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Healthy dietary intake associated with lower brain iron, better cognition in older adults (vitamin E, lysine, Omega-3 and -6 helps)
Medical XPress / University of Kentucky / Neurobiology of Aging ^ | Aug. 26, 2021 | Jenni Ho / Valentinos Zachariou et al

Posted on 08/26/2021 12:01:20 PM PDT by ConservativeMind

Research conducted at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine suggests that higher intake of specific nutrients is associated with lower brain iron concentration and better cognitive performance in older adults.

The study was recently published in the Neurobiology of Aging and highlights the important balance of non-heme iron for optimal neuronal function. Excess non-heme brain iron has been associated with neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. High levels of brain iron can also be seen in normal aging, where they have been correlated with poor cognitive performance.

A key question is whether age-related increases in brain iron and related cognitive declines can be slowed by environmental factors, such as healthy dietary intake. To explore this question, the research team evaluated the relationship between nutritional intake, brain iron and cognitive performance in a group of healthy, older adults between 61 and 86 years old.

The team was able to address the question using a variety of methods including computer assessments to quantify working memory performance, questionnaires to obtain nutrition information and an in vivo MRI technique called quantitative susceptibility mapping to measure iron concentration in brain tissue.

Consistent with previously published work, the results indicated that increasing age was associated with higher levels of brain iron concentration and poorer working memory performance. However, those older adults with high dietary intake of nutrients commonly found in nuts, soybeans, olive oils, and fish (such as vitamin E, lysine, DHA omega-3 and LA omega-6 PUFA) tended to have lower brain iron and better working memory performance than expected for their age.

(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: lysine; omega3
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The study mentions other items from other studies were found to help reduce brain damage, but not necessarily benefit the memory test used. These included flavonoids (including epigallocatechin 3-gallate (EGCG from green tea) and quercetin) and alpha-lipoic acid. Vitamin A and C did not help people with the memory test used and did not seem to protect the brain unless one was deficient.
1 posted on 08/26/2021 12:01:20 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
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To: ConservativeMind

Original study, here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197458021002104?via%3Dihub


2 posted on 08/26/2021 12:01:39 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ConservativeMind

“You know fish is great brain food!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oq7gOa8Yfg


3 posted on 08/26/2021 12:02:41 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: ConservativeMind

so eating well is good for you? who knew!


4 posted on 08/26/2021 12:05:12 PM PDT by qwerty1234
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To: ConservativeMind
Possibly related study: Vitamin E Is Protective against Iron Toxicity and Iron-Induced Hepatic Vitamin E Depletion in Mice

Based on this study, I would not take iron without taking vitamin E at the same time.

5 posted on 08/26/2021 12:07:44 PM PDT by UnwashedPeasant (The pandemic we suffer from is not COVID. It is Marxist Democrat Leftism.)
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To: ConservativeMind

Well, I’m screwed. I don’t eat fish (or seafood, shell fish, etc.). I also don’t think green tea (brewed black tea iced, yes).


6 posted on 08/26/2021 12:09:45 PM PDT by CatOwner (Don't expect anyone, even conservatives, to have your back when the SHTF in 2021)
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To: CatOwner

think -> drink


7 posted on 08/26/2021 12:10:05 PM PDT by CatOwner (Don't expect anyone, even conservatives, to have your back when the SHTF in 2021)
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To: ConservativeMind

Brain Iron? What about those with a High Content of Iron naturally?? How about someone with enough Iron or something in thier blood that an MRI literally sucked the blood right out of thier veins while making them glow for over a month, as if they had Magnetic Blood already??, and then left trails of dried blood(bruising) following all veins lasting 3 years plus?


8 posted on 08/26/2021 12:10:37 PM PDT by eyeamok (founded in cynicism, wrapped in sarcasm)
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To: ConservativeMind

IOW, diets not normally served in residential care settings.


9 posted on 08/26/2021 12:11:17 PM PDT by mewzilla (Those aren't masks. They're muzzles. )
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To: ConservativeMind

Nutrition bump


10 posted on 08/26/2021 12:12:47 PM PDT by TChad (The MSM, having nuked its own credibility, is now bombing the rubble.)
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To: eyeamok

Excess iron is very hard on the body. Adult men and post-menopausal women should consider donating blood once or twice a year in order to rid the body of excess iron. (Our ancient ancestors didn’t have this problem due to injury and esp. parasites.) Have you ever seen a person — usually a man — with an unnaturally ruddy complexion? His system is overloaded with iron.


11 posted on 08/26/2021 12:19:25 PM PDT by Blurb2350 (posted from my 1500-watt blow dryer)
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To: CatOwner

Supplements can suffice and consider finding a white tea you can enjoy, as white tea has 60% of the EGCG that green has, plus it has other antioxidants green tea does not.

This is doable!


12 posted on 08/26/2021 12:25:45 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: eyeamok
Blood iron does not appear to directly affect brain iron. Might be the blood-brain barrier and the better controls a younger body has.
13 posted on 08/26/2021 12:30:33 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ConservativeMind

My system doesn’t seem to react well to the caffeine in green tea so I’ll just take a green tea pill. I’ll remember the white tea next time I go shopping.


14 posted on 08/26/2021 12:34:13 PM PDT by ckilmer
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To: Blurb2350

Adult men and post-menopausal women should consider donating blood once or twice a year in order to rid the body of excess iron.


I suggest once every two years.

With a blood test, you would know whether you can remove more blood without causing a deficiency. If ferritin is less than 70 ng/ml, the person is deficient in iron.


15 posted on 08/26/2021 12:38:09 PM PDT by TTFX ( )
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To: ConservativeMind

Is the best source of LA omega-6 PUFA—olive oil and say, avacado oil.

Also is it your impression that the major health benefits of olive oil are due to the polyphenols in the olive oil rather than its other ingredients.


16 posted on 08/26/2021 12:38:43 PM PDT by ckilmer
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To: ckilmer
Olive oil and avocado have far more monounsaturated fat than Omega-6 fats, but these would provide Omega-6 fats.

I believe most of the benefit of olive oil is in its squalene and other antioxidants and in its high monounsaturated fats as a replacement for an oil super heavy in Omega-6 fats.

17 posted on 08/26/2021 12:49:49 PM PDT by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ckilmer

Is the best source of LA omega-6 PUFA—olive oil and say, avacado oil.


The main fat in olive oil is omega 9.

Every food has omega 6 fats. Everybody has more omega 6 fats than they need.

Peole started using a lot of seed oil in the 20th century. Seed oils are the highest source of omega 6 fats. The percentage of fats that is omega 6 fats in people’s bodies has been increasing and keeps increasing. People today have more omega 6 fats in their bodies than at any point in history.


18 posted on 08/26/2021 12:49:54 PM PDT by TTFX ( )
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To: TTFX

I looked for recommended doses but didn’t find any. Have you seen any recommended doses for the various supplements mentioned in the article.

I typically take about 3 grams of the omega 3 fish oils. But that’s just to keep my omega 3-6 ratios between 1-2 to 1.


19 posted on 08/26/2021 1:06:44 PM PDT by ckilmer
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To: ckilmer

A lot of the science of fats is fradulent to sell seed oils and fish fat. In Spain, where they produce olive oil, people are terrorized by butter.


20 posted on 08/26/2021 1:11:44 PM PDT by TTFX ( )
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