Listening to music can reduce stress, boost immunity, and improve cognitive skills. But if you want an even bigger mental boost, learn to play an instrument. Best of all, you don’t even have to be a talented musician to reap significant brain benefits… Music can make us feel happy or sad; calm or energetic; exuberant [...]
Current methods of diagnosing Alzheimer’s come far too late to help the patient. This has incentivized scientists to search for biological markers that indicate the presence of Alzheimer’s early on in the disease process. We’ve reported on many of them in this newsletter. Today, we’re going to look at another remarkable discovery that may help [...]
The use of the spice ginger has a long, venerable history in medicine and in the kitchen that goes back at least 5,000 years. Nowadays, it's still a prized spice and, along with ginger’s recognized culinary value, researchers are exploring its potential for treating disease and helping the brain remain sharp. Ginger has been used [...]
As one of our frequent readers you’re no stranger to the link between processed foods and poor cognitive function. But now, new research offers undeniable evidence that regular consumption of ultra-processed foods puts you at a higher risk for cognitive decline and memory loss. Equally concerning, even a modest amount of these tempting foods may [...]
For most of us, flickering lights and clicking sounds would drive us to distraction. But for people with Alzheimer’s, they could be a life saver. Studies in mice with Alzheimer’s suggest delivering these sensations in a specific way improves learning, memory, and brain function. Would it have the same effect in human patients? MIT scientists [...]
To suggest microbes that reside in the gut could impact the health of the brain was considered heresy just a decade ago. And yet today the gut-brain axis is well recognized. The connection is demonstrated in a new human study on depression. It’s one of the first to show that you can lift your mood [...]
‘Tis the season to be… sick. It’s winter, and we’re already facing the “tripledemic” of COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). And while the possibility of having any of these viruses is scary, there’s one you will want to avoid at all costs. I’m talking about COVID-19. Scientists have known for some time that [...]
When it comes to treating Alzheimer’s disease, the mainstream is of little help. They keep dishing out expensive drugs with risky side effects. Aducanumab, for example, was just approved by the FDA last summer even though it caused brain swelling in 30 percent of folks who took it. And the cost? $56,000 per year!1 You [...]
If you’ve ever forgotten to show up for an appointment or forgotten a name or a common word, you’ll likely understand the concern about whether this predicts a more serious memory problem, like Alzheimer’s disease. Of course, it’s normal to forget things periodically as we age. But serious memory problems make it hard to do [...]
If you’re among the 15 million birdwatchers in the U.S., you’re regularly picking up your binoculars to watch your favorite colorfully feathered friends. You’re also on the receiving end of an important brain benefit that goes well beyond the pleasure of observing and listening to the birds themselves. Birdwatching is a popular worldwide activity. Yet [...]
