The proposed budget of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is worrying many people. They are concerned that FDA’s annual increases in industry user fees—$828 million from manufacturers of medical and food products, including hundreds of millions drug manufacturers pay annually to help speed the review of new medicines—might compromise the agency’s independence.

For fiscal year 2010, FDA is requesting a budget of $3.2 billion. The acting head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Joshua Sharfstein, defended the agency’s request for more funding from drug companies: “I understand the concern that people . . . have expressed that user fees create a perception or a conflict of the agency’s work. I think these concerns reflect a broader lack of trust in the FDA.”

To alleviate unease, he said, the new FDA head, Dr. Margaret Hamburg, must “renew the public’s confidence by acting with integrity and transparency” and send “the signal inside and outside the agency that we will make decisions based on the best available scientific evidence and not on influence that’s inappropriate.”

The budget plan also seeks new fees to help clear a backlog of generic drug applications, and to reinspect food and medical product plants that fail to meet FDA standards.

US Rep. Maurice Hinchey said the growing percentage of fees from drugmakers “is something of great concern for a number of people on our committee.” We agree. We believe it is time to reform the Food and Drug Administration from the ground up. If you have not done so already, please go to ReformFDA.org and sign this petition, which will be delivered to Congress.

By Susan Adams

Eaten many coconuts lately? How about cherries or blueberries or grass-fed beef?

You should, because these are all foods with powerful health properties. However, few people pack their grocery carts full of these items.

Take kiwifruit. It’s chock full of vitamin C–a whopping 115% of what you need to eat in a day. It’s also low in calories–just 45 per fruit, sans skin.

“In America, most people don’t eat three servings of fruit and vegetables a day,” says nutritionist Jonny Bowden, author of seven books including, most recently, The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy. According to him, there are 10 very healthy foods we don’t eat enough of.

IGNORE THE FOOD PYRAMID (or at least branch beyond it)

Bowden says many Americans are misled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food pyramid, which is a graphic, pyramid-shaped depiction of nutrition guidelines, updated every five years, that tells Americans what to eat according to food groups. Bowden dismisses it as the product of interest group politics.

“It demonizes fat,” notes Bowden. “Fat is an essential building block for many important compounds in the body.” This is why Bowden puts grass-fed beef, wild salmon and, yes, coconuts, on his top 10 list.

Salmon, in particular, is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, which are associated with heart and brain health as well as bringing down blood pressure and triglycerides, a risk factor for heart disease. Omega-3s have also been found to improve mood and reduce inflammation, says Bowden.

Another food packed with nutritional value that’s present–but not necessarily front and center in every grocery store–is kale. A member of the cabbage family, which Bowden dubs “vegetable royalty,” kale contains indoles, a compound found to fight cancer. Kale is also rich in antioxidants, which also help prevent cancer, says Bowden.

If that’s not enough for you, kale is also full of sulforaphane, yet another cancer-prevention agent. Kale has calcium, iron and vitamins A, C and K, and two nutrients that are great for the eyes, including zeaxanthin. Kale’s pièce de résistance: Two cups packs three grams of fiber. Try sautéing it with garlic and butter, recommends Bowden. Or eat it like salad, with pine nuts, cranberries and olive oil.

Then there are coconuts, a terribly misunderstood food, according to Bowden. The fat in coconuts is a particular kind that’s good for you. It’s called MCT, or Medium-Chain Triglycerides. The body doesn’t store MCT as fat, says Bowden, but rather uses it as energy, like a carbohydrate. Coconuts are also high in lauric acid, a fatty acid that tends to kill pathogens. In addition, coconut oil is great for cooking since it has a very high smoke point.

EAT MEDITERRANEAN

For Bowden, sticking to a Mediterranean-style diet is the healthiest way to eat. That means plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish, and lots of olive and nut oils. The Mediterranean diet has indeed been proved by study after study to have multiple healthful properties.

If all that sounds just too healthy, consider the 10th food on Bowden’s list: dark chocolate. Rich with a phytochemical called flavanol, found by a 2005 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology to improve cardiovascular health, chocolate with at least 60% cocoa content should be a regular on your shopping list.

Chocolate and coconut anyone? OK, but not until you’ve finished your kale.

by Robert Preidt, HealthDay News

Low levels of vitamin D may contribute to cancer development, U.S. researchers have found.

“The first event in cancer is loss of communication among cells due to, among other things, low vitamin D and calcium levels,” study leader Cedric Garland, an epidemiologist at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego, said in a university news release.

Garland and colleagues developed a scientific model that suggests “this loss may play a key role in cancer by disrupting the communication between cells that is essential to healthy cell turnover, allowing more aggressive cancer cells to take over.”

This cellular disruption could account for the earliest stages of many cancers, according to the study, which was published online in the Annals of Epidemiology.

Maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D may help stop cancer development, Garland suggested.

“Vitamin D may halt the first stage of the cancer process by re-establishing intercellular junctions in malignancies having an intact vitamin D receptor,” Garland said.

He noted that appropriate vitamin D levels can be restored and maintained through diet and supplements. More research into the link between vitamin D and cancer is required, but Garland recommended that people get their vitamin D levels tested during annual check-ups.

Originating URL:
http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cancer/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100239046

AMARC offers a high quality vitamin D3 product at the special price of only $14.95. Click here for more info or to order.

by Janice Guthrie

Times are indeed changing–and all because of you. In our society, the traditional structure of the doctor-patient relationship is being transformed by patients like yourselves who are no longer willing to assume the passive role, but choose instead to be “active patients,” educating themselves about their condition so that they can become partners with their physicians in the management of their healthcare.

Herb of Corona del Mar, California, is typical of this new breed of medical consumer who fortify themselves with information, explore all treatment options thoroughly, and then commit themselves 100 percent to the treatments that make the most sense to them.

Because of a bone disease in his hips called avascular necrosis, Herb had walked with crutches and lived pain for two and a half years. Discouraged after more than a year of unsuccessful treatment, Herb contacted one of the new health information services now available to provide him with information about his hip condition. Included in his report from the service was an article about a new experimental treatment called hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) that had been successful for a disorder similar to Herb’s. Herb contacted the doctor who wrote the article and asked if this therapy might be beneficial for his condition. The doctor replied that the HBO has not been proven effective for avascular necrosis, but he felt that in Herb’s case it was worth trying.

Herb underwent 28 HBO treatments over a period of six weeks. For nine months following the treatments he continued to use crutches, while he gradually increased his weight bearing. He also began swimming a mile three to four times a week, and on the days when he didn’t swim he did 500 sit-ups and 250 push-ups!

Today, Herb walks without crutches or a cane and is free of pain. X-rays taken a year after the HBO treatments showed evidence not only of a halt in the deterioration of the hip bones, but also show areas of new healthy bone tissue replacing dead bone tissue. In a letter to the health information service he used, Herb stated, “Without the article you sent me on hyperbaric oxygen treatment, none of my progress would have been possible.”

Another patient who took charge of his healthcare is George of Valley Stream, New York. In 1985, diagnostic tests revealed that George’s right carotid artery was completely closed and his left artery was 50-79 percent obstructed. (The carotid arteries are blood vessels that begin at the large artery of the heart and run straight up through the neck.) Surgery was recommended to clean the fatty deposits from the left artery, but surgery was not an option for the artery which was totally obstructed. George was told that he was a prime candidate for a massive stroke.

George then sought second, third, and even fourth opinions. He also began reading everything he could about carotid artery disease. He ordered a comprehensive research report on his condition from a health information service.

George’s reading left with many concerns about the recommended surgery. He learned that the operation itself caused strokes in 15 percent of the patients, five percent of whom died as a result. There were also growing charges that the surgery was often done unnecessarily.

He also learned about a highly controversial alternative treatment for arterial occlusion called chelation therapy. Intravenous chelation therapy is touted as a chemical method of cleaning out arteries and removing plaque. There has been considerable opposition to this therapy from both the American Medical Association and the Food and Drug Administration. It is an unproven therapy–time-consuming, and expensive–factors George had to weigh carefully.

George decided to pursue the chelation therapy and found a physician experienced in the procedure. This physician stressed the importance of lifestyle changes, changes which George had already decided were necessary.

George increased his intake of fiber, decreased his meat consumption, and reduced his fat intake considerably. He exercised daily on a stationary bicycle that also exercised the upper body.

After six months of chelation therapy and adherence to his new dietary and exercise regimen, Doppler tests revealed that the obstruction in George’s left carotid artery was now 33 percent, a significant decrease from the original 50-79 percent occlusion. Today George’s gains remain stable. He continues to follow his exercise and nutrition program and to have chelation treatments once a month.

The next time you or a member of your family is faced with a medical problem, remember these stories and join the ranks of the “active patient.” You may want to explore treatment options yourself or you may choose to enlist the services of a health information service. These services can provide information on treatments, research, resource organizations, and the leading medical experts connected with your disorder.

Most of the services are holistic in orientation–providing information on both conventional medical treatments and alternative or adjunctive treatments such as naturopathic and homeopathic treatments, acupuncture, and mind-body approaches.

Janice Guthrie is president of The Health Resource, a medical research service she founded in 1984. She was a researcher and administrator in higher education before a diagnosis of cancer spurred her to develop this business as a service to others with medical problems. She was one of the contractors in the recent U.S. Congressional study of alternative cancer therapies. She can be reached at (800) 949-0090 and thehealthresource.com.

Article provided by the American Holistic Health Association.

The smartest plan for attacking a heart attack is, of course, preventing one from ever happening. Choose at least three of the following preventive strategies that you’re currently not doing (though doing them all is even better!). Make them a habit. They will help you keep your heart healthy for life!

1. Convince Your Wife to Stop Smoking
Nonsmoking husbands of smoking wives face a 92 percent increase in their risk of heart attack, according to a report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Breathing secondhand smoke boosts LDL (”bad”) cholesterol levels, decreases HDL (”good”) cholesterol, and increases your blood’s tendency to clot.

2. Walk, Run, or Lift Weights for 30 Minutes Four Times a Week
Middle-aged men who exercised vigorously for 2 or more hours cumulatively per week had 60 percent less risk of heart attack than inactive men did, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.

3. Lose 10 to 20 Pounds
If you’re overweight, dropping 10 to 20 pounds could lower your risk of dying from a first heart attack by 16 percent. Being overweight drives up cholesterol and blood pressure, the precursors to coronary disease. A 10-year Mayo Clinic study found that overweight people had heart attacks 3.6 years earlier than normal-weight people did, and that obese heart-attack patients tended to be 8.2 years younger than normal-weight victims.

4. Drink Five Glasses of Water a Day
In a study at Loma Linda University, men who drank that many 8-ounce glasses were 54 percent less likely to have a fatal heart attack than those who drank two or fewer. Researchers say the water dilutes the blood, making it less likely to clot.

5. Switch from Coffee to Tea
A Dutch study found that people who drank 3 cups of tea a day had half the risk of heart attack of those who didn’t drink tea at all. Potent antioxidants, called flavonoids, in tea may provide a protective effect.

6. Grill Salmon on Saturday, Have a Tuna Sandwich on Tuesday
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health say that eating fish at least twice a week can lower your heart-disease risk by more than 30 percent. The magic ingredient is the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish. In another study, men without heart disease were 10 percent less likely to die suddenly when their blood levels of omega-3s were high.

7. Say Hello to Ribose
The heart’s ability to maintain energy is limited by one thing: the availability of ribose. Ribose is one of the most fundamental energy sources your body can have. Your body makes ribose naturally, but in times of stress the need is greater than your supply to satisfy the loss of energy from your cells. Unless your heart has an adequate supply of ribose, it simply cannot satisfy the astonishing energy demand. Supplementing with ribose can:

• increase tolerance to cardiac stress
• improve exercise tolerance and physical function
• provide cardiac energy needed to maintain normal heart function
• increase cardiac efficiency and lowers stress during exercise
• maintain healthy energy levels in heart and muscle

AMARC offers the highest quality ribose product available for $39.99. Click here to order or for more information.

8. Ask Your Doctor About Vitamin E and Aspirin
Men who took the antioxidant and the blood thinner daily cut the plaque in their clogged arteries by more than 80 percent, according to a recent University of Pennsylvania study.

9. Eat a Cup of Total Corn Flakes for Breakfast
This cereal contains one of the highest concentrations of folate (675 micrograms) of any cold cereal. Taking in that much folic acid daily (the recommended amount is 400 mcg) cuts your risk of cardiovascular disease by 13 percent, according to researchers at Tulane University. Folate works by reducing blood levels of artery-damaging homocysteine.

10. Count to 10
Creating a 10-second buffer before reacting to a stressful situation may be enough to cool you down. Men who respond to stress with anger are three times more likely to be diagnosed with heart disease and five times more likely to have a heart attack before turning 55, say researchers at Johns Hopkins University.

11. Eat Watermelon
It contains about 40 percent more lycopene than is found in raw tomatoes, and a new study by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service shows that your body absorbs it at higher levels due to the melon’s high water content. Half a wedge may boost heart-disease prevention by 30 percent.

Based upon genetics, individuals are born with one of three body types. We are divided into these categories as a general rule and people may vary in small ways within these groups, but we are significantly one of the three. Ectomorphs have long, lean bodies; mesomorphs are more triangularly shaped; endormorphs have round or pear shaped bodies. Women tend to look at models (who have predominately ectomorph body types), in magazines, TV and other media venues and base their weight goals around those images. However, in order to look your best, you should workout according to your body type and accept that genetics plays the major role in determining how you look.

An effective workout, regardless of body type should include strength and resistance training because it increases muscle cells and decreases fat cells, resulting in bodies that are firm and toned. Walking and running alone will not increase muscle strength or endurance in the upper and lower body, which is necessary for weight loss. If you are interested in adopting an exercise routine based upon your body type, here are some suggestions:

Ectomorphs are lean, angular and usually small chested with limbs that are longer than their torsos. They tend to have lower back problems and are prone to osteoporosis. This group of people may try to focus too much on running or other aerobic exercise at the expense of strength training. Ectomorphs need to spend about 30 minutes 2-3 days per week engaging in weight training utilizing dumbbells (2 pounds up to 12 pounds), lots of stretching, push-ups and pull-ups using your own body weight, and limit cardio work to no more than 3 days per week for 20-30 minutes.

Mesomorphs tend to be muscular and athletic. They are medium boned and have shorter torsos. Their weight is evenly distributed throughout the body and they have a higher ratio of muscle to fat. Mesomorphs usually build up weight in the waist, upper arms and in the back near the bra line. Since most of the fat accumulates at the midsection, they can be more prone to heart disease and stroke. Aerobic exercise is key to burning fat and keeping the cardiovascular system healthy, so mesomorphs should incorporate at least 30-40 minutes of aerobic (running, bicycling, cross-training) 3-4 times per week. Strength training should be included 2-3 times per week focusing on lower weights with higher repetitions to enhance muscle tone. Since this group of people has tight, short muscles, as well as a tendency to shin splints, they should stretch every day in order to avoid injury.

Endomorphs have round, curvy bodies. They tend to have a higher percentage of body fat and gain weight in the stomach, buttock and thigh area. Their metabolism tends to be slower so weight loss is more difficult to achieve. Low to moderate intensity aerobic exercise is most effective for this group of people at a frequency of 4-5 times per week for 30-45 minutes per session. This can include power walking, low-impact aerobics, bicycling with no incline or using the treadmill. Weight training should be incorporated 2-3 times per week with lower weights and higher repetitions. Stretching is very important because it helps to elongate the muscles and keeps them flexible.

So no matter your body type, try to incorporate strength, resistance and weight training as well as aerobic exercise in the right proportions in order to maximize the time you spend working out.

The Better Life Experts - March 16, 2009

It has been hard to ignore lately, the ads running on television trying to dispel the negative reputation that high fructose corn syrup has gained over recent years. It’s part of an 18-month campaign launched by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) in effort to give high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) an image makeover. The message: High-fructose corn syrup is made from corn, has no artificial ingredients, has the same calories as sugar and is okay to eat in moderation.

There is only one problem: High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an ingredient in so many products on the market…how could you possibly eat it in moderation? I have found it listed as an ingredient in vitamins, bread, soda, English muffins, yogurt, cereal, ketchup….the list could go on. So unless your diligently reading your labels…to moderate your consumption of high fructose corn syrup is nearly impossible.

So how did we get here? Why is the use of high fructose corn syrup so pronounced? HFCS has been used as an inexpensive sweetener since the 1970’s and we saw a dramatic increase in its use throughout the 1980’s as a result of the high prices of sugar import (the U.S. has a high tariff on any sugar brought into the country and very little sugar is actually produced in the United States….companies looked to HFCS as an alternative to the expensive, high taxed natural sugar). To them it’s simply a product that people buy so they want to make it as cheap as they possibly can to increase their own profits at the expense of public health.

So if HFCS is “good for you”, “natural” and made from corn, what could possibly be the drawback? Let’s take a look at corn. Contrary to popular belief…it is NOT a vegetable, it is a grain. Grains are metabolized by our bodies into sugars very rapidly and cause a huge spike in blood sugar, thus requiring an outpouring of insulin from the pancreas further straining this already so overworked organ. This is one of the major contributors to the massive increase in type II diabetes, obesity and systemic inflammation. Not to mention that several disease states from high cholesterol, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and osteoporosis have also been linked to HFCS.

Just because something is touted as being “natural” does not mean that it is healthy. HFCS is in actuality an entirely man-made substance. Nearly indestructible and stable. That is why it is used often as a preservative for foods, not only a sweetener.

We are all well aware that sugar itself is not a purely healthy food. Moderation IS the key. But, unlike with HFCS, many of us know which products contain sugar. It is not hidden as a preservative in food products. In the end, it is much easier to moderate in our diets and is naturally sweet not laboratory made.

In the end, read your labels. Eat natural, whole foods. For those who wish to sweeten foods and beverages without the effects of HFCS, and are also concerned about the impact of using sugar regularly, I would recommend the all-natural sweetner, stevia. For more information, start here.

Over the course of two decades, vitamin D levels have dramatically decreased among Americans, a new study finds.

Low levels of vitamin D have been associated with rickets in children and lower bone mineral density in adults. Recent research has also linked insufficient vitamin D to cancer, heart disease, infection and poorer health overall. Optimal levels range from 30 nanograms per milliliter to 40 nanograms per milliliter, the researchers said.

“We found a marked increase in vitamin D deficiency over the past two decades,” said lead researcher Dr. Adit Ginde, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. “Over three out of every four Americans now have vitamin D levels below what we believe is necessary for optimal health. African-Americans and Hispanics are at particularly high risk — nearly all have suboptimal levels.”

The report was published in the March 23 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

For the study, Ginde’s group collected data on vitamin D levels in 18,883 people collected between 1988 and 1994, and 13,369 people collected between 2001 and 2004. All the data came from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
The researchers found that average vitamin D levels were 30 nanograms per milliliter from 1988 to 1994, but decreased to 24 nanograms per milliliter between 2001 and 2004. Moreover, vitamin D levels of less than 10 nanograms per milliliter increased from 2 percent to 6 percent over the study period. There were also fewer people with vitamin D levels of 30 nanograms per milliliter or higher (45 percent vs. 23 percent).

The greatest drops in vitamin D levels were seen among blacks, where levels of vitamin D of less than 10 nanograms per milliliter rose from 9 percent to 29 percent, and levels of more than 30 nanograms per milliliter or higher dropped from 12 percent to 3 percent, the researchers found.

“Increases in vitamin D deficiency in the population may have reduced the overall health of the population,” Ginde said. “Since sunlight is the body’s major source of vitamin D, increases in sunscreen, sun avoidance, and overall decreased outdoor activity, while successful in reducing skin cancers, has probably reduced vitamin D levels in the population.”

Ten minutes of sunlight on exposed arms and legs two to three times per week would significantly improve vitamin D production, but must be weighed against the risk for skin cancer, Ginde noted. Vitamin D supplementation is another way to increase levels. However, current recommended doses of vitamin D supplements are outdated and inadequate, he added.
Right now, recommended levels of vitamin D supplements are 200 international units per day from birth to age 50, 400 international units (IU) per day from age 51 to 70, and 600 international units per day for adults aged 71 and older. These recommendations are primarily for improving bone health.

“Vitamin D is an important and underappreciated public health issue and may be responsible for some racial differences in health outcomes,” Ginde said. “Most Americans could use more vitamin D. Higher doses of vitamin D supplementation than currently recommended, at least 1,000 to 2,000 IU daily, are likely needed to raise vitamin D levels for many people.”

Another report in the same journal highlights the importance of vitamin D for bone health. In the study, Swiss researchers conclude that 400 IU of vitamin D supplements per day are associated with a reduced risk of fractures in older adults.

“Given the frequency, severity and cost of non-vertebral fractures, everyone age 65 and older should take vitamin D in a dose close to 800 IU per day,” said lead researcher Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, an assistant professor at the University of Zurich.

To reach their conclusion, Bischoff-Ferrari and colleagues reviewed the findings of 12 clinical trials of looking at the benefits of vitamin D supplements in reducing fractures in adults aged 65 and older. In all, the trials involved 42,279 participants.

The researchers found that vitamin D supplements decreased the risk of non-vertebral fractures by 14 percent and of hip fractures by 9 percent. In trials where people were given doses of more than 400 IUs a day, fractures were reduced by 20 percent and hip fractures by 18 percent.

In addition, for people taking high doses of vitamin D, calcium supplements did not appear to have any additional protective effect against fractures, the researchers reported.

“At the higher dose, this benefit is not restricted to frail older individuals, but is also present in community-dwelling older individuals,” Bischoff-Ferrari said. “In the subgroup of community-dwelling older individuals, vitamin D at the higher dose reduced non-vertebral fractures by 33 percent.”

Dr. Michael F. Holick, director of the Vitamin D Laboratory at Boston University, noted that the recommended levels of vitamin D are under review and likely to be increased.

“An Institute of Medicine panel is planning to have new recommendations out by mid-2010,” Holick said. “It’s pretty clear that you need a minimum of 1,400 and up to 2,000 IU a day, and if you are obese, you probably need at least one and a half to two times as much, because the fat sequesters the vitamin D,” he said.

Holick said people are drinking less milk and staying out of the sun, which are the main reasons for the decreasing vitamin D levels in the population.

One way to combat the problem is to increase vitamin D supplementation in foods, Holick said. New recommendations that increase vitamin D levels will let the food industry increase vitamin D levels in foods and add vitamin D to more foods, he said.

“We are in desperate need to have a marked increase in the adequate intake recommendation, and hopefully, that will be 1,000 to 2,000 IUs per day and raise the safe upper limit to at least 10,000 IUs a day,” Holick said. “The plan would be to increase the amount per serving and increase the number of foods fortified with vitamin D.”

To support your body’s daily vitamin D needs, AMARC offers a high quality vitamin D3 product for $14.95! Click here to order or for more information.

________________________________________________________________________________________

By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay Reporter
URL: http://health.msn.com/health-topics/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100235096

Healthful habits help protect memory, but the aging brain may need an extra tweak or two to stay sharp.

If you’re age 50 or over, chances are you’ve noticed some decline in your ability to remember things. Perhaps you can’t recall why you raced to the pantry, or you forget the names of people you just met at a party.

While most people notice memory changes with age, only a small percentage — about 10% by age 65 — experience actual dementia, a serious and progressive decline in memory and cognitive abilities. Such significant loss of mental functioning is due not to aging but to organic disorders, injury, or neurological illness. Good general health habits help protect cognitive function and reduce the risk of dementia. Studies have shown that women are less likely to experience cognitive decline or dementia if they stay physically active, get enough sleep, don’t smoke, reduce their stress levels, maintain a rich social network, limit alcohol to one drink or less a day, and eat a balanced diet low in saturated and trans fats. And physical problems or medication side effects are less likely to disturb memory in women who seek and follow medical advice.

Normal age-related changes in the brain can slow some cognitive processes, making it a bit harder to learn new things quickly or to ward off distractions. Fleeting memory difficulties (”Where did I leave the keys?”) may occur more often. These changes are considered normal, but they can be frustrating. The good news is that, thanks to decades of research, most of us can sharpen our minds with proven, do-it-yourself strategies. Here are some ways to boost your ability to remember as you age:

1. Believe in yourself.

Myths about aging can contribute to a failing memory. Middle-aged and older learners do worse on memory tasks when exposed to negative stereotypes about aging and memory, and better if exposed to messages about memory preservation into old age. If you believe that having a good or poor memory is out of your control, you’ll also be less likely to put in the effort to maintain or improve your memory skills and may thus experience greater cognitive decline as you age. Believing that you can improve — and translating that belief into practice by developing memory skills and challenging your mind — will keep you sharper.

2. Economize your brain use.

If you don’t need to use mental energy remembering where you laid your keys or the time of your granddaughter’s birthday party, you’ll be better able to concentrate on learning and remembering new and important things. Take advantage of calendars and planners, maps, shopping lists, file folders, and address books to keep routine information accessible. Designate a place at home for your glasses, purse, keys, and other items you use frequently. Removing clutter from your office or home will minimize distractions so you can focus on the new information you want to remember.

3. Organize your thoughts.

New information that’s broken into smaller chunks, such as the hyphenated sections of a phone or social security number, is easier to remember than a single long list, such as financial account numbers or the name of everyone in a classroom. When presented with something lengthy to remember, divide it into smaller pieces (in the classroom, separate the children by row and gender), or notice patterns, such as repeated digits or all the children with long hair.

Remember your health. You won’t have much luck implementing memory-improvement strategies if a health condition is sapping your learning ability. Many medical problems that become more common with age can impair cognitive skills if they go unrecognized or untreated. Here are some ways to protect yourself:

Avoid sugar shock. In the Harvard’s Nurses’ Health Study, women ages 70–81 performed worse on cognitive tests and showed more deterioration over a two-year period if they had type 2 diabetes. Those taking medication to control glucose levels did better than those not on drugs.

Control your pressure. Some “senior moments,” or memory lapses, have been linked to a reduction in blood flow to the brain caused by high blood pressure. In the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, people did worse on memory and other cognitive tests if they had either low or high blood pressure. High blood pressure seems to be more damaging to memory in women than in men.

Keep breathing. People with sleep apnea, who stop breathing temporarily many times during the night, score worse on memory and cognitive tests. Their scores rise if they use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines to keep airways open during sleep.

Treat depression. Cognitive problems can be a symptom of depression. Older women who are depressed have worse cognitive function than non-depressed women, and their skills decline more rapidly with time. Among adults diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, those who also have depression are more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

Check your thyroid. An underactive thyroid can adversely affect learning, memory, and attention. When thyroid hormone levels return to normal with treatment, performance in these areas improves. Even if thyroid hormone isn’t low enough to cause other symptoms, older women who go untreated for this condition are twice as likely to experience cognitive decline.

Balance your iron. After menopause, iron deficiency isn’t common; physicians worry more about the cardiovascular impact of getting too much. However, women who do have laboratory-confirmed low iron levels perform significantly worse on cognitive tests. After a few weeks of supplements, their scores return to normal.
 

4. Use all your senses.

The more senses you use when you learn something, the more of your brain will be involved in retaining the memory. For example, odors are famous for conjuring memories from the distant past, especially those with strong emotional content, such as visits to a cookie-baking grandparent.

A study published in the journal Neuron (May 2004) demonstrated that odors can also improve memories of more routine matters. Adults were shown a series of emotionally neutral images, each presented along with an odor. They were not asked to remember what they saw. Later, they were shown a set of images, this time without odors, and asked to indicate which they’d seen before. Recall was excellent for all odor-paired pictures, and the best for those associated with pleasant smells. During brain imaging, the scientists found that the primary odor-processing region of the brain (the piriform cortex) became active when people saw objects they’d originally seen with odors, even though odors were no longer present and the subjects hadn’t tried to remember them.

5. Expand your brain.

Widen the brain regions involved in learning by reading aloud, drawing a picture, or writing down the information you want to learn (even if you never look back at your notes). Just forming a visual image of something makes it easier to remember and understand; it forces you to make the information more precise.

6. Repeat after me.

When you want to remember something you have just heard or thought about, repeat it out loud. For example, if you’ve just been told someone’s name, use it when you speak with him or her: “So John, where did you meet Camille?”

If you place one of your belongings somewhere other than its designated home, make a note of it aloud to yourself. And don’t hesitate to ask for information to be repeated.

7. Space it out.

Repetition is an even more potent learning tool when it’s properly timed. Instead of repeating something many times in a short period, as if you were cramming for an exam, re-study the essentials after increasingly longer periods of time — once an hour, then every few hours, then every day. Spacing out periods of study is particularly valuable when you are trying to master complicated information, such as the details of a new assignment at work. In research studies, spaced rehearsal improves recall in both healthy people and those with physically based cognitive problems, such as those associated with multiple sclerosis.

8. Make a mnemonic.

Mnemonic devices are creative ways to remember lists. They can take the form of acronyms — such as the word RICE to remember first-aid advice for injured limbs: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation — or sentences, such as the classic “Every good boy does fine,” to remember the musical notes E, G, B, D, and F on the lines of the treble clef.

For older learners, a particularly helpful system is a story mnemonic — that is, a brief narrative in which each item cues you to remember the next one. For example, the sentence “The dog knocked over my glass of milk so I have to wash the floor” could remind you that your dog has a vet appointment, you should pick up your new glasses, and you need to buy milk and floor cleaner.

9. Challenge yourself.

Engaging in activities that require you to concentrate and tax your memory will help you maintain skills as you age. Discuss books, do crossword puzzles, try new recipes, travel, and undertake projects or hobbies that require skills you aren’t familiar or comfortable with. Again, challenge all of your senses as you venture into the unfamiliar: Try to guess the ingredients in a restaurant dish; give sculpting or ceramics a try; sample different types of music.

10. Take a course.

Memory-improvement courses are becoming more common. Choose one run by health professionals or experts in psychology or cognitive rehabilitation. Stay away from courses that center on computer or concentration games, which generally won’t help you with real-life memory problems. Select a course that focuses on practical ways to manage everyday challenges.

The results you get from a memory course will depend largely on the effort you put into it. According to a report presented at the American Psychological Association annual meeting in July 2004, the ability to remember names and stories depends less on age and health than on motivation to practice in people taking memory-training courses.
 

A study published in the September issue of the journal Neurology proposed that higher vitamin B12 levels might protect the elderly against brain shrinkage. Researchers from Oxford University found that people in the upper third of vitamin B12 levels were 6 times less likely to experience brain shrinkage than those in the lowest third. These results suggest that older adults with B12 levels in the high normal range may be protected from the cognitive degeneration associated with senior dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

The study involved 107 healthy people ages 61 to 87 who underwent scans to measure brain volume and gave blood samples to assess vitamin B12  levels once a year for up to 5 years. 

While the study’s authors insist that it is too early to advise people to take extra B12 to prevent brain shrinkage, they do recommend that patients keep their levels within the normal range. Maintaining normal B12 levels can be achieved by eating foods rich in the vitamin, like dairy products, fish, meat and fortified grains as well as by taking a daily supplement. Vitamin B12 deficiency, which can lead to anemia and neurological damage, is uncommon in developed countries except among the elderly, who have problems with vitamin absorption, and among vegetarians, whose dietary intake may be low. 

The initial studies with Poly-MVA (of which vitamin B12 is one of the key components) and its protective effects has researches excited how this supplement could play a significant role in many neurological conditions. Not only does it have cellular protective effects but it also supports the basic energy production of every cell which could lead to tremendous advances in degenerative disease and neurological conditions. Click here to learn more about Poly-MVA.