Perlman
300 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suite B200
Los Angeles, CA
90024-6975
Phone
310-794-1195
Audio
Tape:-
A recording of this complete talk is available for $5.00
+ $2.00 postage and handling. Contact:
Ken Baragar
817 Irving Place
Anaheim, CA
92805-5025
Phone
714-535-2710
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Editor’s Note:- The following article, although having basically nothing to do
with PPS, is a good article on health in general. I remember my mother giving me a spoonful of
cod liver oil every morning (ugh!!).
Reprinted from USA Weekend,
March 3-5, 2000
BOOST
YOUR BRAIN
By
Jean Carper
Conventional wisdom: We are born with a brain of a certain size and potential, and we
can do little to improve it. Our
intellectual and emotional destiny is decided at birth.
The new reality: Our brains are growing, ever-changing organs, and we can
dramatically influence their functioning by what we eat, the supplements we
take and the physical and mental stimulation we engage in.
Brain
researchers have made amazing discoveries over the past few years about the enormous ability of the brain to
reinvent itself constantly. They have
learned, for instance, that by feeding the brain nutrients and other natural
substances, we can expand its power, alter mood and reduce susceptibility to
brain damage and neurological diseases.
For the first time, scientists are suggesting ways to improve the
brain’s biological structure and electrochemical wiring to help us realize our
optimal potential for mental achievement, happiness and fulfillment.
How
is this possible? Chemicals in foods
and supplements actually can improve the structure of individual
braincells and the efficiency of their communication centers so messages are
transmitted more clearly and quickly.
Armed with this new knowledge, we can optimize our brain’s wiring to
achieve peak mental and emotional well-being at any age --
whether we are 3 or 93.
Just Two Examples of
New Breakthroughs:
? U.S. Department of
Agriculture researchers fed a group of young men a diet high in the mineral selenium (220 micrograms daily vs.
the 40-60 micro-grams in a typical American diet) for about three months. Selenium is found in grains, garlic, meat,
seafood (oysters, swordfish, tuna) and Brazil nuts, or it can be taken as a
supplement. The new diet sent morale
soaring: The men reported feeling more
clearheaded, elated, confident and energetic.
A USDA researcher, psychologist James Penland, says the extra selenium
lifted the men’s moods even though they had no signs of selenium
deficiency. In other words, undetected
deficiencies may run our moods and we don’t even know it.
? Two types
of vitamin E -- the anti-oxidant powerhouse – can prevent surgery in
some patients with severe narrowing of the carotid artery in the neck, one of
the biggest causes of stroke.
Cardiologist Marvin Bierenbaum of the Kenneth L. Jordan Heart Research
Foundation in Montclair, NJ, gave 50 patients a vitamin E combination of 100
milligrams of alpha tocopherol plus 240 mg of tocotrienols. This duo acted as a Roto-Rooter through the
blockages in 40% of the patients.
So where to
begin to boost our brains, based on all this exciting research?
1.
Take a multivitamin. The
evidence is utterly compelling that taking modest doses of a variety of
vitamins and minerals is excellent brain insurance. They can preserve and improve intellectual functioning and
emotional well-being, most likely at all ages.
For instance, between one third and half of schoolchildren who took a
multivitamin-mineral supplement raised their non-verbal IQ scores as much as 25
points, according to several American and British studies. That’s an astounding 23 million to 35
million U.S. children. “No known
pharmacological drug can cause this type of impact,” says British psychologist
David Benton, author of one of the studies.
2.
Add antioxidant supplements. Most brands
of multivitamins don’t contain sufficiently high amounts of the powerful
brain-protecting antioxidant vitamins E and C, let alone important alpha lipoic
acid and coenzyme Q10. How much should
you take? Dr. Lester Packer at the
University of California, Berkeley, recommends 400 to 500 IUs of vitamin E,
500-1,000mg vitamin C, 10-50mg lipoic acid.
(Packer himself takes 100mg divided between the morning and evening, and
he says diabetics may need 200-600mg.)
There is no established dose for coQ10, but Packer and other experts
recommend 30mg. You may need 100-200mg
if you smoke, have heart disease or are at high risk of degenerative brain
disease. Unfortunately, coQ10
supplements are expensive because Japanese producers have a monopoly. Should children take anti-oxidants,
too? Yes, says Packer, who recommends
half the usual adult dose.
3.
Load up on foods with antioxidants, too. Think of it this way:
Our whole bodies are exposed to constant assaults by harmful
free-radical chemicals that, to be blunt, turn us and our brains rancid, just
like a fatty piece of meat that has been left out of the refrigerator too
long. Eventually, free-radical damage
can kill brain cells, leading to sharp mental decline. Alzheimer’s disease and other degenerative
brain diseases. But what if we could
don a kind of internal Superman suit that acts as armor to repel or neutralize
those perpetual chemical attacks?
Actually, we can. It’s not
difficult to take in high doses of antioxidants in modest amounts of fruits and
vegetables. Just three prunes, one cup
of mixed blueberries and strawberries, plus a half cup of cooked spinach would
put us over the top for the very highest daily intake of antioxidants
recommended by authorities. Generally
brightly colored fruits and berries and dark green leafy vegetables are the
ones highest in antioxidants. Snacking
on raisins, berries, apples, grapes, cherries or prunes – instead of or even in
addition to the usual chips – could make all the difference in intellectual power
and emotional well-being.
4.
Sip a cup of tea. It’s one of the easiest,
quickest ways to infuse the body and brain with antioxidants – and with
virtually no calories. Put one tea bag
– plain black tea (yes, the stuff you see on supermarket shelves, such as
Lipton’s, Twinings or Bigelow) or more exotic Asian green tea – in five ounces
of boiling water. Let it brew for five
minutes and drink it. In an instant
you’ve taken in about 1,200 ORAC units of antioxidants -- about a third to a fourth of the
total daily recommended amounts, according to Tufts University
researchers. Iced tea counts, too. You don’t, however, get significant amounts
of antioxidants in herbal teas, commercial bottled teas or powdered tea mixes,
according to the Tufts analyses.
5.
Get omega-3-type fish oil by eating fish or taking supplements. The oil actually creates new communication centers in neurons and
is absolutely essential for optimal brain functioning and mood. Without omega-3, your brain cells, stiffen and
wither, stifling message transmission.
Stunning new research ties a lack of fish oil in the diet to a whole
host of problems, from low intelligence and learning disabilities to depression
and degenerative neurological diseases.
Developing brains – in the womb, in infancy and in childhood –
especially require omega-3 type fish oil to construct the best neuronal
architecture and biochemical wiring.
Children who fail to get enough omega-3 in the early developmental periods
may have lower Iqs later in life. Nor
can adult brains achieve top cognitive potential without adequate supplies of
omega-3 fatty acids. In one study, men
who ate three quarters of an ounce of fish daily cut their odds of age-related
memory decline by 60%, compared with non-fish eaters. One fraction of fish oil, DHA, has been shown to enhance brain
power, speed and efficiency, memory and learning, and may even help prevent and
possibly treat Alzheimer’s disease.
Omega-3 fat also tells the brain to feel good, probably by boosting
production of the neuro-transmitter serotonin. New evidence shows that fish oil helps prevent and even relieve
major depression. It also can help
block brain damage from alcoholism, and is being tested as a possible treatment
for schizophrenia. How much do we need? A couple of servings of fish (especially
fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring) or an ounce or two a
day is enough to keep brain cells happy.
If you don’t like fish, take about 650mg a day of omega-3s (DHA, or
docosahexaenoic acid, and EPA, eicosapentaenoic acid) in capsules. You can even buy DHA alone (even in
vegetarian form), which is specifically recommended for pregnant and lactating
women to enhance fetal and infant brain development.
6.
Lose the bad fats. We can take the perfectly good
brain w were born with and screw up its communication circuits by feeding it
the wrong type of fat – at any age.
Americans typically eat 165 times more potentially brain-destructive
oils than brain-building omega-3-type fats.
Because this dynamic organ is made up mostly of the fat we feed it, it
becomes the prime target of this dangerous fat imbalance. Probably the most dangerous to brain cells
is saturated animal fat, so pervasive in fast foods such as burgers and
shakes. Also detrimental to cells: to much polyunsaturated vegetable oil –
so-called omega-6s – such as safflower, sunflower and corn oils, that can set
up chronic inflammatory responses in brain tissue, thought to eventually lead
to subtle brain damage, strokes and Alzheimer’s disease. Eating trans-fatty acids, in processed foods
such as salad dressings, fries, doughnuts and most margarines, also can foster
blood-vessel damage that is detrimental to blood circulation in the brain.
7.
Take brain-boosting supplements.
Some
over-the-counter supplements can help rejuvenate brain-cell activity. A favorite is ginkgo biloba, and the
scientific buzz is so good that countless prestigious scientists take it
themselves, hoping to ward off age-related memory loss. For instance, Jerry Cott, chief of research
on pharmacological treatment at the National Institute of Mental Health, takes
240mg of ginkgo a day. How, exactly,
does it slow the gradual decline in mental faculties? In several studies, Dr. Packer of Berkeley has shown that ginkgo
zaps two of the more virulent free radicals that readily savage brain
cells. It also helps increase the
circulation of blood and oxygen; many experts think this alone makes ginkgo a
formidable brain-booster . Another
potential brain-saving is phosphatidylserine, or PS, reputed to stimulate
production of the “memory” neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which may decline as
we get older. Dr. Thomas Crook III gave
half of 150 patients, ages 50 to 75 and all with memory problems, 100mg of PS
three times a day for 12 weeks. The
other half received a placebo. All
subjects took a battery of neuropsychological tests. Those taking PS scored about 30% higher on tests of learning and
memory, and those with the worst memory deficits benefited the most. “PS is not a magic bullet,” says Crook. “It’s not like you’re 75 and take it and
become 25. But it is the first thing
we’ve ever seen of many, many compounds that does have a clear measurable
effect – and that effect is about 12 years of rolling back the clock . I really firmly believe PS can roll back
virtually all age-related memory impairment.”
8.
Watch sugar, including blood sugar.
Eating too much sugar, and certain other
carbohydrates, is not a good idea for young or old brains. Sugar overloads can inspire “insulin
resistance,” throwing blood-sugar (glucose) levels out of whack, as well as
causing permanent damage to brain cells, leading to malfunction and death. But because the brain runs on energy derived
mostly from carbohydrates, it’s essential to have the right blood sugar
available to the brain at every instant to promote memory, learning and other
cognitive functions. Carbohydrates also
may influence mood. But it is a delicate
balance. “Eating white potatoes or
white bread is just like eating candy, as far as your body knows,” says Walter
Willett, chairman of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. So, for an optimally functioning brain,
restrict these “fast carbs” and instead choose carbohydrates that are digested
slowly, including peanuts, dried apricots, dried beans, yogurt, oat bran, All
Bran cereal and sourdough bread. Adding
vinegar or lemon juice to foods also suppresses a sharp rise in blood
sugar. So does taking 200 micrograms a
day of chromium.
Bottom line:- Our brains grow and change every instant. The brain thrives on stimulation, exercise, education and the
right diet and supplements. It is never
too early or too late to start shaping your brain’s destiny.
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
TOP
10 ANTIOXIDANT FOODS
In order of greatest
concentration:
1. Prunes 6. Cooked kale
2. Raisins 7. Cranberries
3. Blueberries 8. Strawberries
4. Blackberries 9. Raw Spinach
5. Garlic 10. Raspberries
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
IMPORTANT
NEWS
YOUR
BRAIN CAN USE
What we know about how the brain works has
exploded in the past decade. Here are
some highlights from groundbreaking research at leading scientific centers,
including the National Institutes of Health, Harvard, the University of
California, Tufts and other facilities worldwide.
" Eating blueberries, one of the foods highest in antioxidants,
dramatically reversed memory loss and restored motor coordination and balance
in aged animals, according to new Tufts University research. The animals ate an amount equal to about
half a cup a day for humans.
" Middle-aged
men with the highest blood level of vitamin B6 scored twice as high on a memory test as those with
the lowest B6, found Tufts researchers.
The higher the B6, the higher the memory scores.
" Older
people taking vitamin supplements, notably B vitamins, had “higher cognitive
performance” than non-supplement takers and “scored as well as or better than
younger adults on verbal memory,” according to University of New Mexico
researchers.
" High doses
of the supplement coenzyme Q10 stimulated dopamine activity in nerve cells,
leading the National Institutes of Health to launch new studies of coQ10 as a
treatment for Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases.