Tag Archives: Cognitive Health

Solving Complex Problems with Avocados

Monounsaturated Fatty Acids – a class of nutrients found in olive oils, nuts and avocados – support the brain’s attention networks, and also help cognitive health through improved insulin sensitivity. Your ability to focus on, and solve problems can be influenced by diet choices, according to a study out of University of Illinois. The study… Read More »

Healthy Aging Tips: Vitamin D and Exercise

Be sure to get your daily dose of exercise and Vitamin D to help prevent chronic disease, especially as you age, according to an expert medical panel at the On Lok Sustainable Long Term Care conference. Janice Schwartz, M.D., Professor of Medicine of University of California San Francisco, provided an in-depth look at the current… Read More »

Young Blood Elixir for an Aging Brain?

In a bit of weird science meets blood magic, a pair of recent research studies have highlighted the potential health benefits of infusing an aging brain and body with younger blood. A procedure called parabiosis was used in both studies, where the circulatory systems of two mice (one young and one old) are physically stitched… Read More »

Diabetes Can Shrink Your Brain

Having type 2 diabetes (mellitus) in midlife can cause brain atrophy, memory loss, and cognitive impairment as an older adult, according to a recent study published in the journal Neurology. Over 1,430 adults (average age 80) were recruited from the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, a multi-year project designed to investigate risk factors for cognitive… Read More »

How a Good Night’s Sleep Helps Support Brain Health

A pair of recent research studies on sleep highlight how important quality of sleep is for a healthy brain. Our brains consume over 20% of all metabolic activity (mainly oxygen & glucose) in the human body, even though the average brain comprises only 2% of body weight. This outsize power usage produces a host of… Read More »

High Blood Pressure and Cognitive Decline

More confirmation that high blood pressure (hypertension) directly impacts brain health from this study in the British Medical Journal. The BMJ study followed over 5,000 older adults (average age of 75) for three years, measuring both blood pressure and cognitive health during medical visits performed four times a year. The researchers found a consistent pattern… Read More »