Dr. J. Ancheta Goguen, BSc (Hons), ND

The World Health Organization recently released a news piece, stating that 35.6 million people worldwide live with dementia.  By 2030, this number is expected to double to 65.7 million, and by 2050 it is expected to triple to 115.4 million (a number which is astonishingly high!)

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia.  Dementia is a progressive, irreversible decline in cognitive function, which is marked by memory and language impairment, behavioural changes, deficits in reasoning, judgment, abstract thought, comprehension, learning and an inability to perform everyday activities.

Some helpful tips on brain health, which I have acquired over the years,
1.  Your brain is a muscle – use it, or lose it!  Give your mind a work out and try to memorize some phone numbers, fill your mind with new bits of information or try using your non-dominant hand to complete a task to flex your brain muscle each day.
2. Detoxify and rejuvenate!  Treat yourself to infrared sauna treatments to sweat out toxins, such as aluminum and other heavy metals in your body.  Speak with your healthcare provider about an appropriate and supervised food-based cleanse at least once per year.
3. Healthier oils, healthier brain!  Omega-3 essential fatty acids can help patients with mild cognitive dysfunction, while you also get the added benefits of lowering blood pressure, reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (I like to think of them as “lousy cholesterol”), while thinning out your blood.
4. “B” smart!  Ensure optimal amounts of vitamin B1 (thiamine) and vitamin B12 (cobalamin).  Thiamine can potentiate the effects of acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter for the healthy functioning of your brain. Addressing a vitamin B12 deficiency, ensuring the adequacy of vitamin B12 body stores and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) stores.  Speak with your healthcare provider about the most readily bioavailable forms of these vitamins, as all vitamin products are not created equal.  Ask your Naturopathic Doctor about the option of receiving intramuscular (IM) vitamin B12 injections in-office, which can bypass a digestive system that is not able to absorb the B12 you need to feel your best.