Seven Super Supplements For Nerve Health

Today's post from drperlmutter.com (see link below) is one for those of us with neuropathy and a fairly healthy wallet! I often think that supplement recommendations are a bit of a luxury for a select few because they're not cheap and many people's budgets just can't stretch to extras that may or may not work. That said, if it's possible financially, you may want to take a look at some of these seven recommendations here. They are all widely reported as having benefits for a health nervous system (apart from other beneficial health areas which you could see as a bonus) and the list and explanations could be very useful as a base from which to start, especially if your normal diet isn't the healthiest on the block. Unfortunately, supplement takers are often the people who are most conscious about their overall health and as such may not need them as much as others. If you do your research on the web, you'll see that each of these seven is claimed to be helpful for neuropathy patients but if you're at all concerned, talk to your doctor. Please watch out for supplements that claim to solve everything in one pill though - they are exorbitantly expensive and their claims are often wildly exaggerated - shopping for individual elements will work out cheaper in the end and then you know what you're putting in your mouth.

Grain Brain and the 7 Super Supplements 
Dr. Perlmutter

 
A brain-healthy, Alzheimer’s-fighting diet has properties that extend far beyond just decreasing your daily carb load. To truly provide your body with brain-boosting nutrients and vitamins that help stave off brain disease and other illnesses, you should consider a regular regimen of supplements. These seven supplements will go a long way towards helping you with prevention:

DHA: An omega-3 fatty acid that represents more than 50% of the omega-3 fatty acids in the brain. Numerous studies link high levels of DHA with a decreased risk for dementia, Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases (view some of these studies here on my site). Look to take in about 1,000mg/day. 

Resveratrol: If you like that red wine is permissible in the Grain Brain lifestyle, then you can thank this natural compound which slows down the aging process, boosts blood flow to the brain, and promotes heart health. In addition to the role it plays in stimulating brain function, resveratrol is also a key ally of our body’s immune system. Target 100mg twice daily.

Turmeric: If you follow me on social media (Facebook, Twitter), then you’ve heard me talk about turmeric before. Turmeric is well known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. We can thank turmeric for protecting our mitochondria (thanks to its role in stimulating antioxidant properties), and it also improves glucose metabolism — both of which are essential for reducing one’s risk for brain disease. Try to get 350 mg twice daily.

Probiotics: Research conducted in just the last few years has started to conclude that eating food rich in probiotics can influence brain behavior, and may modulate the effects of stress, anxiety, and depression. In Grain Brain, I dive deeper into the relationship between probiotics and brain health, and today’s researchers are further exploring the role gut bacteria may play in maladies ranging from chronic pain to autism. Ideally, get your probiotics through a supplement that contains at least 10 billion active cultures from at least ten different strains, including lactobaccilus acidophilus and bifidobacterium.

Coconut Oil: If you follow this blog, you know I am a big fan of coconut oil and probably know why it’s an important part of our diet. It’s even a part of my anti-Alzheimer’s trio! Go for at least 1-2 tablespoons of an organic variety daily.

Alpha-lipoic Acid: Alpha-lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant that works to protect brain and nerve tissue. Look to get 600 mg/day. 

Vitamin D: I can’t say enough about the importance of Vitamin D, and that’s why I devote five pages to it in Grain Brain. To learn more, watch my video on the subject. It’s ideal to start with 5,000 units of Vitamin D3 daily, get tested after three months, and adjust accordingly.

As with any dietary/health changes, these are suggested guidelines only, and you should consult with your physician before making any changes to, or beginning, a supplement plan.

For more information, order your copy of Grain Brain today and join Dr. Perlmutter’s email list.

http://www.drperlmutter.com/grain-brain-seven-super-supplements/?hvid=2vNL2

SKIN LIKE DEVICE MONITORS CARDIOVASCULAR AND SKIN HEALTH

A new wearable medical device can quickly alert a person if they are having cardiovascular trouble or if it's simply time to put on some skin moisturizer, reports a Northwestern University and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign study

The small device, approximately five centimeters square, can be placed directly on the skin and worn 24/7 for around-the-clock health monitoring. The wireless technology uses thousands of tiny liquid crystals on a flexible substrate to sense heat. When the device turns color, the wearer knows something is awry.

"Our device is mechanically invisible -- it is ultrathin and comfortable -- much like skin itself," said Northwestern's Yonggang Huang, one of the senior researchers. The research team tested the device on people's wrists.

"One can imagine cosmetics companies being interested in the ability to measure skin's dryness in a portable and non-intrusive way," Huang said. "This is the first device of its kind."

Huang led the portion of the research focused on theory, design and modeling. He is the Joseph Cummings Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.

The technology and its relevance to basic medicine have been demonstrated in this study, although additional testing is needed before the device can be put to use. Details are reported online in the journal Nature Communications.

"The device is very practical -- when your skin is stretched, compressed or twisted, the device stretches, compresses or twists right along with it," said Yihui Zhang, co-first author of the study and research assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Northwestern.

The technology uses the transient temperature change at the skin's surface to determine blood flow rate, which is of direct relevance to cardiovascular health, and skin hydration levels. (When skin is dehydrated, the thermal conductivity property changes.)

The device is an array of up to 3,600 liquid crystals, each half a millimeter square, laid out on a thin, soft and stretchable substrate.

When a crystal senses temperature, it changes color, Huang said, and the dense array provides a snapshot of how the temperature is distributed across the area of the device. An algorithm translates the temperature data into an accurate health report, all in less than 30 seconds.

"These results provide the first examples of 'epidermal' photonic sensors," said John A. Rogers, the paper's corresponding author and a Swanlund Chair and professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Illinois. "This technology significantly expands the range of functionality in skin-mounted devices beyond that possible with electronics alone."

Rogers, who also is director of the Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, led the group that worked on the experimental and fabrication work of the device. He is a longtime collaborator of Huang's.

With its 3,600 liquid crystals, the photonic device has 3,600 temperature points, providing sub-millimeter spatial resolution that is comparable to the infrared technology currently used in hospitals.

The infrared technology, however, is expensive and limited to clinical and laboratory settings, while the new device offers low cost and portability.

The device also has a wireless heating system that can be powered by electromagnetic waves present in the air. The heating system is used to determine the thermal properties of the skin.

The National Science Foundation supported the research.

The title of the paper is "Epidermal Photonic Devices for Quantitative Imaging of Temperature and Thermal Transport Characteristics of the Skin." In addition to Zhang, Li Gao and Viktor Malyarchuk of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are co-first authors.

INVESTING IN SEXUAL REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH OF 10 TO 14 YEAR OLDS YIELDS TIME BENEFITS

Age 10 to 14 years, a time when both girls and boys are constructing their own identities and are typically open to new ideas and influences, provides a unique narrow window of opportunity for parents, teachers, healthcare providers and others to facilitate transition into healthy teenage and adulthood years according to researchers from Georgetown University's Institute for Reproductive Health who note the lack worldwide of programs to help children of this age navigate passage from childhood to adulthood.

An estimated 1.2 billion adolescents live in the world today -- the largest number of adolescents in history. Half are between the ages of 10 and 14 -- years of critical transition from child to teenager. These are the years in which puberty is experienced, bringing with it physical and other changes that may be difficult for a youngster to understand, yet set the stage for future sexual and reproductive health.

Nevertheless, the opportunity to reach very young adolescents during the very years when sexual and reproductive health behaviors lasting a lifetime are being developed is frequently missed, the Institute for Reproductive Health researchers note. They report that educators, program designers, policy-makers or others typically do not view 10 to 14 year olds as a priority because the long-term benefits and value of investing in them goes unrecognized.

In "Investing in Very Young Adolescents' Sexual and Reproductive Health" published online in the peer-reviewed journal Global Public Health, in advance of print publication in issue 9:5-6, the Institute for Reproductive Health researchers advocate the investment of resources to lay foundations for future healthy relationships and positive sexual and reproductive health, identifying specific approaches to reach these very young adolescents. They say that programs to engage 10 to 14 year olds must be tailored to meet their unique developmental needs and take into account the important roles of parents and guardians and others who influence very young adolescents.

"Ten is not too young to help girls and boys understand their bodies and the changes that are occurring. Ten is not too young to begin to move them from ignorance to knowledge," said Rebecka Lundgren, MPH, senior author of the paper. "We need to reach 10 to 14 year olds, often through their parents or schools, to teach them about their bodies and support development of a healthy body image and a strong sense of self worth. We also need to hear their voices -- the voices of the under-heard and underserved. Ten is not too young." Lundgren is the director of research at the Institute for Reproductive Health.

The paper notes that preventive reproductive and sexual health services designed to suit the needs of very young adolescents are virtually non-existent in lower- and middle-income countries and that worldwide, family life education, youth centers, and youth-friendly health services with programs specifically targeted to 10 to 14 year olds rarely exist.

According to the World Health Organization and other groups, misinformation abounds about fertility (including first menstruation and ejaculation), sex, sexuality and gender identity in this age group. Very young adolescents often rely on equally uninformed peers or older siblings and the media for information.

According to Lundgren, the few existing programs for youths age 10 to 14 years typically focus on girls. "We need to expand that focus to include boys, laying a foundation for both girls and boys to learn and communicate with peers, parents, teachers and health providers as they develop positive self images and healthy practices in order to move this age group from vulnerability to empowerment."

SWEAT EATING BACTERIA MAY IMPROVE SKIN HEALTH

Bacteria that metabolize ammonia, a major component of sweat, may improve skin health and some day could be used for the treatment of skin disorders, such as acne or chronic wounds. In a study conducted by AOBiome LLC, human volunteers using the bacteria reported better skin condition and appearance compared with a placebo control group. The researchers presented the study results at the 5th ASM Conference on Beneficial Microbes in Washington, DC

Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) are ubiquitous in soil and water and are essential components of the nitrogen cycle and environmental nitrification processes. The researchers hypothesized that AOB are uniquely suited for the environment of the human skin because ammonia oxidation products, nitrite and nitric oxide, play important roles in physiological functions of the skin, including inflammation, blood vessel relaxation and wound healing. AOB may also improve the skin microenvironment by driving a lower pH through ammonia consumption.

For the study, the researchers used a strain of Nitrosomonas eutropha isolated from organic soil samples. In the blinded, placebo-controlled, study involving 24 volunteers, one group applied a suspension of the live bacteria on their face and scalp for one week, while a second group used placebo. Both groups were followed for an additional two weeks. Subjects did not use hair products during the first and second week and they returned to their normal routine for the third week.

The AOB users reported qualitative improvements in skin condition compared with no or minimal improvement reported by the control group. Use of a bacterial DNA detection assay demonstrated the presence of AOB in 83-100 percent of skin swabs obtained from AOB users during or immediately after completion of the one-week application period, and in 60 percent of the users on Day 14, but not in any of the placebo control samples. Surprisingly, in this small study, the improvement among the AOB users correlated with the levels of AOB on their skin. Neither group had AOB on their skin at the start of the study. Further analysis suggested potential modulation of the skin microbiota by AOB. Importantly, there were no adverse events associated with the topical application of AOB.

"This study shows that live Nitrosomonas are well tolerated and may hold promise as novel, self-regulating topical delivery agents of nitrite and nitric oxide to the human skin," said Dr. Larry Weiss, AOBiome's Chief Medical Officer. "Our next step is to conduct clinical trials to assess the therapeutic potential of AOB in patients with acne or diabetic ulcers."