I was a late convert to the wonders of NAC (N-acetyl cysteine), a well-known nutrient. Somehow I overlooked it. But now I’m a full believer and proselytizer. I got religion when I learned that NAC is perhaps the most effective way to boost your glutathione levels, one of the most important markers for how long [...]
The last time you faced a big challenge like interviewing for a job or giving a presentation, did you try to get yourself stoked with a little pep talk? Good idea. Many of us try to psych ourselves up before a performance, and now academic research shows it works for that application. . .and more: [...]
Your brain needs to be protected from itself. That’s because your brain is a workaholic, always chugging along overtime, relaying messages from neuron to neuron. Those messages are whirling around you brain right now as you read this article. And to keep those messages moving requires a prodigious amount of cellular energy. The brain makes [...]
The number of people prescribed one particular class of medication climbed by 64% in the US between 1999 and 2014. These days, one person out of every five over-60s take these meds, with women being twice as likely to rely on them as men. The drugs I’m talking about are supposed to relieve depression. A [...]
What keeps you awake at night? Nothing, I hope. But if you’re like most people, then caffeine, stress, worry, or simply reluctance to turn off the smartphone or the TV may be cutting into the time you need to sleep -- assuming you want to avoid dementia at some point in your future. It may [...]
The link between type 2 diabetes, impaired brain health and cognitive decline is so well established that some doctors call Alzheimer's disease “type 3 diabetes.” But don’t be too sure the risk of dementia only goes up once you’ve been diagnosed with full-blown diabetes, which typically happens when you’re middle-aged or a senior. In our [...]
Back in 1970, Nobel Prizewinner Linus Pauling made headlines when he said large amounts of vitamin C could cure or prevent the common cold. It was probably the first introduction most Americans had to “alternative” medicine, especially the supplement side of it. Now millions of people take all kinds of supplements. Back then it was [...]
If you are a frequent reader of this publication, you’ve seen articles urging you to learn a new skill to keep your brain young. The benefits are huge, especially for working memory. Learning a new language or mastering a musical instrument are good examples. “In addition to making existing synapses more robust, learning causes the [...]
At one time or another -- hopefully now in the past -- you probably gorged on a candy bar, stuffed yourself with ice cream, or downed a fizzy drink to give yourself a pick-me-up and boost your mood. This sugar rush, so scientists tell us, is caused by a surge of the feel-good brain chemical [...]
When it comes to treating somebody who is just beginning to suffer Alzheimer’s disease, the conventional medicine folks have a big problem. They don’t know how the disease starts. So they can’t catch it at an early stage. In fact, 20 years ago when my mother was developing dementia, her doctor didn’t know a thing [...]
