Finding Your Better Brain
& Everything Else You Don’t Want to Forget
by the Health Experts at Healthy Living Magazine
 Omega-3s
and your brain—well, that’s a no-brainer. At least that’s what millions
of Americans are betting on. According to a recent survey by the
National Marketing Institute, 44 percent of Americans associate omega-3s
or antioxidants with brain and memory health. And with good reason.
Here's another number you shouldn’t forget: 71
percent. That’s the percentage of people who are concerned about memory
loss, according to the National Marketing Institute’s health and
wellness trends database. (Remarkably, that’s the same percentage of
people who are concerned about cancer.)
Baby Boomers—76 million of them—are fueling the demand
for better memory. Fortunately, the field of natural medicine offers
their best hope for enjoying sharp active minds throughout their lives.
Around age 40 or 45, you start to realize that you
have to take care of your brain. You must do everything possible to keep
your mind healthy because it is your consciousness. Fortunately,
numerous studies have shown that omega- 3s play an important role in the
health of the brain. Omega-3s, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (also
called DHA), have the ability to enhance the cell membranes in the
brain. DHA is the most abundant fat in the brain, and a loss in DHA
concentrations in brain cell membranes is directly related to a loss in
structural and functional integrity of the tissue.
But there’s more: new epidemiological studies
associate omega-3 consumption with improved emotional well-being and
lower rates of depression. So just for your mere happiness, take them.
THE GOOD NEWS ON OMEGA-3s AND BRAIN FUNCTION
Several epidemiological studies have shown that a high
dietary intake of linoleic acid and a low intake of fish oils (eicosapentaenoic
acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) are associated with cognitive
impairment and an increased risk of dementia. French researchers now
report that the fatty acid composition in erythrocytes (red blood cells)
is an indicator of the risk of cognitive function decline (ability to
learn, think and remember).
According to these researchers in their 2003 study in
the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the omega-3 fatty acids EPA
and especially DHA help keep the membranes of brain cells more fluid
while saturated and omega-6 fatty acids tend to “harden” them.
Omega-3s tamp down inflammation and help your
circulation system to perform as nature intended: they maintain healthy
blood flow, including clotting and sticking to the inner layers of your
arteries and vessels. All of this should add up to a big boost in
long-term cognitive and neurological health. So definitely take your
omega-3s.
Meanwhile, antioxidants also play a role in brain
health. Antioxidants combat oxidative stress by eliminating free
radicals. The brain is highly susceptible to oxidative stress due to its
high metabolic activity as well as the significant presence of fat in
the brain, which is the target of an oxidative process known as lipid
peroxidation. Additionally, the oxidative damage that accompanies stress
or aging can result in the loss of DHA concentrations, resulting in
cognitive impairment.
Garden of Life developed one of the most amazing high-potency fish
oils today called
OmegaXanthin, combining three of Mother Sea’s most important sources
of nutrients—pure omega-3s with astaxanthin and fucoxanthin.
OmegaXanthin is a synergistic complex of three health-promoting
compounds from the ocean.
OmegaXanthin provides all the benefits of a
high-potency omega-3 supplement plus two ocean-based antioxidants
astaxanthin and fucoxanthin. The combination of highly purified and
high-potency omega-3 fatty acids plus the added benefits of astaxanthin
especially make this a truly better brain formula. Astaxanthin is one of
the few antioxidants that crosses the blood-brain barrier. The
astaxanthin found in
Oceans 3 Better Brain from Garden of Life is 500 times more powerful
than vitamin E and 800 times more powerful than CoQ10, potent
antioxidants in their own right. Fucoxanthin is a dynamic antioxidant
carotenoid from brown seaweed noted for its ability to fight free
radicals that can cause damage at the cellular level, exerting its
protective effects directly in fat cells.
BETTER BRAIN BEST
With just those three ingredients alone,
Oceans 3 Better Brain would make a good brain health formula.
However, Garden of Life founder Jordan Rubin has never wanted his
products to be just “good.” When he began to formulate Oceans 3 Better
Brain, he wanted to make it the most innovative brain health formula
available. For inspiration, he married the sea and the land and looked
toward traditional medicines used for thousands of years to combat the
cognitive aging process.
 A
TRULY BETTER BRAIN FORMULA
For the
Better Brain formula, Rubin chose a trio of ingredients to support
neurological and brain function. In keeping with the Garden of Life
product formulation philosophy, all three have been clinically studied.
They also have a long history of use in traditional medicines of India
and Eastern Europe.
Vinpocetine
The first ingredient, vinpocetine, is an extract from
the ground-hugging delicately purple and yellow flowered periwinkle. It
has long been used to enhance cognitive ability and neurological
function.
Of particular interest, where vinpocetine is concerned, is its ability
to “get where it’s going.” Several studies have shown that this unique
ingredient has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier (like
astaxanthin). Within minutes of ingestion, it enters the brain, where it
is free to exert its positive effect on brain health.
Furthermore, vinpocetine increases overall blood flow
to the brain. The brain requires more oxygen than any other organ in the
body, so it follows that increasing blood flow to the brain has a
positive effect on brain health.
By 1976, vinpocetine was being introduced into
clinical practice throughout Europe for the treatment of cerebrovascular
disorders and related symptoms. Today, based on more than 100 clinical
trials involving some 30,000 patients, we know vinpocetine is a powerful
natural health promoter. This is just one of those nutraceuticals that
you know is working right away.
Bacopa, the Brahmi Herb
The second ingredient included in
Better Brain is the herbal extract Bacopa monnieri, which has a long
history of use in Ayurvedic medicine in India for its ability to enhance
memory. In traditional Ayurveda, bacopa is known as brahmi, meaning it
belongs to a category of herbs that aid both mind and spirit and improve
the intellect and consciousness. A perennial creeping herb found in
wetlands and muddy shores, bacopa has excellent clinical support and was
recently featured in Prevention magazine.
While it has been used for thousands of years, in the
last decade, the positive effects of bacopa have been confirmed through
clinical study. Research shows that use of bacopa helps especially with
the retention of new information.
In the August 2002 issue of Neuropsychopharmacology,
researchers examined bacopa’s effects on memory. Seventy-six adults
between the ages of 40 and 65 took part in a double-blind randomized,
placebo-control study in which various memory functions were tested and
levels of anxiety measured. “The results show a significant effect of
the brahmi on a test for the retention of new information,” noted the
researchers. “Follow-up tests showed…that brahmi decreases the rate of
forgetting of newly acquired information.”
In a second study, published in the August 2001 issue
of Psychopharmacology, researchers at the Neuropsychology Laboratory,
School of Biophysical Science and Electrical Engineering, Victoria,
Australia, examined the effects of an extract of bacopa on cognitive
function in healthy human subjects in a double-blind, placebo-controlled
study. Bacopa significantly improved speed of visual-information
processing, learning rate and memory consolidation with maximal effects
evident after 12 weeks. “These findings suggest that Bacopa monnieri may
improve higher-order cognitive processes that are critically dependent
on the input of information from our environment such as learning and
memory,” the researchers said.
Phosphatidylserine
The third ingredient is phosphatidylserine (PS), a
phospholipid normally found in high concentrations in the cell membranes
of neurons. Over the past few decades, it has been subject to numerous
studies that confirm its positive effect on both cognitive function and
mood.
PS promotes membrane fluidity, which is crucial for
cellular responsiveness and for processing of nutrients and information
by the cells. Of all brain and body cells, membranes are the main
working surfaces. Membranes are the fatty barriers that surround every
cell and many structures within cells. With age, the membranes tend to
get stiffer and more resistant to the normal movement of molecules. Less
movement of molecules means decreased function in brain cells. PS
“un-stiffens” membranes, allowing for more normal function.
Given orally, PS readily and rapidly crosses the
protective blood-brain barrier to reach the brain. It has been shown to
offer healthy support to mild Alzheimer’s sufferers (though it is not an
Alzheimer's drug) and to also aid people suffering from age-related
memory decline, particularly improved learning and remembering, matching
of faces with names, maintaining concentration, remembering phone
numbers, and recalling locations of misplaced objects. European
researchers have reported that PS induces “consistent improvement of
depressive symptoms, memory and behavior” in older patients with
depression.
PS is another example of the synergy of the Oceans 3
brand. Studies have also shown that the benefits of PS are enhanced when
consumed with omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, two of the best dietary
sources of PS, Atlantic mackerel and Atlantic herring, are also good
sources of omega- 3 fatty acids.
 OCEANS
OF VALUE
If you were to take a stroll down the supplement aisle
of your local health food store, you would find fish oils, astaxanthin
and fucoxanthin sold separately, and for good reason. All three
ingredients have unique selling points that justify a standalone
product.
But with
Oceans 3 Better Brain, you get an omega-3 fish oil of the highest
quality and purity from eco-harvested fishers with the added benefits of
extraordinary antioxidants. The truly incredible part? This is done
without sacrificing the level of omega-3 fats in the product.
A comparison to the number-one selling fish oil in
health food stores shows Oceans 3 Better Brain has 675 mg of EPA and 450
mg of DHA versus 650 mg of EPA and 450 mg of DHA in the leading brand.
The price is comparable as well. For about ten cents a
day more, you can also get the amplified benefits of a synergistic
combination of highly purified omega-3 fish oil, astaxanthin and
fucoxanthin.
Additionally, stand-alone astaxanthin products
containing 4 mg of astaxanthin per serving, the same amount you receive
in the Oceans 3 Better Brain formula, retail for anywhere between $19.99
to $24.99. When you add in the fucoxanthin, you are getting an omega-3
fish oil product with more value than any other product, period.
This represents a sea change in omega-3 supplements
where consumers get more value and quality and a deeper approach to what
it means to supplement for health.
So if you’re looking for those car keys or trying to
remember what you just read in this article, there’s one thing you must
not forget: go to your health food store and purchase the
Oceans 3 Better Brain formula today. Tie a string around your finger
just to be sure!
Resources
For more product information on the Oceans 3 Better Brain, click here.
For more information on the Oceans 3 process and products by Garden of
Life, click here.
Article:
Oceans 3 Goes Way Beyond Traditional Omega 3’s
Article:
Oceans 3 – Capturing the Sea in an Omega-3
Article:
Astaxanthin: The Antioxidant that Makes You See Red
Article:
Why Omega 3’s are so Important for Your Health
The statements contained in this article have not been
evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information contained
here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Suggestions and ideas presented in this article are for information only
and should not be interpreted as medical advice, meant for diagnosing
illness, or for prescriptive purposes. The information in this document
is not to be used to replace the services or instructions of a physician
or qualified health care practitioner. |
