ENHANCING THE AGING BRAIN

In October of 2002 I attended a lecture titled, ‘How to Keep Your Brain Young’ by Dr. Gary Small who had just published a book called, ‘The Memory Bible.’ The book was available for purchase and signing that evening but I refused to buy it because the speaker plugged it too often.

This is what I noted on that evening.

Memory defines who we are. It affects everyone at every age. Age-associated memory impairment can rage from mild to Alzheimer’s, which can get very severe. Early treatment definitely helps.

It helps to minimize stress. Most of stress is internally driven and causes the body to release adrenaline and other hormones. This can lead to distraction, anxiety and depression.

Regular exercise makes a positive difference. He recommended a 45-minute walk, three times per week, as achievable for most people.

Studies have shown that aerobic conditioning improves brain function.

He spoke of a ‘Healthy Brain Diet’ that involved keeping fats low and moderate caloric intake. He recommended anti-oxidants from blueberries and broccoli, Omega-3 fats, and vitamins C and E.

Avoid too much caffeine each day.

Avoid carbohydrates that spike your blood sugar, such as french fries.

For Lifestyle Choices to enhance brain function, Dr. Small recommended:

• If you smoke - Quit.

• Avoid brain trauma. (Peart’s note. You don’t want to be like Dr. Atkins, who died at 72 years after sustaining head injuries in a fall, just when almost everyone is buying his books and trying his diet. )

• Keep alcohol to moderate use.

• Use medicines wisely - not taking too many medications, follow the prescription details, and be cautious about herbal remedies.

He gave us a few ideas for boosting our Memory Power.

• Write effective notes for an accurate record to check

• Create ‘memory places’ around your house, e.g. always put your keys on the same hook.

• Make daily planning lists

• Consider a hand-held organizer

• Simplify the things you want to remember e.g. Vancouver is most often a 604 area code. Don’t memorize that, only the other digits you want to know.

• Practice ‘Mental Aerobics.’ This can include doing crossword puzzles, learning a new language, using both hands to do things rather than mainly your dominant hand.

A member of the audience asked for his opinion on the use of Ginkgo biloba. He replied that it was not presently supported by research.

•••

A study published in February of 2003 was the first to show that physical fitness may deter an older person’s loss of vital brain tissues involved in learning and memory.

Professor Kramer noted that, “Older adults show a real decline in brain density in white and gray areas, but fitness actually slows that decline.” 1

Kramer’s review of 18 intervention studies done between 1966 and 2001 with hundreds of subjects age 55 or older yielded similarly encouraging conclusions:

• A program involving both cardiovascular exercise and strength training seems to enhance cognitive abilities better than does either alone.

• The brains of older adults benefit more from exercise than do those of younger adults, possibly because they have more to gain.

• As many current exercise guidelines for adults suggest, the greatest cognitive benefits occur with more than 30 minutes of exercise per session.

•••

In March of 2003, the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter put out a special issue on ‘Keeping Your Mind Strong as You Age.’ Here are their ‘10 Ways to Keep Your Brain in Top Shape.’

1. If You are Over 60, take supplementary Vitamin B12 - One in five people over 60 can’t absorb B12 properly from food. This vitamin is necessary for proper neurological functioning and can be absorbed from supplements.

2. Get Regular Aerobic Exercise - Moderately vigorous physical activity increases blood flow, including blood flow to the brain. Since blood carries oxygen, that means increasing the oxygen supply to the brain as well - crucial for high-level brain activity.

3. Play Mind Games with Yourself - Studies suggest that the more mentally active you are throughout life - engaging in new hobbies or refining old ones; reading books; keeping abreast of current events - the stronger the connections between your brain cells will remain.

4. Keep Down Your Blood Pressure - An accumulating body of evidence is now coming to light that high blood pressure takes its toll on mental function. People in their mid-50s and older with high blood pressure experienced more brain atrophy - and scored lower on language and memory tests - than others of the same age whose blood pressure was normal. 2

5. Remain - or become - Socially Engaged - Socializing is one of the best mental workouts going. When you feel connected to the external community through your relationships with others, you have reason to keep your mind occupied - by focusing on plans you make together; ideas you want to share; emotions that need expression; and so on.

6. Reduce Stress/Anxiety: When you’re feeling anxious or stressed, you’re distracted. When you’re distracted, it’s harder to remember things - even things you know well. It’s also harder to acquire information you may want to remember later on.

7. Get Enough Sleep - Research has indicated that insomnia makes people 65 and older much more likely to suffer from significant cognitive decline. Even losing an hour or two a night of needed sleep on a regular basis can impair brain function.

8. Treat Depression - Older adults will sometimes come to a doctor complaining of memory problems when depression is actually the root cause of the problem. When the depression is treated, the memory improves.

9. Stay on Top of Your Medication Protocol - Speak to your doctor about whether any of your medications could interfere with learning and memory.

10. Get Help for Pain - The connection between physical pain and the inability to focus or remember things is obvious.

•••

Just as fitness follows the adage, “Use it or Lose it,” it seems that the brain follows the same rule.

Jackrabbit Johannsen died at 111 years old, but was still able to cross-country ski at well over 100 years old. (2 to 5 miles daily) In the summers he continued to hike when over 90 years old. At 90 he was asked for his recipe for a long and eventful life:

“Just take things as they come. Don’t overdo. Don’t overeat. Get plenty of exercise and plenty of sleep...And having a small drink, and enjoying it, but only one a day.”

You know you’re really getting older if you can’t remember if you’ve had that drink, or not.

One final thought,

“Age does not protect you from love.

But love, to some extent, protects you from age.” Jeanne Moreau

Danny Peart B.A./B.P.H.E.

References:

1. ‘How to Keep the Brain Young,’ Lecture by Dr. Gary Small in Vancouver, October 2002.

2. IDEA Personal Trainer, April 2003. ‘Study Confirms Brain Benefits of Exercise. p.12.

3. Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, Special Supplement, March 2003.

Footnotes:

1. “Study Confirms Brain Benefits of Exercise,” IDEA Personal Trainer, April 2003, p.12.

2. Study by researchers at the National Institute on Aging, cited here by Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter, March 2003.