Supplements To Prevent Mental Decline Male 50s

[Soren]

I'm putting together an overall supplement and dietary guide for a male family member in his mid-50s who is in pretty good health and I would like to keep it that way and would welcome any suggestions/additions.

The primary goals are weight loss and to maintain mental health and prevent mental decline.

In terms of diet and exercise the most basic things are down, he already eats pretty healthy (quite peaty), his main sources of weight gain are down to a stressful work life which has recently been drastically reduced so now he wants to "get in shape".

Here is what I was planning to start him on, would welcome any suggestions especially with regard to neuroprotective supplements:

Gelatin: 2-3 tablespoons Daily
Energin (b-vitamins): Daily
Niacinamide: 500mg daily
Charcoal: 1-2 tablespoons Two-Three times a week.
Red Light: Full body Every other day
Magnesium: 240mg Nightly
Zinc: 15mg nightly for 2 weeks only.
Allithiamine: 100mg twice per week
Vitamin A: Once or twice a week

I plan to introduce these things slowly into his diet and regime with the goal that they become things that he learns to take on occasion when he feels he needs them rather than daily. I think these things are pretty basic but can have a profound effect. Would welcome anyone else's input.

 

[Soren]

I was considering adding some supplements for improved androgen production as well as serotonin antagonists but am unsure on those fronts as they can be quite powerful and he is already in relatively good health. Perhaps an occasional dose of of Pregnenalone and DHEA would be beneficial. However I feel like the full body red-light will have a pretty strong effect on androgens as well as everything else and I'm weary of over supplementing (something I have done to myself on more than one occasion).

 

[Pablo Cruise]

Well, agree with some of your suggestions. I would include exercise, Fish oil, and lo dose Lithium Orotate (10mg daily over 50 yrs of age).

 

[Soren]

Well, agree with some of your suggestions. I would include exercise, Fish oil, and lo dose Lithium Orotate (10mg daily over 50 yrs of age).

Thanks for the input, I've already got him on mild-moderate exercise 3 times a week, i don't know anything about Lithium orotate so i'll have to look that up.

However i strongly disagree with you on Fish oil. Fish oil is a poly unsaturated fatty acid that is highly toxic and is particularly bad for the brain. I don't know if you are familiar with Ray Peat's work but you should browse the forums for more info. I've linked a few below as well as an article by Dr Peat. The threads below all have studies posted as evidence and have been thoroughly analyzed, discussed and debated.

The Great Fish Oil Experiment

Higher Omega-3/omega-6 Ratio May Damage The Brain Irreversibly

Why Fish Oil Fails

 

[Pablo Cruise]

Feel free to disagree about fish oil....research neurologists recommend it for memory.....the key to memory is a bigger brain, so bigger is better. Fish oil helps that but your choice. I respect RP but I have to disagree or do not agree with all his work....in medicine, however, you can find a study to prove what you want or a study to disprove what you want...good luck.
p.s. I have been taking 2 high quality fish oil caps for years and feel very alert and have good recall....for my age.

 

[Soren]

Feel free to disagree about fish oil....research neurologists recommend it for memory.....the key to memory is a bigger brain, so bigger is better. Fish oil helps that but your choice. I respect RP but I have to disagree or do not agree with all his work....in medicine, however, you can find a study to prove what you want or a study to disprove what you want...good luck.
p.s. I have been taking 2 high quality fish oil caps for years and feel very alert and have good recall....for my age.

Again I highly recommend you do some more research as I think fish oil is doing the opposite of what you think it is doing.

- For example you say the key to memory is a bigger brain, excess levels of cortisol have been shown to shrink the brain, there are studies that demonstrate that fish oil has a very similar effect on the brain to cortisol.

- Fish oil fatty acids EPA and DHA have been shown to increase levels of malondialdehyde which kills brain cells.

-A toxic breakdown product from DHA is Acrolein, which is an unsaturated aldehyde, aldehyde is a very strong carcinogen.

Yes you can find studies to disprove or prove what you want in many cases and usually that is down to interpretation or methodology of the study. Lots of studies on fish oil for example present conclusions that they claim to be benefits but depending on the interpretation are actually negatives. For example, fish oil supplementation has been shown to reduce organ rejection in transplant patients. However, this is due to fish oils ability to suppress the immune system. Having a chronically suppressed immune system is bad and is one of the primary contributing factors to cancer. There are in fact many vaccines in development that use the bodies immune system to protect against cancer.

Many studies on fish oil are done using fish oil that contains high levels of vitamin e and there is good reason to believe that many of the benefits seen in the studies is down to the vitamin E supplementation rather than the fish oil. The study linked below demonstrates this;

" Intake of the vitamin E-rich fish oil resulted in a marked decrease in serum triglycerides (48%) and in fibrinogen (11%). After administration of the low vitamin E-containing oil there was a considerably smaller reduction of serum triglycerides and no significant reduction of fibrinogen..."
"plasma malondialdehyde was increased by 122% after intake of the low vitamin E-containing oil, but both remained normal after intake of the other oil. "
The effects of fish oil on triglycerides, cholesterol, fibrinogen and malondialdehyde in humans supplemented with vitamin E. - PubMed - NCBI


I used to take fish oil and used to recommended it to lots of people, and with regards to Ray and anything that is recommended here on the forums, I always do my own research before adopting any view, you have to be your own advocate not just take the word of other people.

Again I'd encourage you to read through these links,

Higher Omega-3/omega-6 Ratio May Damage The Brain Irreversibly

Why Fish Oil Fails

 

[Pablo Cruise]

@Soren, sure I will do some research. I don't have a whole lot of time to determine if the studies are done appropriately, ie, methods, bias, etc but will check.
Appreciate the detailed comments.

 

[Pablo Cruise]

So, what do you believe? Do you trust a site that sells Fish Oil? Of course not. Unless you believe your health God and everything he says, then there is too much contradiction:

Alzheimer’s Disease


For several years now, the fish oil and Alzheimer’s disease connection has been studied with consistent results. The essential fatty acids vital for brain function that are found in fish oil can not only slow cognitive decline, but can help prevent brain atrophy in older adults. A study published in the FASEB Journal looked at the health effects of four- to 17-month supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants. The findings once again confirm the potential for fish oil to be used as a weapon to fend off the onset of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. (8)


Another study conducted by researchers at Rhode Island Hospital examined the relationship between fish oil supplementation and indicators of cognitive decline. The subjects of the study were older adults: 229 cognitively normal individuals, 397 patients with mild cognitive impairment and 193 patients with Alzheimer’s disease. They were assessed with neuropsychological tests and brain magnetic resonance imaging every six months while taking fish oil supplements. The study found that the adults taking fish oil (who had not yet developed Alzheimer’s and did not have genetic risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s known as APOE ε4) experienced significantly less cognitive decline and brain shrinkage than adults not taking fish oil. (9)

Maybe moderation is the key here....

 

[lampofred]

Dr. Peat has said that fish oil dramatically lowers inflammation--which is why it may seem to be helpful in the short-term for issues such as Alzheimer's disease--but that it does so by suppressing your immune system, which is obviously not something you want.

Also, to answer OP's question: coffee. Peat has said 5+ cups a day seems to be beneficial in protecting against cancer, heart disease, and especially degeneration of the brain.

 

[Pablo Cruise]

I drink lots of coffee. Because of depressed immune system.....since you mention it, I am going to stop Fish Oil for a while and see if it makes a difference in thrombocytopenia, neutropenia and anemia. Will check blood levels in 30 days.

 

[tara]

Niacinamide: 500mg daily

Unless there is a specific reason for a high dose, I'd consider reducing this to smaller doses of 50-100 mg 2-3/day.
Note that some people can have good and some people negative reactions to the higher doses of niacinamide, possibly related to burning through blood sugar faster. I personally would not want to take 500mg in one dose, and I'm not alone in that, though I know there are others who seem to benefit from it. I think Peat has suggested 50 - 100mg doses up to a few times a day with meals.

Charcoal: 1-2 tablespoons Two-Three times a week.

Unless there's a specific issue of concern, if it were me I'd consider making this one less frequent (eg 1/wk or max 2/wk), in favour of other tactics for sweeping the guts, 1/wk or maybe 2/wk. I think Peat recommends raw carrot salad or boiled bamboo shoots as preferable, unless there is something else going on. It has a tendency to soak up nutrition as well as toxins, and there's some speculation about small adsorption risk - worth it if there's a more serious issue to deal with, but otherwise it becomes less clear.

 

[DrJ]

@Soren The main thing you seem to be missing in that list is pregnenalone or progesterone. They help for myelination of the nerve cells. See these:

Progesterone synthesis and myelin formation by Schwann cells. - PubMed - NCBI

Progesterone Synthesis in the Nervous System: Implications for Myelination and Myelin Repair

 

[Constatine]

IMO if you can avoid taking something as a supplement you should. Oysters for zinc, liver for A, etc. Most supplements are of low quality and contain some toxic ingredients. They can be especially bad for intestinal health.

 

[EIRE24]

IMO if you can avoid taking something as a supplement you should. Oysters for zinc, liver for A, etc. Most supplements are of low quality and contain some toxic ingredients. They can be especially bad for intestinal health.

Amen to this.

 

[ecstatichamster]

I think supplements should be minimized. Supplements can be used short term. But to maintain ones health and mental acuity — healthy learning, having meaning in life, good friends, good sleep, and good food are best.

 

[Soren]

Unless there is a specific reason for a high dose, I'd consider reducing this to smaller doses of 50-100 mg 2-3/day.
Note that some people can have good and some people negative reactions to the higher doses of niacinamide, possibly related to burning through blood sugar faster. I personally would not want to take 500mg in one dose, and I'm not alone in that, though I know there are others who seem to benefit from it. I think Peat has suggested 50 - 100mg doses up to a few times a day with meals.


Unless there's a specific issue of concern, if it were me I'd consider making this one less frequent (eg 1/wk or max 2/wk), in favour of other tactics for sweeping the guts, 1/wk or maybe 2/wk. I think Peat recommends raw carrot salad or boiled bamboo shoots as preferable, unless there is something else going on. It has a tendency to soak up nutrition as well as toxins, and there's some speculation about small adsorption risk - worth it if there's a more serious issue to deal with, but otherwise it becomes less clear.

Thanks for the advice. Had never heard that with regards to Niacinamide good to know.

With regards to the Charcoal I am not convinced either way with regards to the absorption risk, although I do take on board the suggestion to maybe have it only be once a week. I do know carrot salad is a good shout, take it myself however I never had as much a profound impact as a dose of activated charcoal. I do have some granular charcoal but from what i've read this doesn't provide much of a benefit compared to powdered charcoal.

 

[Soren]

@Soren The main thing you seem to be missing in that list is pregnenalone or progesterone. They help for myelination of the nerve cells. See these:

Progesterone synthesis and myelin formation by Schwann cells. - PubMed - NCBI

Progesterone Synthesis in the Nervous System: Implications for Myelination and Myelin Repair

Thanks for this Dr J, I had been keeping things like progesterone in my back draw so to speak and was planning on introducing them after seeing how he responded to the first regime of supplements as I consider the first list I've put together somewhat more in the natural camp as they are things that one could feasibly get from diet and lifestyle but might be somewhat lacking.

I'd also rather not start off by introducing exogenous hormones straight away as it will be difficult to gauge what is having a positive effect. As I mentioned in the original post I will not be giving him all these things at once. There is no mad rush here or chronic condition to treat so I'm taking quite a measured approach.

On another note the studies you've linked have peaked my interest in another topic I spend a great deal of time studying, Parkinson's disease.
"Alterations to myelin may be a core pathological feature of neurodegenerative diseases."
Alterations of Myelin Content in Parkinson’s Disease: A Cross-Sectional Neuroimaging Study

It seems probable to me that part of the benefit for treating PD suffers with Progesterone is due to the protection of myelin

 

[Soren]

IMO if you can avoid taking something as a supplement you should. Oysters for zinc, liver for A, etc. Most supplements are of low quality and contain some toxic ingredients. They can be especially bad for intestinal health.

I think supplements should be minimized. Supplements can be used short term. But to maintain ones health and mental acuity — healthy learning, having meaning in life, good friends, good sleep, and good food are best.

Totally agree on this front food is obviously preferable and I am very scrupulous about supplement sources and ingredients. Throughout his life he has had a diet very rich in nutrients always ate plenty of calories from good nutrient rich sources, liver oysters, shell fish etc but over the past 5 years he has had an extremely large amount of stress from work that has created a situation of lots of traveling, a bit too much wine, not enough sleep and not enough nutrient dense food. That situation has lessened somewhat but it is still there. A moderate intake of supplements to fill the gap in his diet and help him recover I think will be very beneficial. It is more preventative then anything else and it is not planned for the long term.