Reversing Brain Decay?

This month's Life Extension Magazine carries an in depth article about reducing brain decay as we age with the right supplements. It has been said that Alzheimer's disease is the second most feared disease, Cancer ranked #1.

Alzheimer's incidence increases exponentially as humans age. If we make it to 80-85 years Alzheimer's prevalence rises to a startling 25-30%.

What can one do about it? Some ideas mentioned are reducing inflammatory reactions in the brain with nutrients such as curcumin, and getting enough DHA from fish oil. In a remarkable discovery, the loss of synapses has been shown to occur early in the process of Alzheimer's and may trigger onset of the disease.

Life Extension recommends a highly absorb able form of magnesium to not only protest the integrity of delicate brain synapses but to also increase synaptic density to help reverse the structural loss of this critical brain component.

OKAY, what is a synapse? It is the connection that allows information  to pass from one neuron to the next. Your synapses control electrical impulses and release of neurotransmitters between neurons. These synapses are essential to neuronal function.

Magnesium plays a vital role in protecting and restoring synaptic density. This does not take place with any over the counter drug store vitamin isle magnesium. This highly absorb able form of magnesium is called (magnesium-L-threonate). A government study shows that 68% of Americans do not consume enough magnesium on a daily basis. The same study shows that 19% of Americans do not consume even half of the government's recommendation of daily intake. Interesting to me when I read this article is that there are over  300 biochemical reactions in the body which need magnesium to function correctly.

The article is somewhat controversial, however recommends supplementing with 2000 mg of magnesium-L-threonate each day.

I found the article very interesting and would suggest anyone wanting to further their education on valuable supplements should consider subscribing to Life Extension Magazine.


Sources where one can purchase this supplement today if desired:

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-ultra-magnesihttp://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-ultra-
magnesium-l-threonate-90-veg-capum-l-threonate-90-veg-caps

http://www.seacoast.com/topic.php?health=magnesium+l-threonate

HERE is a final LINK to Life Extension on the importance of magnesium supplements and an internal link to their products. I am at the age where I know a few people who are suffering from Alzheimer's or memory loss of one sort or another. It certainly looks as though most of us could benefit from perhaps switching our magnesium supplement to the "Magnesium-L-Threonate" form of supplementation regardless of where you purchase it. Again I have NO connection with or any remuneration from the sale of these products.

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2012/abstracts/feb2012_Magnesium-L-Threonate_01.htm

EXCERPTS:

Enhancement of learning and memory by elevating brain magnesium.

Learning and memory are fundamental brain functions affected by dietary and environmental factors. Here, we show that increasing brain magnesium using a newly developed magnesium compound (magnesium-L-threonate, MgT) leads to the enhancement of learning abilities, working memory, and short- and long-term memory in rats. The pattern completion ability was also improved in aged rats. MgT-treated rats had higher density of synaptophysin-/synaptobrevin-positive puncta in DG and CA1 subregions of hippocampus that were correlated with memory improvement. Functionally, magnesium increased the number of functional presynaptic release sites, while it reduced their release probability. The resultant synaptic reconfiguration enabled selective enhancement of synaptic transmission for burst inputs. Coupled with concurrent upregulation of NR2B-containing NMDA receptors and its downstream signaling, synaptic plasticity induced by correlated inputs was enhanced. Our findings suggest that an increase in brain magnesium enhances both short-term synaptic facilitation and long-term potentiation and improves learning and memory functions.

Neuron. 2010 Jan 28;65(2):165-77

Magnesium homeostasis and aging.

Aging is very often associated with magnesium (Mg) deficit. Total plasma magnesium concentrations are remarkably constant in healthy subjects throughout life, while total body Mg and Mg in the intracellular compartment tend to decrease with age. Dietary Mg deficiencies are common in the elderly population. Other frequent causes of Mg deficits in the elderly include reduced Mg intestinal absorption, reduced Mg bone stores, and excess urinary loss. Secondary Mg deficit in aging may result from different conditions and diseases often observed in the elderly (i.e. insulin resistance and/or type 2 diabetes mellitus) and drugs (i.e. use of hypermagnesuric diuretics). Chronic Mg deficits have been linked to an increased risk of numerous preclinical and clinical outcomes, mostly observed in the elderly population, including hypertension, stroke, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, endothelial dysfunction, vascular remodeling, alterations in lipid metabolism, platelet aggregation/thrombosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, cardiovascular mortality, asthma, chronic fatigue, as well as depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Both aging and Mg deficiency have been associated to excessive production of oxygen-derived free radicals and low-grade inflammation. Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are also present in several age-related diseases, such as many vascular and metabolic conditions, as well as frailty, muscle loss and sarcopenia, and altered immune responses, among others. Mg deficit associated to aging may be at least one of the pathophysiological links that may help to explain the interactions between inflammation and oxidative stress with the aging process and many age-related diseases.
Magnes Res. 2009 Dec;22(4):235-46

Magnesium and aging.

Over the past decades, the clinical relevance and biological significance of magnesium (Mg) have been documented. Deficiency in Mg, aside from having a negative impact on the energy production pathway required by mitochondria to generate ATP, also reduces the threshold antioxidant capacity of the aging organism and its resistance to free-radical damage. Mg also acts as an antioxidant against free radical damage of the mitochondria. Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress have both been identified as pathogenic factors in aging and in several age-related diseases. Chronic Mg deficiency results in excessive production of oxygen-derived free radicals and low grade inflammation. Aging is very often associated with Mg inadequacy and with increased incidence of many chronic diseases, with muscle loss and sarcopenia, altered immune responses, and vascular and metabolic conditions, such as atherosclerosis, diabetes and the cardiometabolic syndrome. The most common cause of Mg deficit in the elderly population is dietary Mg deficiency, although secondary Mg deficit in aging may also results from many different mechanisms. The aim of the present manuscript is to discuss the mechanisms and consequences of the modifications of Mg metabolism with age, the difficulties in the measurement of Mg status, and to review the current evidences suggesting that age-related chronic Mg deficits may be proposed as one of the physiopathological links that may help to explain the interactions between inflammation, oxidative stress with the aging process and many age-related diseases.
Curr Pharm Des. 2010;16(7):832-9



Dan

Mark 16:17-18 "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." NOTE - Find someone who believes God's Word regarding healing and have them lay hands on you and pray for you in faith, based upon the promises of God. James 5:16 says "that the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."