The Effect of nutrition on Mental Alertness

By Charlotte Meschede - Nutritionist

Most of us are aware of the effects of lack of sleep, too much alcohol or simply stress, on mental alertness but not many doctors pay much attention to the impact that diet has on how ‘switched on’ your brain is at any one time.

If you think about it, your brain is always ‘on’ even when you are asleep. It controls everything your body does 24/7. This means that your brain needs a constant supply of fuel, which we assume is provided by food. It is what is in the fuel that can make all the difference. In simple terms, what you eat, directly affects the functioning of the brain. Like a car that will respond better to premium fuel rather than a sub-standard one, your brain can be up-regulated or down-regulated to perform better or worse, depending on what nutrients your diet does or does not provide. Eating a diet that is rich in micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals and trace elements as well as adequate amounts of good quality proteins, fats and carbohydrates will protect the brain tissue from oxidative stress which then damages cells and consequently, cellular functioning. Diets that are high in refined sugars will be harmful to the brain because sugar will aggravate any inflammation, cause a spike in insulin levels and ultimately damage cognitive function. High refined sugar diets are known to worsen symptoms of any prevailing mental illness such as depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder and bi-polar disorder.

The impact of nutrition on mental acuity is well documented. Even so, few psychiatrists actually exploit this adjunctive therapy and the patient loses out on what could make a huge difference in the quality of his/her life.

In addition to the micronutrients that can be provided by eating good quality whole and unprocessed foods and supplements, there are some herbal compounds that have been used for centuries to improve mental acuity and cognitive function.

Ginkgo Biloba, commonly known as maidenhair, a tree native to China is well known as a medicinal herb, particularly for its beneficial effects on circulation and cognitive (brain) function. Ginkgo biloba herbal extracts are made from the leaves. Most of the health benefits associated with taking these extracts is from the high levels of terpenoids and flavonoids, compounds which have very powerful antioxidant

effects. Antioxidants neutralize the harmful effect of free radicals which are small but dangerous compounds formed from all metabolic reactions. An analogy would be a car releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere from burning fuel – it’s the same concept. This intense antioxidant capacity of the active compounds in Ginkgo biloba help to protect healthy tissues from damage and therefore can be considered anti-aging. In this instance, anti-aging is from the inside to the outside. In other words, helping the body fight against damaging effects of free radicals to keep tissues and organs ‘young’ will help to slow aging of the body processes. Aging is a process whereby all our bodily functions start to deteriorate and eventually stop working. If we can manage to keep our organs and tissues ‘young’ by preventing inflammation, then the effects of aging will be delayed. Beauty from the inside in other words!

AIM GinkgoSense is a remarkable product that contains, not only the active compounds in ginkgo biloba, but supporting powerful phytochemicals such as, lutein, zeaxanthin, all of which not only have antioxidant effects but are highly ANTI—inflammatory. These amazing phytochemicals have specific benefits for eye health as well as cognitive function, mostly because of the improvements in circulation, but also because of the prevention and repair of oxidative stress on the blood vessels and nerves in the brain and eyes.

Each capsule of GinkgoSense contains: •

120 mg of ginkgo biloba leaf extract 24% ginkgo flavonglycosides 6% terpene lactones 150,0 mg Curcumin extract (Curcuma longa) root 95% Curcuminoids 10,0 mg Lutein as marigold extract (Tagetes erecta) Flower 500,0 mcg Zeaxanthin as marigold extract flower 300,0 mg Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root 50,0 mg Ginger (Zingiber officinale) root 10,0 mg Black pepper extract (Piper nigrum) fruit 95% Piperine

Heart-Healthy Nutrients

Natural nutrients continue to be studied for their cardiovascular benefits. The following are some facts about two good-for-yourheart nutrients: coenzyme Q10 and omega-3.

Coenzyme Q10

fat-soluble, vitamin-like compound highest concentration in the heart muscle ignites energy in cell mitochondria acts as an electron carrier for energy molecules: ATP provides a potent antioxidant protects against free radical damage fatigue linked to low CoQ10 levels1

CellSparc 360 for Coenzyme Q10

Each capsule delivers 60 mg of supplementary CoQ10 from a bacterial fermentation source.

Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids

good fats reduce inflammation cannot be produced by the body must come from dietary intake promote healthy cell function component of healthy membranes surrounding each cell alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is plantbased omega-3

AIMega for Omega-3 Each capsule delivers 380 mg of supplementary omega-3 (ALA) from organic flax seed oil.