Summary: According to a new study, probiotics may help to improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients.
Source: Frontiers.
For the first time, scientists have shown that probiotics — beneficial live bacteria and yeasts taken as dietary supplements — can improve cognitive function in humans. In a new clinical trial, scientists show that a daily dose of probiotic Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium bacteria taken over a period of just 12 weeks is enough to yield a moderate but significant improvement in the score of elderly Alzheimer’s patients on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scale, a standard measure of cognitive impairment.
Probiotics are known to give partial protection against certain infectious diarrheas, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, eczema, allergies, colds, tooth decay, and periodontal disease. But scientists have long hypothesized that probiotics might also boost cognition, as there is continuous two-way communication between the intestinal microflora, the gastrointestinal tract, and the brain through the nervous system, the immune system, and hormones (along the so-called “microbiota-gut-brain axis”). In mice, probiotics have indeed been shown to improve learning and memory, and reduce anxiety and depression- and OCD-like symptoms. But prior to the present study there was very limited evidence of any cognitive benefits in humans.
Here, the researchers, from Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, and Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran, present results from a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial on a total of 52 women and men with Alzheimer’s between 60 and 95 years of age. Half of the patients daily received 200 ml milk enriched with four probiotic bacteriaLactobacillus acidophilus, L. casei, L. fermentum, and Bifidobacterium bifidum (approximately 400 billion bacteria per species), while the other half received untreated milk.
At the beginning and the end of the 12-week experimental period, the scientists took blood samples for biochemical analyses and tested the cognitive function of the subjects with the MMSE questionnaire, which includes tasks like giving the current date, counting backwards from 100 by sevens, naming objects, repeating a phrase, and copying a picture.
Over the course of the study, the average score on the MMSE questionnaire significantly increased (from 8.7 to 10.6, out of a maximum of 30) in the group receiving probiotics, but not in the control group (from 8.5 to 8.0). Even though this increase is moderate, and all patients remained severely cognitively impaired, these results are important because they are the first to show that probiotics can improve human cognition. Future research, on more patients and over longer time-scales, is necessary to test if the beneficial effects of probiotics become stronger after longer treatment.
“In a previous study, we showed that probiotic treatment improves the impaired spatial learning and memory in diabetic rats, but this is the first time that probiotic supplementation has been shown to benefit cognition in cognitively impaired humans,” says Professor Mahmoud Salami from Kashan University, the senior author of the study.
Treatment with probiotics also resulted in lower levels of triglycerides, Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL), high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) in the blood of the Alzheimer patients, and likewise a reduction in two common measures (called “Homeostatic Model Assessment”, HOMA-IR and HOMA-B) of insulin resistance and the activity of the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.
“These findings indicate that change in the metabolic adjustments might be a mechanism by which probiotics affect Alzheimer’s and possibly other neurological disorders,” says Salami. “We plan to look at these mechanisms in greater detail in our next study.”
Walter Lukiw, Professor of Neurology, Neuroscience and Ophthalmology and Bollinger Professor of Alzheimer’s disease at Louisiana State University, who reviewed the study but was not involved in the research, said: “This early study is interesting and important because it provides evidence for gastrointestinal (GI) tract microbiome components playing a role in neurological function, and indicates that probiotics can in principle improve human cognition.
This is in line with some of our recent studies which indicate that the GI tract microbiome in Alzheimer’s is significantly altered in composition when compared to age-matched controls, and that both the GI tract and blood-brain barriersbecome significantly more leaky with aging, thus allowing GI tract microbial exudates (e.g. amyloids, lipopolysaccharides, endotoxins and small non-coding RNAs) to access Central Nervous System compartments.”
Source: Mischa Dijkstra – Frontiers
Original Research: Abstract for “Effect of probiotic supplementation on cognitive function and metabolic status in Alzheimer’s disease: a randomized, double-blind and controlled trial” by Elmira Akbari, Zatollah Asemi, Reza Daneshvar Kakhaki, Fereshteh Bahmani, Ebrahim Kouchaki, Omid Reza Tamtaji, Gholam Ali Hamidi and Mahmoud Salami in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.
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According to the industry publication New Hope,1 coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and the reduced version, ubiquinol, are among the most popular supplements for mitochondrial health.
Between 2000 and 2016, the number of Americans using CoQ10 increased from an estimated 2 million to 24 million, and the number of brands featuring CoQ10 has increased from 18 brands to 125.
This rapid growth suggests people are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of mitochondrial health, which is really great news.
Ubiquinol plays an important role in the electron transport chain of your mitochondria, where it facilitates the conversion of energy substrates and oxygen into the biological energy needed by your cells for life, repair and regeneration.
It's a fat-soluble antioxidant, meaning it works in the fat portions of your body, such as your cell membranes, where it mops up potentially harmful byproducts of metabolism known as reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Taking this supplement helps protect your mitochondrial membranes from oxidative damage, and this in turn has been shown to be helpful for a number of health conditions and chronic diseases.
This is to be expected, since many conditions, including heart disease and migraines — for which CoQ10 has been found beneficial — appear to be rooted in mitochondrial dysfunction.
Low CoQ10 levels have even been detected in people with certain types of cancer,2including lung, breast and pancreatic cancer, as well as melanoma metastasis, further strengthening the metabolic theory of cancer.
CoQ10 Versus Ubiquinol
Ubiquinol is the fully reduced version of CoQ10. It's the same molecule, but when CoQ10 is reduced it takes on two electrons, which turns it into what we call ubiquinol.
In your body, this conversion occurs thousands of times every second inside your mitochondria — the "engine" of nearly every cell. The conversion of CoQ10 to ubiquinol is part of the process that allows your body to convert food into energy.
Ubiquinol is the only fat-soluble antioxidant that is actually generated within your body and does not need to be obtained from food. The downside is that by the time you hit your 30s, your body starts to produce less and less of it.
With age, many also start to lose their ability to convert CoQ10 to ubiquinol, and this is why ubiquinol is typically recommended for older people while younger folk can do quite well by taking CoQ10.
Many Health Conditions Stand to Benefit From CoQ10
Researchers have identified a number of conditions and health concerns where CoQ10 or ubiquinol can be of great benefit, including the following:
Heart disease (ideally in combination with selenium)
Migraines
Diabetes
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Chronic fatigue
Autism spectrum disorder
Hypertension
Heart transplant or chronic heart failure
Mitral valve prolapse (ideally in combination with magnesium)
Arrhythmia
Ubiquinol is particularly important if you're taking a statin, as these cholesterol-lowering drugs deplete your body of CoQ10, which can have serious consequences for your heart and other muscles.
Research has also shown CoQ10 can improve exercise performance, improving your overall energy status, peak power production and muscle recovery when taken in doses of 200 to 300 milligrams (mg) per day.3 World class athletes who need extra ATP turnover may go as high as 300 to 600 mg per day.
Heart-Healthy Benefits of CoQ10
CoQ10 is perhaps most well-known for supporting heart and cardiovascular health, as your heart is one of the most energy-hungry muscles in your body. Without sufficient energy, your heart will not be able to function properly.
Chronic nutrient deficiencies can lead to a number of heart problems, such as cardiomyopathy (a condition characterized by inflammation, loss of elasticity and enlargement of your heart), diastolic dysfunction, heart valve diseases, arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and heart failure.
Besides CoQ10, other examples of nutrients that are important for heart health include (but are not limited to) B vitamins (including folate or B9 and B12), carnitine, taurine,magnesium, vitamin K2 and animal-based omega-3. All of these play important roles in keeping your mitochondria working properly.
Since ubiquinol also acts as an antioxidant, part of its benefits can be attributed to its ability to quench inflammation. Two markers for inflammation are gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) — which is an early marker of heart failure — and NT-proBNP.
There is in fact an association between the levels of these two markers and ubiquinol. When ubiquinol is supplemented, both these markers go down and genes associated with them are downregulated, thereby lowering your risk for heart problems and other conditions rooted in chronic inflammation.
Beware, Statins Compromise Your Heart and Health in Many Ways
At present, at least 1 in 4 American adults over the age of 40 are taking a statin — ostensibly to protect their heart health.
Unfortunately, these drugs deplete, inhibit or interfere with a number of really important heart nutrients, including CoQ10,4 vitamin K2 and glutathione peroxidase (a selenium-containing protein), which helps explain why statins may actually increase your risk of heart failure.
If you're on a statin, it's really important to make sure you're supplementing with ubiquinol and keeping an eye on your vitamin K2 and selenium intake.
Moreover, statin drugs also diminish your liver's ability to produce ketones, because the enzyme that produces ketones is the same enzyme that produces cholesterol, namely HMG-CoA reductase.
This is the enzyme inhibited by statin drugs. This means that, in addition to lowering your cholesterol, the drug also compromises your body's ability to benefit from a healthy and cleaner-burning fuel (fat).
As a result, your ability to optimally metabolize fat can become severely compromised and this too will have cardiovascular consequences, since depriving your cardiac tissue of fuel will impair your heart health.
So, if you're on a statin, even if you're taking vitamin K2 and ubiquinol you still have to address the fact that you cannot make ketones.
CoQ10 + Selenium = A Winning Combo for Heart Health
Recent research found that taking CoQ10 in combination with selenium improves heart function and cuts cardiovascular mortality by nearly 50 percent in elderly people. The study in question used 200 mg of CoQ10 and 200 micrograms (mcg) of selenium per day.5
CoQ10 and selenium work in tandem to reduce oxidative stress, minimize mitochondrial damage and increase the generation of new mitochondria. While CoQ10 is known to do all of those things by itself, selenium helps your body produce and accumulate CoQ10, so it's an important "booster" in that regard.
Animal studies have shown that selenium-deficiency reduces the animals' ability to generate CoQ10 by as much as 33 percent.6 As noted by Life Extension:7
"It has now been shown that a vital selenocysteine-containing enzyme called thioredoxin reductase actively recycles exhausted CoQ10 (ubiquinone) molecules and turns them into active, oxidative stress-fighting ubiquinol molecules. In other words, selenium improves the efficacy of CoQ10.8
But just as we need ample selenium to produce and accumulate CoQ10, we also need ample CoQ10 to make the selenocysteine-containing enzymes.9 Thus, there appears to be an important reciprocal relationship between CoQ10 and selenium."
CoQ10 May Be Important for Migraine and Dementia Prevention and Treatment
CoQ10 also shows significant promise in the treatment of migraines — a debilitating kind of head pain that strikes approximately 38 million Americans10 and 1 billion people worldwide.11 While migraines are the third most prevalent illness in the world,12 researchers have long struggled to identify their cause.
In more recent years, scientists have started leaning toward migraines being a mitochondrial disorder, and studies suggest certain nutritional deficiencies may play a significant role. CoQ10 is on this list. In one recent study, a high percentage of children, teens and young adults who struggled with migraines were found to have mild CoQ10 and riboflavin (vitamin B2) deficiencies.13,14
Interestingly, girls were more likely to be deficient in CoQ10, whereas boys were more deficient in vitamin D. These and similar findings lend support to the theory that migraines are in fact a mitochondrial disorder.15 Other studies showing the link between CoQ10 and migraines include the following:
In 2005, a double-blind, placebo-controlled and randomized clinical trial found that those who took 100 mg of CoQ10 three times a day (for a total of 300 mg per day) had 48 percent fewer migraines after three months. The placebo group only had 14 percent fewer migraines.16
Another early study found that pediatric and adolescent patients with low CoQ10 levels who received 1 to 3 mg of CoQ10 per kilo (2.2 pounds) of body weight had a nearly 50 percent reduction in migraines.17
A 2011 study found that taking 100 mg of CoQ10 for about seven months reduced migraine frequency, severity and duration compared to placebo. Beneficial effects were noticeable after the first month of supplementation.18
More recently, a 2015 study using a commercial formula containing 150 mg of CoQ10 in combination with 400 mg of riboflavin (B2), 600 mg of magnesium and other nutrients, found it decreased migraine frequency by about 50 percent and significantly reduced intensity, compared to placebo.19
Studies also suggest CoQ10 can be helpful for other brain-related disorders beyond the treatment of migraines. For example, research published in 2014 found that people with the highest CoQ10 levels had a 77 percent lower risk of dementia than those with the lowest levels.20,21
How to Regenerate CoQ10 Naturally
Recent research shows you can improve your body's conversion of CoQ10 to ubiquinol by eating lots of chlorophyll-rich vegetables in combination with sun exposure. Once chlorophyll is consumed it gets transported into your blood. Then, when you expose significant amounts of skin to sunshine, that chlorophyll absorbs the solar radiation and facilitates the conversion of CoQ10 to ubiquinol.
You can also improve absorption of CoQ10 from food or supplements by taking it with a small amount of healthy fat, such as some olive oil, coconut oil, MCT oil or avocado. Foods particularly rich in CoQ10 include:22
Grass-fed beef
Herring
Organic pastured chicken
Sesame seeds
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Suggested Dosing Recommendations
General dosing recommendations vary from 100 to 600 mg per day, and as a general rule, the sicker you are, the more you need. A good place to start is to begin by taking 200 to 300 mg of CoQ10or ubiquinol per day. Within three weeks your plasma levels will typically plateau to its optimum level.
After that, you can go down to a 100 mg/day maintenance dose. This is typically sufficient for healthy people. Splitting your dose up so that you take it two or three times a day (rather than taking it all at once) will result in higher blood levels.
If you have an active lifestyle, exercise a lot, struggle with a chronic health condition or are under a lot of stress, you may want to increase your dose to 200 to 300 mg/day. Remember, if you're on a statin drug you MUST take at least 100 to 200 mg of ubiquinol or CoQ10 per day, or more. To address heart failure and/or other significant heart problems you may need around 350 mg per day or more.
Ideally, you'll want to work with your physician to determine your ideal dose. Your doctor can do a blood test to measure your CoQ10 levels, which would tell you whether your dose is high enough to keep you within a healthy range. Also keep in mind that CoQ10 supplements can interact with certain drugs, including beta-blockers, certain antidepressants and chemotherapy drugs, so be sure to consult with your doctor if you're on medication.
Asthma is a chronic disease that affects your airways. Your airways are tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. If you have asthma, the inside walls of your airways become sore and swollen. That makes them very sensitive, and they may react strongly to things that you are allergic to or find irritating. When your airways react, they get narrower and your lungs get less air.
Symptoms of asthma include
Wheezing
Coughing, especially early in the morning or at night
Chest tightness
Shortness of breath
Not all people who have asthma have these symptoms. Having these symptoms doesn't always mean that you have asthma. Your doctor will diagnose asthma based on lung function tests, your medical history, and a physical exam. You may also have allergy tests.
When your asthma symptoms become worse than usual, it's called an asthma attack. Severe asthma attacks may require emergency care, and they can be fatal.
What Causes Asthma?
Asthma is typically divided into two major categories: extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic, or atopic, asthma is generally considered an allergic condition, characterized by an increase in levels of serum IgE (the allergic antibody).
Intrinsic asthma is associated with a bronchial reaction that is due not to allergy, but rather to such factors as toxic chemicals, cold air, exercise, infection and emotional upset. Both extrinsic and intrinsic asthma trigger the release of chemicals like histamine that produce or control inflammation from mast cells (specialized white blood cells that reside in various body tissues, including the lining of the respiratory passages.)
The rate of asthma in the United States is rising rapidly, especially among children. Reasons commonly cited include increased stress on the immune system due to greater chemical pollution in the air, water and food; earlier weaning and introduction of solid foods to infants; food additives; and genetic manipulation of plants, resulting in foods with greater allergenic tendencies.
Which Dietary Factors are Important in Asthma?
There are three important dietary therapies for asthma: elimination of food allergies, following a vegetarian diet and elimination of food additives.
Many studies have indicated that food allergies play an important role in asthma. Adverse reactions to food may be immediate or delayed. Double-blind studies in children have shown that immediate-onset reactions are usually due to (in order of frequency) eggs, fish, shellfish, nuts and peanuts.
Foods most commonly associated with delayed-onset reactions include (in order of frequency) milk, chocolate, wheat, citrus and food colorings. Elimination diets have been successful in identifying allergens and treating asthma, and are a particularly valuable diagnostic and therapeutic tool in infants.
Elimination of common allergens during infancy (the first two years) has been shown to reduce allergic tendencies in high-risk children (children with a strong familial history).
An even better elimination diet is one that utilizes RevitalX—a high-potency multinutrient meal-replacement formula from Natural Factors.
This product was developed by Michael Lyon, MD, and is specifically engineered to be an excellent source of important nutrients to support the gastrointestinal lining and aid detoxification. It is an excellent source of a hypoallergenic vegetarian protein, GoldPeptides, along with specific nutritional, probiotic and herbal support to deal with food allergies.
When used as the key component of an elimination diet,RevitalX is taken twice per day as the primary source of sustenance. RevitalX is combined with water or juice (fresh vegetable juice is preferred), or it can be used in a fruit smoothie.
The RevitalX elimination diet includes one simple meal in the evening: steamed vegetables, lean chicken breast and brown rice (cooked beans, split peas or lentils along with brown rice can be used as a vegetarian alternative), or a lightly sautéed stir fry. Fresh or steamed vegetables and small amounts of fruit can be eaten if you’re hungry.
A vegan diet may also be helpful for asthma sufferers. In one long-term study, elimination of all animal products (meat, fish, eggs and dairy products) provided significant improvement in 92 percent of patients.
The elimination of synthetic food additives is vitally important in the control of asthma. Artificial dyes and preservatives are widely used in foods, beverages and drugs. The most common coloring agents, preservatives and other food additives have been reported to cause asthma attacks in susceptible individuals.
It is also important to eliminate salt in your diet, as there is strong evidence that increased salt intake increases the severity of asthma, and can even result in death from asthma.
Diets high in antioxidants such as vitamins C and E, carotenes (especially lycopene), and selenium have also been shown to improve asthma. Antioxidants are thought to provide important defenses against oxidizing agents in your body that stimulate constriction of the bronchi and increase allergic reactions.
Vitamin C also appears to normalize fatty acid metabolism and reduce the inflammatory histamine production triggered by allergies. Both treated and untreated asthmatic patients have been shown to have significantly lower levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in serum and white blood cells. Vitamin C is found in peppers, berries, citrus fruit, kiwis and green vegetables from the cabbage family. Wheat germ oil, nuts, seeds and grains are high in vitamin E.
Which Nutritional Supplements Should I Take for Asthma?
Magnesium deficiency plays a major role in many cases of asthma. Magnesium deficiency makes the bronchial airways more prone to spasm. Take 150 to 250 mg three times per day. Magnesium bound to aspartate, citrate and malate is preferred to magnesium bound to oxide because of better absorption.
Lung, Bronchial, and Sinus Health from Natural Factors is designed to provide key nutrients and herbal extracts for healthy airways. For example, it provides N-acetylcysteine (NAC)—a derivative of the naturally occurring amino acid cysteine. NAC directly splits the sulfur linkages of mucoproteins, thereby reducing viscosity of bronchial and lung secretions. As a result, it improves bronchial and lung function, reduces coughing and improves oxygen saturation in the blood.
Adults and children older than 12 should take one tablet three to four times daily. Children ages 6 to 12 should take one tablet up to three times daily. Lung, Bronchial, and Sinus Health is not recommended for children under age 6 unless recommended by a physician.
Grapeseed or pine bark extract contain flavonoids known as procyanidolic oligomers (PCOs) that have exceptional antioxidant and free radical–scavenging activity. Take 150 to 300 mg of PCOs daily if you have asthma.
Additional Recommendations
A great first step that I have found useful in helping asthmatics reduce their exposure to airborne allergens (such as pollen, dander and dust mites) is to remove dogs, cats, carpets, rugs, upholstered furniture and other surfaces from their house where allergens can collect.
If this can’t be done entirely, then it’s important to make sure that the bedroom is as allergy-proof as possible. Encase the mattress in an allergen-proof plastic; wash sheets, blankets, pillowcases and mattress pads every week in hot water with additive- and fragrance-free detergent; consider using bedding made from Ventflex, a special hypoallergenic synthetic material; and install an air purifier.
The best mechanical air purifiers are HEPA (high-efficiency particulate arresting) filters, which can be attached to central heating and air-conditioning systems.
