Key Points: Alcohol is one of the most commonly abused drugs. While the immediate effects of heavy drinking are well-known, chronic, excessive alcohol consumption is a major contributor to neurodegeneration, often manifesting as cognitive impairment, memory deficits, and an increased risk of alcoholic dementia. Despite the pervasive nature of this damage, a targeted therapeutic strategy… Continue reading NAD+ Supplement Counters Alcohol-Induced Brain Aging, According to New Study
Category: Brain & Neurons
Ancient Plant Compound Shows Promise for Protecting the Aging Brain
Key Points: For many older adults, the risks of surgery extend beyond the operating room. A condition called postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) can strike in the days or weeks after anesthesia, leaving patients with memory problems, personality changes, or difficulty focusing. In severe cases, POCD may even progress to dementia. Despite its prevalence, affecting up… Continue reading Ancient Plant Compound Shows Promise for Protecting the Aging Brain
An Overview of α-Lipoic Acid: Efficacy, Safety, and Dosage
Key Points: α-lipoic acid, an antioxidant naturally produced in the body, helps convert glucose into energy in the cell’s powerhouse, the mitochondria. This molecule also has a unique characteristic—it is soluble in both water and fat, allowing it to work as an antioxidant in different parts of the body’s cells. α-lipoic acid also helps regenerate… Continue reading An Overview of α-Lipoic Acid: Efficacy, Safety, and Dosage
Brain Aging Interventions: Key Insights from a New Stanford Study
Key Points: Our brain cells work together to form thoughts, initiate actions, and remember past experiences. With age, this ability to think declines. However, scientists are finding that the pace of this decline may be controllable. That is, recent breakthroughs in single-cell technology, as reviewed by researchers from Stanford University, are beginning to unravel which… Continue reading Brain Aging Interventions: Key Insights from a New Stanford Study
Nicotinamide + Ergothioneine Reboot Autophagy and Ease Hallmarks of Brain Aging
Key Points: As brains get older, nerve cells can run low on GTP (guanosine triphosphate), a small energy molecule that powers cargo handling and recycling inside cells. When that fuel thins out, two housekeeping jobs slow down: endocytosis (when cells take items in to sort them, like a mailroom) and autophagy (when cells recycle worn-out… Continue reading Nicotinamide + Ergothioneine Reboot Autophagy and Ease Hallmarks of Brain Aging
Harvard Study: A Low Dose of Lithium May Preserve Cognitive Resilience with Age
Key Points: Researchers still do not have a comprehensive understanding of what causes the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Pinpointing cellular factors, such as metal ion levels, which may, in part, cause memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease, could help unravel new ways to treat this devastating condition. As published in Nature, Yankner and colleagues… Continue reading Harvard Study: A Low Dose of Lithium May Preserve Cognitive Resilience with Age
A Harvard-Trained Doctor’s Top 5 Anti-Aging Supplements
Key Points: Dr. Josh Helman is a Harvard-trained physician who primarily focuses on reversing and preventing Alzheimer’s disease. Through his research on this age-related neurodegenerative disorder, he has become an expert of sorts on aging intervention supplements. As such, in a NewsBreak press release, Dr. Helman shared his top five supplements to counteract the effects… Continue reading A Harvard-Trained Doctor’s Top 5 Anti-Aging Supplements
USC Study Suggests Longevity-Promoting Drug Counteracts a Genetic Predisposition to Alzheimer’s
Key Points: As published in Communications Medicine, Pike and colleagues from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles find that in genetically engineered mice with the human version of a DNA sequence predisposing to dementia and accelerated aging (APOE4), treating with alfatradiol improves scores on an assessment of age-related physical decline (frailty index score).… Continue reading USC Study Suggests Longevity-Promoting Drug Counteracts a Genetic Predisposition to Alzheimer’s
Spermidine: A Promising Nutrient for Brain Health and Cognitive Aging
Key Points: While eating less (caloric restriction or fasting) clearly benefits longevity and health, sustaining such a restrictive diet can be difficult and unpleasant. For these reasons, scientists have searched for compounds capable of recapitulating the benefits of consuming fewer calories, so far identifying several promising candidates, including spermidine. Mouse studies have shown that spermidine… Continue reading Spermidine: A Promising Nutrient for Brain Health and Cognitive Aging
Diabetes Medication Improves Cognition and Alleviates Alzheimer’s Progression, Suggests New Study
Key Points: As published in a non-peer-reviewed preprint, Sadagurski and colleagues from Wayne State University in Detroit show that the diabetes drug canagliflozin enhances learning and memory in middle-aged male mice. Further analyses of canagliflozin’s effects on gene expression, protein levels, and metabolic markers revealed that canagliflozin enhances mitochondrial function and suppresses neuroinflammation in middle-aged… Continue reading Diabetes Medication Improves Cognition and Alleviates Alzheimer’s Progression, Suggests New Study