Pregnant? Take iron (& folic acid) to have smarter babies

Most of us already knew to take folic acid when we were pregnant, but new research says that taking folic acid AND iron before and during pregnancy will make your kids smarter.

In the study, kids whose moms took folic acid and iron showed:

• higher reasoning skills

• stronger cognitive ability

• better motor skills

• enhanced inhibitory control (I’m guessing this means a lower chance of ADHD)

The theory is that iron deficiency during pregnancy can alter neurotransmitters in the baby’s brain, which ofen impacs how fast they can process information.

This is an important study, as perhaps 30% of American women are anemic by the end of their pregnancy.In developing countries, that number is closer to 50%.

One of the researchers said it’s even more important to take iron at the END of pregnancy (as opposed to folic acid, which is most important before and during the early months).

Here’s the study:

http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/12/22/moms-to-be-iron-folic-acid-smarter-babies/?icid=maing%7Cmain5%7Cdl3%7Csec2_lnk1%7C32897

 

 

Tricare won’t pay for TBI therapy for troops!

As someone whose husband is currently in Afghanistan, I will say that I am angry, sad and embarrassed by this. How can we send our soldiers into a war and then not pay for the most common, life-changing injury they sustain? Disgusting.

Official military stats say 115,000 traumatic brain injuries, though some estimate it being closer to 400,000.

So why won’t they pay? On the record, Tricare says it’s not about money but that there’s not enough proof that cognitive therapy works – even though there’s tons of evidence showing it does. One of their main standbys is that the treatment soldiers receive is “too individualized so it’s hard to pinpoint the results.” SERIOUSLY? If the treatments weren’t customized for each soldier they likely wouldn’t work as well! Some veterans might have memory issues, others might have issues with processing speed, some might have attention issues…you get the point. My guess is that if the care WASN’T personalized then Tricare would complain that the cognitive therapy was too general.

And despite the fact that TriCare says it’s not about money, someone who was in the actual meeting to decide said that cost definitely played a roll. Also, Robert Gates (Defense Secretary) has in the past said that the military is being “eaten alive” by skyrocketing medical bills.

Come on! I don’t care what party you’re affiliate with (or neither), you’ve got to admit that this is just shameful. We’re kicking sand in the faces of our troops – and they’ve had enough sand to last them a lifetime.

Here’s the article:

http://www.propublica.org/article/pentagon-health-plan-wont-cover-brain-damage-therapy-for-troops

Turmeric (in curry) shown to fight TBI and stroke

For the sake of full disclosure, let me say that I have become borderline obsessed with turmeric lately. The more I read about it the more I think it is one of the most powerful healers (and preventative spice) in nature.

I found out about it as I was researching natural treatments for MRSA (“Mersa”), which I had in my leg. (The doctor thinks I likely contracted it from the community center locker room because I swim every Friday night.) I started researching what people were doing for their MRSA (especially those who don’t sell any products) and many swore by turmeric.

In any case, I was reading about traumatic brain injury today and ran across this new study about turmeric “dramatically” improving the behavioral and molecular deficits (like those that cause memory problems) in animals with TBI and stroke.

(Sidenote: I didn’t realize that TBI is the leading cause of death and disability in both DIVILIANS and soldiers under 45!)

So how does it work? The ingredient in turmeric (called CNB-001 in this study) called “curcumin” maintains the connections between nerve cells that are often lost with stroke or TBI. It also maintains the pathways needed for nerve cell survival. In fact, the word they used is “reversed!” It reversed the behavioral deficits in movement and memory that come with a brain injury.

I still take Turmeric daily and want to point out that you need to get the whole spice (like from an Indian grocery store) or the capsules (like from Whole Foods) that have a high percentage of curcumin in them. (I think it was over 60% – ?)

Here’s the study:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/211621.php

 

Why social interaction is even better than puzzles for seniors’ brains

Few brain experts will argue that crosswords, sudoku, brain teasers and puzzles won’t help your brain. Anyone who reads headlines knows that the brain is “plastic” (capable of change) at any age, and that “use it or lose it” applies as much to our minds as our bodies. But on “The Early Show” this week a neurologist talked with anchor Harry Smith about why engaging in social interaction is even more important: basically, you’re interacting.

Unlike doing a passive, solitary activity, socializing with friends, playing cards or just chatting with the store clerk is working your brain by creating a back-and-forth that causes your brain to work harder to think of responses or react to a comment. It’s like 1-D vs. 3-D.

Brain researchers also now know that the brain works as one unit, so exercising one area will affect the entire brain. Plus, we can create connections between cells at any age, which means the brain is constantly capable of growing and repairing itself.

One thing that wasn’t mentioned in this article is the value of intensive, one-on-one brain training. Cognitive skills training creates significant improvements in things like memory, attention, logic and reasoning, visual and auditory processing, and processing speed … at any age! In fact, studies have shown that brain training can actually increase IQ in seniors. The key is to find professional cognitive trainers (as opposed to just playing brain games online). Do a Google search or start by visiting http://www.LearningRx.com to read more about what brain training has done for those with age-related cognitive decline and even stroke sufferers.

Jet lag affects memory and learning up to a month after travel

Having just returned from a trip to NY, this study caught my eye. Granted, I only crossed two time zones, but I kept insisting to my father that my appetite was out of control on this trip. I was constantly hungry and was wondering if it had anything to do with the time difference.

In this study, the researchers found that jet lag (specifically, the longer flights, like transAtlantic) affected memory and learning as late as one month after the trip!

And the changes in the brain (the hippocampus) weren’t just small, temporary deficits. After the jet lag, only half the number of new neurons was present. But the researchers don’t think it’s because jet lag decreases the number of new neurons being produced; they think it’s either that fewer new cells matured into working cells or that the jet lag caused the new cells to die.

This study could prove to be useful to people who constantly travel across major time zone changes – like flight attendants and pilots. And what I didn’t know is that the World Health Organization already lists “shift work” as a carcinogen! That’s because people who regularly alternate working day and night shifts tend to have other issues besides memory and learning deficits; like cancer, hypertension, heart disease and reduced fertility.

So what can you do if you have to travel a lot?

1. For learning and memory issues, consider cognitive skills training, which can actually improve the three types of memory (short-, long- and working).

2. Eat healthy foods and get plenty of exercise.

3. Give yourself one day of recovery for every one-hour time zone shift.

4. Take melatonin.

5. Sleep in a dark and quiet room.

Here’s the study:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/209350.php

6 things that appear to affect the development of Alzheimer’s

Unlike other diseases and ailments, Alzheimer’s has long been thought to be an inevitable – and uncontrollable – ending for those who have the early symptoms or the predisposition to it.

But there is growing number of studies that point to more controllable factors – both good and bad – when it comes to the disease. Although nothing is set in stone, it certainly can’t hurt to try to incorporate these changes in your life!

1. Avoid smoking and being around people who smoke. Type-2 alkenes are found in the smoke you inhale. These chemicals can increase the chance of developing Alzheimer’s (and Parkinson’s).

2. Avoid auto exhaust as much as possible. If you live in a city with lots of air pollution, this might be the push you need to relocate to the country. Again, it’s the type-2 alkenes.

3. Put the fries down. Yep, french fries can do more than make you fat and clog your arteries. They’re also full of…you guessed it… type-2 alkenes.

4. Eat curry. It’s got a chemical compound called curcumin that might actually work as an anitdote to Alzheimer’s.

5. Drink red wine. There’s controversy about whether or not white wine has the beneficial resveratrol that red wine does. Until everyone agrees, go for the red.

6. Eat your apple a day. The skins have a chemical compound called phloretin which researchers believe may fight Alzheimer’s.

Here’s a summary of the research from Medical News Today:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/208352.php

Brain training can rewire the brain’s EARLY visual processing

If you think that brain training can only help the brain’s higher-order processing (conscious visual processing or changes in visual attention), the results of a new study may cause you to rethink plasticity.

Researchers at the Univ. of Minnesota’s College of Liberal ARts and College of Science and Engineering had subjects identify a faint pattern of bars on a computer screen as it gradually faded. Using EEGs, they measured the subjects’ brain signals before and after the 30-day study.

The results?

1. After 30 days, the subjects were able to recognize fainter patterns.

2. The EEG signal increased in strength ad learning increased.

3. Subjects showed bigger responses on the EEG even after a pattern was flashed for  just a fraction of a second.

Researchers believe this plasticity demonstrates the brain’s ability to rewire even its lower-level/early visual system. There is hope that these results can lead to brain training programs for adults with “lazy eye” (by accelerating the development of training procedures for the eye) and for those who need to detect subtle patterns quickly (like air traffic controllers or radiologists).

So if we now know brain training can go so deep as to change lower-level visual processing, just imagine what it can do higher order processing! Actually, you don’t have to. There is tons of research showing how cognitive skills training can strengthen visual processing (and memory, processing speed, attention, logic and reasoning, etc.) if it’s done properly. As an example, children and teens with weak visual processing skills often have difficulty reading maps or with geometry or math word problems and comprehension. A one-on-one cognitive skills training program can strengthen the child’s ability to perceive, analyze and think in visual images, which in turn will significantly increase their math abilities -( not to mention confidence)!

Here’s one of several articles on the study:

http://www.psypost.org/2010/11/brains-visual-system-rewires-learning-2615

Here’s some info on visual processing:

http://www.learningrx.com/what-are-cognitive-skills.htm

Being bilingual delays Alzheimer’s symptoms by as many as 5 years

Here’s more proof that “use it or lose it” applies to our brains.

Canadian brain researchers found that people who speak at least two languages appear to have a huge delay in the onset of symptoms of Alzheimer’s compared to people who only speak one language – as many as 5 years.

It’s not that being bilingual (or multilingual) prevents Alzheimer’s or other dementias. In fact, those who speak two languages still have deterioration in their brains. But their language skills seem to delay the onset of cognitive decline, such as memory loss, confusion, and difficulties planning and solving problems.

So, if you’ve been thinking about learning a second (or third) language, there’s no time like the present!

Here’s the summary of the study:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/207205.php

 

Big head may decrease progress of Alzheimer’s

The July 13 issue of Neurology had info about a study that seems to indicate a bigger head means a slower progress of Alzheimer’s.

The theory is that a bigger head has more room for “brain reserve” – the ability to adjust to brain changes.

When they studied 270 people with Alzheimer’s, they found that the greater the circumference of their head, the better they did on memory and reasoning tests compared to others with the same amount of brain cell death – but with smaller heads.

Every extra centimeter meant a 6 percent improvement in brain performance (for every 1 percent of brain cell death).

The good news is that this might mean that there is some control in whether or not we can help kids early by improving prenatal care and infancy conditions. After all, by age six your brain has reached 93% of its final size!

Here’s a summary of the report:

http://wellness.blogs.time.com/2010/07/12/what-does-head-size-have-to-do-with-alzheimers/

U.S. soldiers may face brain damage from toxic sand

My husband is in Afghanistan right now and although I try not to read too much about what’s going on there (I get anxiety if I hear too much news and then can’t talk to him for days), I ran across this one while doing my daily research on brain-related stories.

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/06/25/toxic-sand-another-enemy-in-afghanistan/?icid=main|main|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politicsdaily.com%2F2010%2F06%2F25%2Ftoxic-sand-another-enemy-in-afghanistan%2F

A new study by the Navy followed reports that TBI isn’t the only thing causing memory loss and difficulty concentration for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Particularly, soldiers are breathing in toxic particles when there’s a sandstorm. And according to my husband, the sandstorms are becoming more frequent right now.

Soldiers returning to the U.S. after being overseas are now showing both respiratory and cognitive problems – even those who have not received any traumatic brain injury.

When researchers analyzed samples of Afghanistan’s sand, they found things like manganese, silicon, iron, magnesium, aluminum, chromium and trace elements. Manganese alone is “a potent neurotoxicant capable of damaging the brain and causing Parkinsons-like symptoms.”

The scientists found that the more toxic sand the nerve cells were exposed to, the more cell death you see.

Yet another thing for these soldiers to worry about.