• Optimize Me
  • Posts
  • 🧠 When The Battle For Brain Health Should Begin

🧠 When The Battle For Brain Health Should Begin

THE health and wellness newsletter

Author

James Kratch
April 09, 2024

Welcome back to Optimize Me — the health and wellness newsletter for evidence-based advice on how to 🥦 eat better, 🏋️ workout smarter, and 🧑‍💻 be more productive.

In today’s send we discuss how dementia prevention likely must start early, take a skeptic’s look at supplements, examine a promising new study, and reinforce the importance of good sleep.

Let’s get to it.

🧠 Aim to thank your middle-aged self

Dementia and cognitive decline typically impacts people later in life. But what a person does — or does not do — when much younger may set their brain health course decades from then.

There is growing evidence early intervention to improve brain health — and continued study of the midlife brain — is the key to combating dementia toward the end of life, a recent Wall Street Journal report highlights.

Here’s what you need to know:

  • Nearly 7M Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. That figure is projected to almost double by 2050 (13M patients).

  • Scientists are finding efforts to target and prevent dementia in older patients are failing on the whole. It appears that timeline of intervention is often too late to significantly impact the direction of brain health when people are in their 70s and 80s.

  • This conclusion has shifted focus toward people in their 40s and 50s, when parts of the brain start to change faster, in particular the hippocampus, which is key to learning and memory. Processing speed also begins to diminish in those age groups while proteins begin to build in the blood. Menopause can also impact brain function in women.

  • Some researchers argue all people naturally lose cognitive function as they age and the pace is individual-based, so snapshots at midlife do not necessarily serve as a barometer for future dementia rates.

There is no proven way to prevent dementia. If there was, we would be having a far different — and simpler — conversation. But heart health is closely linked to brain health. And that is where experts say people should start.

  • Heart issues, such as blocked arteries, can impede blood and oxygen flow to the brain. Regular exercise, healthy diet and abstaining from smoking are all steps that can promote brain health and help ward off dementia.

  • Avoiding and managing conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol and sleep apnea is also important. Quality sleep is also critical.

  • Social health is also critical. People should avoid isolation and put themselves in engaging environments. Researchers have also found working in a challenging environment that stimulates your brain can help combat dementia. Lifelong education also provides brain benefits.

The advice about working to prevent dementia is similar to the conventional wisdom about most health-related steps: It is never too late to start doing something beneficial. But there is mounting evidence the earlier, the better when it comes to cognitive decline.

🥦 Supplemental knowledge

Dietary supplements are popular. A survey found 75% of American adults take them; 55% of respondents considered themselves regular users.

People take them to fill nutrition gaps, improve health and wellness and improve sports performance. Some studies have even suggested certain supplements can enhance the efficacy of medical treatments, although the jury remains out.

But -- like CBD products, which we discussed in a recent send -- supplements come with a big catch. They are not regulated as strictly as drugs; the oversight is more in line with food products. This reality allows for deceptive advertising, marketing and labeling, hidden ingredients and, on occasion, outright fraud -- all of which can complicate supplement usage. 

Here is a rundown of what you should be aware of when considering supplements:

  • Food for thought: Many medical professionals argue dietary supplements are not necessary if eating a balanced, healthy diet.

  • Just because a product is promoted as "natural" does not mean it is superior. One expert made this comparison: A Vitamin C supplement can be marketed as a preventative measure against the flu, but that does not mean it is as effective or more effective than a flu shot. Many supplements are marketed as all-natural because the manufacturer wants to position them as superior to competitors.

  • Many mineral supplements have dosages that far exceed the recommended daily intake for an adult -- sometimes a dose is 10X what you actually need. While your body will dispose of the excess in most cases, there can also be negative health effects when too much is ingested like cramping, diarrhea, nausea and even kidney stone production.

  • The science of supplements negatively interacting with drugs and other treatment is more established. An expert example: St. John's wort is heralded as a natural treatment for depression and menopause symptoms, but it can also dampen the efficacy of standard methods like contraceptives and statins.

  • Another concern is the origin of supplements. Many are manufactured in China and other countries, making quality and safety control even more challenging.

OK, so how do you effectively and safely use supplements? Here are some tips:

  • Keep food in mind. You may be able to get the health benefits you are seeking within your diet. And always consult a doctor before beginning a supplement regimen.

  • These abbreviations are critical to know: A nutrient's Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA), Daily Value percentage in a dosage and the Upper Limit (UL) of how much of a nutrient should be consumed in a day. Following the guidelines helps maintain healthy intake.

  • Understand how the body breaks down various supplements and time intake for optimal results.

  • While the FDA does not regulate supplements, there are credible and independent third-parties that do verify the products. Their reports can be used as a guide.

Above all else, do your homework and be cautious about what is in your supplements -- and skeptical if claims seem too good to be true.

🦾 UTI treatment breakthrough?

An oral vaccine could represent a major breakthrough for people who suffer from chronic urinary tract infections, according to early but promising study results.

  • Clinicians at the UK's Royal Berkshire Hospital administered Uramune -- a spray-based vaccine meant to be administered twice a day for three months -- to 89 patients who often experienced UTIs.

  • The study participants were tracked for nine years. Over half of them (54%) did not have a single UTI in that span. Participants that still developed UTIs reported their infections were fewer, less severe and often treatable with water intake.

  • Men and women were included in the study. Women tended to go longer without a UTI after receiving the vaccine, according to the preliminary data. About 40% of participants received repeat doses.

  • Researchers are now working to replicate the study on other groups; the study is also undergoing peer review. But early returns have generated optimism.

UTIs are the most common form of bacterial infection and can be extremely painful and uncomfortable. Fifty percent of women experience a UTI, compared to 20% for men. But 20-30% of people who develop a UTI then deal with them on a regular basis. An effective vaccine would be a critical development for two reasons:

  • Complicated UTIs can present significant health challenges beyond the infection. Among them are antimicrobial resistance, renal disease, and urosepsis. They are also particularly dangerous in medical settings -- catheter-associated UTIs can introduce pathogens like E. coli to the body -- and in pregnant women, leading to preeclampsia, preterm birth, low birth weight and increased risk of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.

  • A vaccine would reduce the reliance on antibiotics to treat UTIs. Doctors are seeing an increase in the rate of antibiotic-resistant infections. Studies have found over 90% of UTI-causing bacteria resists at least one common antibiotic. UTIs that are resistant to antibiotics present health challenges, but also economic ones. Lengthy hospitalizations to administer IV drugs are sometimes necessary to treat the infection; the UTIs also have been known to spread to the bloodstream and cause sepsis and other potentially fatal conditions.

How do you prevent a UTI in the first place? Drink plenty of fluids, especially water, empty your bladder often and urinate soon after sex. And seek medical attention if your UTI leads to symptoms like a fever or disorientation; that may be a sign you have a kidney infection.

❌ Don’t Eat This: Recalls

đź”— Links