Brain Boosting Strategies
"Your muscles are dumb, it's your brain that does all the work." So said a former professor of mine. To borrow the words from a popular beer commercial, ‘True, True.’ So in the quest for enhanced performance, here are supplemental strategies to get the gray matter working optimally. Let’s face it, if the control center of your body shuts down, there ain’t much that your muscles can do about it. So here are some quick supplemental strategies to keep the gray matter performing optimally.
ABCs of brain-boosters
Acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC), a derivative of the fat transport molecule
carnitine, protects your brain from free-radical induced aging. ALC
given to Alzheimer's patients for instance causes a slowing down of
the mental deterioration seen in this population. In a large-scale study
done in various clinics in Italy, they found that 1500 mg daily of ALC
given to "mildly impaired elderly" patients produced an improvement
in memory and general cognitive function1 Cipolli C, Chirari G. Effects
of L-acetylcarnitine on mental deterioration in the aged: initial results.
Clinical Terapeutica (Italian) 1990;132:479-510. The commonly used dose
for ALC is in the 500 to 1,000 mg range.
Also, did you know that nearly 2/3rds of your brain is made up of lipid
or fat? We know that certain fats or lipids can profoundly affect brain
function. Among these, phosphatidylserine and DHA (docosahexanoic acid)
are two of the most important. Docosahexanoic acid (DHA) is one of the
most abundant fats in your brain. DHA, also known as an omega-3 fatty
acid, is derived from the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid.
You may also be familiar with the other omega-3 fat called eicosapentanoic
acid (EPA); however, there is little EPA in the brain. DHA supplementation
improves memory in older patients with depression and dementia. In order
to get DHA, eat plenty of fish. If you're landlocked and the best seafood
you get is canned tuna, then take 200 mg of DHA in capsule form or as
part of flaxseed oil.
Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a very abundant phospholipid in the brain.
Various animal and human studies support PS's effect on memory and learning.
For instance, 100 mg of PS daily for 12 weeks had improvement in "learning
and memory tasks of daily life. 11. Crook TH et al. Effects of phosphatidylserine
in age-associated memory impairment. Neurology 1991;41:644-9.
Vinpocetine (VP) is an herbal extract derived from the lesser periwinkle.
Vinpocetine may improve circulation and oxygen utilization in the brain.
Forty mg of VP given for 2 days was shown to significantly improve memory
in 12 healthy female volunteers 13. Subhan Z, Hindmarch I. Psychopharmacological
effects of vinpocetine in normal health volunteers. European Journal
of Clinical Pharmacology 1985;28:567-71.
Caffeine is one of the most commonly consumed drugs in the world! You
can’t talk about brain boosters without mentioning this wonderful
ingredient. In fact, caffeine is best used particularly when you are
sleep deprived. One study concluded that caffeine is an effective strategy
to maintain physical performance during an overnight period of sleep
loss at levels comparable to the rested state.(4)
Take home message
Although much of the research done on "brain-boosting" supplements
is in the elderly or those with neurological impairment, it is reasonable
that these supplements might help those of the baby-boomer set. Consuming
these supplements might ameliorate the age-related decline of memory
and cognitive function. The question that you need to ask yourself is
whether you want to treat your brain as well as you treat your muscles.
Commonly used daily dosage
Acetyl-L-carnitine - derivative of carnitine; 500-1,000 mg
Docosahexanoic acid - an omega 3 fat; 200 mg
Phosphatidylserine - a type of brain phospholipid; 100-800 mg
Vinpocetine - herbal extract from lesser periwinkle; 10 mg
Caffeine – 200-600 mg
1. 1 Cipolli C, Chirari G. Effects of L-acetylcarnitine on mental deterioration
in the aged: initial results. Clinical Terapeutica (Italian) 1990`;132:479-510
2. 11. Crook TH et al. Effects of phosphatidylserine in age-associated
memory impairment. Neurology 1991`;41:644-9.
3. 13. Subhan Z, Hindmarch I. Psychopharmacological effects of vinpocetine
in normal health volunteers. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
1985`;28:567-71.
4. T. M. McLellan, D. G. Bell, G. H. Kamimori, Aviat Space Environ Med
75, 666-72 (Aug, 2004).