Use these five simple tips to keep your brain power sharp for life.

By Natasha Turner, ND

Your brain is like a muscle—the more you use it the stronger it gets and the more fit it will remain. Many people believe that memory loss, or decreased cognitive function, is a normal part of aging. The truth is there are many factors affecting brain health which, if properly managed, may help keep our thoughts clear and our recall strong. These less commonly recognized factors include stress, free-radical damage, high homocysteine and heavy metals. Start maximizing your concentration and preserving your memory by using these anti-aging and protective tips.

Bad fats
Our brains are 70% fat. Over-consumption of animal fats or unhealthy fats like those in chips, fries, muffins and pastries are harmful to the brain and inhibit cellular communication.
Solution: Increase your intake of good fats by ensuring you take fish oils daily. Fish oils have been proven to be useful for depression, memory loss and anxiety and to increase the IQs of children when taken during pregnancy.

High homocysteine
Homocysteine is an amino acid which is normally found in the blood. Elevated levels have been linked to heart disease, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease. A safe level of homocysteine is considered to be less than 7. People with high blood levels of homocysteine may also face memory loss and an added health threat to their brain function, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Those with the highest homocysteine levels were twice as likely to develop brain-function problems compared to those with lower levels. Moreover, during an eight-year span, those with consistently high levels of homocysteine also showed a higher tendency toward reduced brain function.
Solution: Good nutrition. A diet high in leafy, green vegetables; fruits; nuts; seeds and other sources of B vitamins and folic acid is an effective way to decrease homocysteine levels. Taking a vitamin combination to specifically lower homocysteine is also a great way to correct elevated levels of the amino acid. An effective product should contain folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and trimethylglycine. See the Truestar Healthy Mind and Memory Vitamin Plan.

Continual stress overload
When we are under continuous stress our bodies produce the hormone cortisol. High levels of cortisol have been found to be particularly damaging to the area of the brain involved with memory. Studies have confirmed that individuals with depression or a history of it actually have a decreased ability for recall. This is related to high cortisol levels commonly noted in depression and anxiety.
Solution: Manage your stress through exercise, deep breathing, regular sleep or massage. If you are unable to utilize any of these methods because of time or lack of planning, start taking supplements like lecithin, phosphatidylserine or acetyl-L-carnitine to protect the brain from the negative effects of stress and aging. See the Truestar Stress Page for a complete stress reduction plan.

Heavy metals
Exposure to heavy metals is damaging to brain cells, especially mercury, cadmium, lead and aluminum.
Solution: Reduce your exposure by avoiding antiperspirant and cookware containing aluminum. Consume fish like salmon, tuna, swordfish or shark once per week to avoid excess mercury intake and avoid exposure to cadmium in cigarette smoke. If you have mercury amalgams (fillings), have your mercury levels tested through a reliable testing center like www.doctorsdata.com. If your mercury levels are high, consider removing your fillings, but be sure to see a dentist who specializes in the safe removal of mercury amalgams. There are products available to help rid the body of heavy metals such as chlorella, cilantro, cysteine, as well as vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, vitamin B12, zinc, sulfur and selenium.

Free radical stress
The human body is composed of many different types of cells. Cells are composed of many different types of molecules. Molecules consist of one or more atoms of one or more elements joined by chemical bonds. Normally, bonds don’t split in a way that leaves a molecule with an odd, unpaired electron. But when weak bonds split, free radicals are formed. Free radicals are very unstable molecules that react quickly with other compounds, trying to gain stability. When the "attacked" molecule loses its electron, it becomes a free radical itself, beginning a chain reaction. Once the process is started, it can cascade, finally resulting in the disruption of a living cell. All of our cells, including our brain cells, are at the mercy of free-radical stress. Some free radicals arise normally during metabolism. Sometimes immune system cells purposefully create them to neutralize viruses and bacteria. However, environmental factors, such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides, can also spawn free radicals. Free-radical damage is one of the primary causes of aging.
Solution: Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by donating one of their own electrons, ending the “electron-stealing" reaction. The antioxidant nutrients themselves don’t become free radicals by donating an electron because they are stable in either form; they are scavengers, helping to prevent cell and tissue damage that could lead to cellular damage and disease. Normally, the body can handle free radicals, but if antioxidants are unavailable, or if the free-radical production becomes excessive, damage can occur. Vitamins C and E are antioxidants which protect the body against the destructive effects of free radicals. The basics of antioxidant support are covered in the Truestar Antioxidant Vitamin and Supplement Plan.

Bonus: Brain-boosting exercise
Here’s a tip from Laureli Blyth, author of Brain Power, for remembering a person’s name when you meet them: Look at their face, repeat their name to yourself or aloud. If it is an unusual name, ask them to spell it so you can visualize it. After envisioning the name, look up and to the right to store it in your mind if you are left handed. Do the opposite if you are right handed, by looking up and to the left.

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