You may have heard about lycopenes before.  These are compounds found mainly in brightly colored vegetables and especially in tomatoes.  There have been studies in the past suggesting that men who ate several servings of tomato products a week had a lower risk of prostate problems than those who didn’t. 

Now there’s a study from Germany showing even stronger proof of the benefit of adding lycopene to your diet.

Benign prostate hyperplasia is a condition in which the cells of the prostate are starting to become a little abnormal.  They aren’t cancerous yet, but it’s considered a precancerous condition.  Men who have it are at and increased risk of cancer in the future.

In the study, forty men who had this condition (proven by biopsy of their prostate) were divided into two groups.  One received 15 mg of lycopene daily in a capsule for six months.  The other group received a look-alike placebo.

After only six months, the results were astounding.

As you probably know rising PSA (prostate specific antigen) levels can reflect developing prostate cancer.  In the group receiving the lycopene, PSA levels decreased.  There was no change in the placebo group.

The researchers measured size of the prostate in all the men by both digital rectal exam and trans-anal ultrasound (women who complain about mammograms might want to consider how the prostate is examined).  Prostate enlargement by both measures progressed in the placebo group.  Prostate size stabilized in the lycopene group.

Very importantly, the symptoms of prostate disease, as measured by the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire, improved more in the lycopene group than in the control.

All in all, these are very impressive findings, especially since they were achieved using an extremely safe dietary supplement.

This study was done in men who already had a dangerous situation developing in their prostate.  Why wait ‘till you have that problem?  I recommend getting lycopene in your diet now.

You can take a supplement like the studied used, but why not get it from food?  One cup of tomato juice, or a tomato-based vegetable juice (like V-8) has over 20 grams of lycopene – more than the 15 used in the study.

Here’s what I suggest.  Keep low-salt or no-salt tomato juice in your fridge.  If you want it do be even better, use an organic brand.  Most mornings have a cup of it with a teaspoon of horseradish (horse radish is high in cancer-fighting compounds known as glycosinolates) and a dash of Morton’s potassium chloride salt replacement.

Or take the pill.  Either way, add this prostate-protecting nutrient to your diet.

Lycopene Inhibits Disease Progression in Patients with Benign Prostate Hyperplasia1,2
Silke Schwarz3,4,

J. Nutr. 138:49-53, January 2008
 

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It’s bad enough to decline physically.  Even worse is mental decline. The idea of losing cognitive power frightens everyone.  It’s especially frightening if you’ve witnessed anyone descend into the abyss of Alzheimer’s.   Our ability to think makes us human.  Our memories are the record of our life.  When dementia robs a person of these, they’ve lost something truly precious.

Take the case of Edith, one of my elderly patients.  She had a shuffling gait and a vacant gaze.  Because of her live-in caregiver, she was neatly dressed and groomed.  As she sat, she looked at the woman next to her, her daughter, and asked: “Where’s Kate?  Do you know where Kate is?”  “I’m here Mom.  I’m Kate.”  “No you’re not, my Kate is a little girl.  Where’s Kate?”

Sadly, I’ve seen too many people like Edith.  Fortunately, it doesn’t have to happen.   You can stay mentally clear and crisp well into old age. You know this to be true – you’ve seen it.   I’m sure at some point you’ve met a person with plenty of years who was still sharp as anything.  Aren’t those people a delight?  Don’t they exude life?

It’s possible to grow old and age minimally.  But it doesn’t happen by accident.  Habitual choices carry long term consequences.  Research gives us some pretty strong suggestions on how to stay sharp as we grow old.

Here’s a quick run down of some ways to maintain your mental edge over time.  You’ll see some familiar recommendations.  A healthy lifestyle benefits all of you, including your brain.

Exercise

People who are active are at lower risk for mental decline.  Some studies even show improved mental function in elderly people who start a walking program after years of being sedentary.

Obviously, there are a lot of other reasons you should exercise.  Maintaining your wits just emphasizes the importance of an exercise program.  You can read about several effective, efficient exercise programs in Total Health Breakthroughs.  Pick one and stay with it.

Diet

Eat a healthy diet, especially one high in fruits and vegetables.  The antioxidants and micronutrients they contain go a long way toward protecting brain function.  Researchers are looking at the effects of many different foods.  Here are some of the findings.

Fats
The type of fat in your diet affects brain function.  Omega three fatty acids are an important component in all neural tissue. A diet high in omega 3 fatty acids leads to lower levels of inflammation and improved brain function.  Fish are a good source of these types of fats.  Unfortunately, in today’s world you need to be concerned that contaminants such as heavy metals and PCBs taint fish. Even so, I still eat salmon at least once a week and take fish oil supplements daily.

Other fats affect brain function as well.  It turns out that fats that help your heart also help your brain.   Researchers in Italy examined people several times over an eight year period.  Those who ate less saturated fat and more monosaturated fats (like olive oil) showed significantly better cognitive function at the end of the study.a  In other words, the Mediterranean diet helps your brain and your heart.

Curry
India has a low incidence of dementia.  The obvious question is why.  The answer may be in the diet.  A study from the National University of Singapore documented a much lower rate of dementia in people who ate curry regularly as opposed to those who ate it rarely.

One reason curries may be helpful is that they often contain turmeric. Turmeric has high levels of curcumin, which has significant anti-inflammatory action.  It’s actually been shown to reverse plaque formation in animal models of Alzheimers. 

Other spices in curries, such as ginger, cinnamon and garlic, have health benefits as well.  All in all, it’s a reason to develop a taste for Indian food.

Blueberries
Blueberries contain some of the highest levels of antioxidants of any fruit.   In animal studies, adding blueberries to the diet protects against brain aging and the impairment in learning ability and memory that goes with it. 

Green Tea
A study from Japan has shown that people who drink two cups of green tea a day had a 50% lower risk of dementia compared to those who drank less than 3 cups a week.  Black tea and coffee failed to show this benefit.  

Stress
Stress raises levels of hormones that inhibit brain function and actually damage brain cells.  Therefore it’s important to learn techniques to deal with stress that defuse this risk.  Practices such as meditation, guided imagery and especially HeartMath all help in this area

Mental training
Physical exercise is good for you, and so is mental exercise.  The brain is remarkably “plastic” even into old age.  This means that new connections can be formed between brain cells at any age.  You can stimulate this type of growth by doing new things.

Dr. Willis and her colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania showed that cognitive training improved function and that the improvement persisted over the five years of the study. 

Learning a foreign language, working on challenging puzzles, reading fascinating books all stimulate cognitive development.  Not to mention the fact that they make life more enjoyable.
said that, consider these supplements to give yourself an extra edge.
Supplements.  

I believe your diet should be your main source of nutrients.  Having Fish oil
 As I mentioned, omega three fatty acids are critical for brain function.  They suppress inflammation, which is partly responsive for deterioration of the brain as well as a lot of other problems.  There are several good reasons to supplement with fish oil, and helping your brain is one of them.

Ginko Bilboa
This herb has had a lot of publicity as a memory aid.  It seems to work by improving blood flow.  Most studies have shown moderate effectiveness and it has a good safety profile.

Curcumin
If you can’t develop a taste for curries (my recommendation), curcumin is available as a supplement. 

Alpha Lipoic Acid and Acetyl L Carnitine
Alpha lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant.  Acetyl L carnitine protects the mitrocondria (the energy producing “powerhouses” of the cells) from age related damage.  Together, they protect the brain.

Phosphatidylserine
Another supplement that has generated a lot of interest is phosphatidylserine.  Acetylcholine is an important neurotransmitter that is reduced in Altzheimers and other forms of dementia. Phosphatidylserine is a precursor of acetylcholine.  Taking it as a supplement improves acetylcholine levels and has shown benefit in both animal and human studies.

Do you think you might be able to develop a taste for green tea?  And would it be possible to keep some blueberries to your diet?  Small changes can have large benefits.

I’ve given you many suggestions to consider.  As you can see, there’s a lot you can do to stay sharp as you age.   Following these suggestions will do more than just help your brain.  You’ll improve your overall levels of vitality while reducing your risk of disease. 

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Theanine is a rarely talked about amino acid that offers unique benefits.  It is very safe to supplement with. 

If anxiety and stress trouble you, or if you occasionally need some help sleeping, you’ll want to know about theanine.

Remember that supplements are down on the list of things important to living life well.  Emotional balance, positive psychology, exercise and a healthy diet are key.  Supplements alone don’t eliminate the need to grow in these areas.

Still, supplements have their role and theanine is a good one to know about.

     What It Is And What It Does

Theanine is an amino acid related to glutamine.  It crosses the blood-brain barrier, and so it can have a central nervous system effect.

Taken as a supplement, theanine produces a calming effect.  It occurs naturally in tea (both green and black).  This may be part of why most people perceive tea to be a soothing beverage despite its caffeine content.

Most studies involving theanine originate in Japan.  In sum, they suggest that theanine helps induce alpha waves (the brain state associated with relaxed alertness) and affects levels of dopamine and serotonin.  The end result in stressed or anxious people is a feeling of calm. 

 Theanine is not a sedative.  It will not make a relaxed person sleepy, but it can allow a tense person to relax enough to sleep.

Safety

Studies show theanine is remarkably safe.  It is approved in Japan as a food additive (except in infant formula).  Since it hasn’t been specifically studied, prudence suggests that pregnant or nursing women avoid theanine.

How To Use It

The usual dose is 50 – 200 mg.  Taken for anxiety, it can be taken every 8 hours or so.  As a sleep aid, take it about ½ hour before bed.

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If you’re looking for a simple strategy to reduce your risk of coming down with a cold, I have a suggestion.  It’s simple, safe, cheap, and easy.  As a bonus, it probably also reduces your risk of breast, colon or prostate cancer.  Interested?

This “magic bullet” is vitamin D. 

For years, I thought of vitamin D mainly for its role promoting the absorption of calcium.  However vitamin D has many other functions which may turn out to be even more important.  Its support of proper immune function is one of them. 

We all recognize that the winter months are the cold and flu season.  The question is – why?  For many years it was postulated that it was because cold viruses were somehow more active in cold weather and people were cooped up together in closed buildings during the winter.  As air conditioning has led to people being cooped up in closed buildings year round, that explanation seems less likely.

Recent research has shown both that vitamin D is necessary for proper function of various components of the immune system, and that decreased levels of vitamin D are associated with greater risk of illness.

The amazing thing is that various studies which measure the levels of vitamin D in the population estimate that between 20 and 60 percent of people are deficient.  (The highest rate of deficiency occurs in home-bound older people in northern climes.)

Vitamin D is extremely safe.  People with high calcium levels might want to be careful taking it since it might increase calcium absorbtion.  Most folks can take a few thousand units a day without concern. 

I suggest taking 1000 – 2000 units of vitamin D a day (the D3 form is preferable to the D2 form), at least during the winter.  Some people may take 5000 day, and I’ve seen studies where the participants were given 10,000 units day. 

It is possible to measure vitamin D in the blood although it is not commonly done.  I would only take the higher doses of vitamin D if testing showed persistently low levels.

And yes, there is evidence that higher levels of vitamin D are associated with lower levels of cancer.  More on that later.
 

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