Prof John Nolan Nutritional Mind

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John Nolan COMBATING ALZHEIMER’S WITH NUTRITION. target your brain A HEAD START ON YOUR BRAIN by Margot Tubbiolo “Cognition is defined as the process of thinking - including perception, knowledge, problem solving, judgement, language and memory.” I sat down with Professor John Nolan to delve into his findings on how nutrition has such an effect on our brain health. This piece will give you an insight into Professor Nolan’s research and how supplements can improve our cognitive health and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Professor Nolan of South East Technological University studies nutrition and its effects on human health. He has focused on the use of targeted nutrition for eye health and brain health for over 20 years. He is very well versed on the subject and is deeply passionate about how “you can modify the growing statistics of Alzheimer’s, doing an early intervention and changing what’s modifiable.” In 2016, he founded a group called the Nutrition Research Centre in Ireland, where they are currently studying the key nutrients for cognitive health. The key nutrients I discussed with Professor Nolan include omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids and vitamin E. Omega-3 fatty acids are an antioxidant that control and resolve inflammation in the brain. They are mainly found in oily fish, but Professor Nolan informed me, “We’re not getting enough of these nutrients in our diet, we’re probably twenty times away from having enough.” Professor Nolan’s team specialises in carotenoids, which are plant-based pigments that give fruit and vegetables their colour. When dealing with people with Alzheimer’s, he said was shocked at the lack of carotenoids present in their bodies. Carotenoids act as an antioxidant, absorbing molecules that cause harm to the body. Professor Nolan explained the process of creating the dosage. “There are 700 carotenoids in nature and we select 50 for a typical dose, 20 in the blood system, 30 in the eye, and lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin in the brain.” Lastly, vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin found in oils, nuts and leafy greens. It protects cells from oxidative stress, where your body cells and tissue can be damaged. Oxidative stress is heavily linked with Alzheimer’s disease. This is where the components of these three nutrients come in; working together they can improve memory, reduce inflammation and help

brain health by Alison McEvoy Professor John Nolan is one of the brightest minds of Ireland. After studying Science, and ultimately obtaining a PhD, at Waterford Institute of Technology (now South East Technological University), Prof. prevent a disease that affects so many Nolan won a Fulbright Scholarship and people across the board. studied in the Medical College Georgia Professor Nolan was involved with in the US. On his return to Waterford he the Re-MIND trial. His team was the first established the ‘Macular Pigment Research in the world to work with Alzheimer’s Group’ where he studied the role of disease. This was a placebo controlled trial, nutrition in eye health. Just five years after involving people with early-to-moderate winning the European Research Council Alzheimer’s. ReMind™ is a unique starting grant he founded the Nutrition formulation of carotenoids, omega-3 Research Centre of Ireland (NRCI). fatty acids and vitamin E and, when given Currently, Prof. Nolan and his to Alzheimer’s patients, resulted in an team at the NRCI are studying the role of improvement in memory and attention nutrition for cognitive function and brain within 12 months. “They improved in health. The goal is to reduce the risk and episodic memory, which are your new progression of Alzheimer’s disease. For memories. Things like ‘Where did I park the many, many Irish families touched by the car?’ or ‘Where did I leave my keys?’” Alzheimer’s, this research heralds good It increased their ability to perform and news. retain information. It also helped their To see science turned in this mood and gave them a better overall manner towards nutrition and food quality of life. Professor Nolan was keen supplementation is also a huge to highlight that, “This is not a cure for turning point. It is recognised that Alzheimer’s, but supports management pharmacological treatment often creates of the condition”. I asked him if it numerous side effects. Using nutrition as was effective for prevention as well as medicine means that we are harnessing management. “Absolutely, the rational is the power of nature in our diets and side primary prevention,” he replied. effects need not make an appearance. A third of Alzheimer’s cases could Brain Nutrition be avoided with lifestyle changes. This is why Professor Nolan’s research is so ReMind is a unique food supplement important - these nutrients can help that reflects the very latest scientific change a person’s future and give them a understanding of brain nutrition and is higher quality of life. a culmination of research into the role of nutrition in eye and brain health by the NRCI for over 20 years. remind.eu

The brain seeks out its three main ingredients from our diet to help it function optimally. They are protective ingredients which are naturally found in the brain but which decrease in presence with age and disease. These active ingredients are 1. Carotenoids; plant pigments found in a variety of dark green, yellow, orange and red vegetables which help reduce oxidative damage 2. Omega 3’s; key components of the lipids (fats) in the brain and thus important in maintaining brain structure and function, and mitigating neuroinflammation 3. Vitamin E; an important anti-oxidant and which contributes, among other things, to the stability of the biological membranes of the brain cells. Gold Standard Research The recently published clinical trial, titled re-MIND (Memory Intervention with Nutrition for Dementia), was carried out by Professor John Nolan and Dr Rebecca Power of the NRCI in collaboration with Professor Ríona Mulcahy, a consultant physician in general and geriatric medicine at University Hospital Waterford.

For the patients on the active intervention, the trial demonstrated changes in quality of life, with carers reporting improvements in mood. Improved memory was also observed with patients better able to carry out day- to-day activities such as getting dressed independently or making a cup of tea. The results of the trial, which have been published and noted as the most newsworthy paper of 2022 in The Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, add to the “cumulating body of evidence that targeted nutrition can have a positive impact on symptoms and quality of life in Alzheimer’s disease”, according to Prof Ríona Mulcahy. Never too early, never too late “ReMind is a unique It is a terrible thing to see a loved food supplement one deteriorate mentally, and also to contemplate one’s own potential that reflects the very latest scientific deterioration. Finding a support in the area of nutrition is a huge step forward as we can begin to empower ourselves to understanding of support our brains well into old age. It is never too early or too late to start helping brain nutrition” our brains to function better. There is a wealth of information and openly available research reviews and results online about ReMind and the wonderful work of the NRCI. Remind.eu Profjohnnolan.com