Be Well 9/4 - Brain Health

The topic of discussion for September's Be Well program was brain health and dementia prevention. You can view Dr. Donohue's slide presentation here. 

During the group discussion, there were some comments about fasting, and Karen recommended Dr. Doug Lisle's Tedx Talk about how to overcome food cravings and avoid "The Pleasure Trap."

Dementia is a vascular disease caused by oxidation, inflammation, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia. The great news is that even with a genetic predisposition for dementia, healthy lifestyle choices significantly reduce the risk of developing the disease. Plant-based nutrition, exercise, stress management, sleep, and social interaction are key components to healthy brain function, and Doctors Dean and Ayesha Sherzai have developed the NEURO plan for dementia prevention, which you can learn more about in their book, The Alzheimer's Solution.

Supplements for healthy brain function were discussed, and it is recommended that everyone over the age of 50 and anyone eating a plant-based diet take a vitamin B12 supplement. For most adults, supplementing with 500 to 1,000 micrograms of vitamin B12 daily, or at least several times weekly, is adequate. If you eat a vegan diet, supplementing with 250 milligrams of a pollutant-free (algae or yeast derived) omega-3 supplement (EPA and DHA) is recommended.