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As Americans continue to age, scientists are trying to find ways to keep the brain active, strong and vital.
Emerging research shows that certain nutritional supplements can interact with various neuroreceptors to keep the mind youthful at any age. These "smart nutrients," in fact, can prevent and treat Alzheimer's and senility, improve brain function and sharpen memory.1
The following summarizes some of the most compelling data about these smart nutrients. In many studies, they've improved mitochondrial function, and in some cases, they've slowed and/or reversed the negative aspects of age-related cognitive decline.
Acetyl-L-carnitine. This derivative of the amino acid L-carnitine readily crosses the blood brain barrier.2Well formulated studies suggest that acetyl-L-carnitine prevents damage to nerve growth factor, which are proteins that stimulate the growth and development of central and peripheral nerve cells.3Scientists also have found that acetyl-L-carnitine prohibits the destruction of brain cells in culture.
Diet alone can't supply the mitochondria with adequate amounts of acetyl-L-carnitine. Studies show that primary dietary sources of carnitine, namely meat and dairy products, only supply about 60 mg to 180 mg per day of this nutrient in healthy adults. In many studies, therapeutic dose ranges are 300 mg/kg of body weight per day and higher.
When inadequate levels of acetyl-L-carnitine exist, normal brain metabolism is compromised. Supplemental doses of acetyl-L-carnitine are warranted and have clear neuroprotective benefits.4
Researchers at the University of California Berkeley tested whether age-related cognitive decline directly resulted from the down-regulation and binding affinity of carnitine acetyltransferase (CAT), a key major mitochondrial enzyme used for fuel. They studied the brains of young and old rats that were supplemented with high doses of acetyl-L-carnitine for seven weeks. In these rats, CAT was substantially activated and restored. This decreased oxidative damage, improved mitochondrial enzyme activity, increased substrate-binding affinity and reversed mitochondria dysfunction and decay.5
In other studies, acetyl-L-carnitine in doses of 1.5 grams to 3 grams daily for a three-month period showed a marked improvement in mental clarity and memory in people experiencing mild neurodegeneration.6Some studies suggest this might have occurred because acetyl-L-carnitine serves as a neurotransmitter itself. In its acetylated form, carnitine enhances the production of acetylcholine, one of the brain's most important neurotransmitters.7,8
Acetyl-L-carnitine arginate. Acetyl-L-carnitine arginate is a patented version of carnitine. When combined with the amino acid arginine in animal studies, this form of carnitine stimulated neurite outgrowth similar to that of nerve growth factor.9Neurites are the branch-like pathways brain cells use to communicate with one another. By promoting new connections known as synapse, neurites can significantly improve communication among cells in the central nervous system, the home of the brain and the spinal cord.9
Current data indicate that acetyl-L-carnitine stimulates neurite growth by 5.6 percent in five days. However, in a landmark study appearing in Neurochemical Research, acetyl-L-carnitine arginine stimulated neurite growth by 19.5 percent in the same time period.10Acetyl-L-carnitine arginate also inhibits the toxicity that occurs when B-amyloid cells proliferate, as seen in aging brain cells and Alzheimer's patients.11In addition, this dynamic combination increases the sum and substance of neurtotransmitters.11
Alpha lipoic acid. Referred to as the universal antioxidant, alpha lipoic acid heightens the overall activity of the entire inborn antioxidant defense system. Proliferating pro-oxidants accelerate the production of free radicals. They also speed the aging process and destroy genetic material in the cells.12In the mitochondria, alpha lipoic acid compensates for the reduction of glutathione, a key nutrient during oxidation.
Glutathione scavenges the mitochondria and neutralizes heavy metal ions that can stimulate free radical production and heighten oxidative stress. ALA also stimulates increased oxygen consumption at the cellular level, dramatically restoring brain cells to youthful ranges as seen in animal models.13
Other animal studies have demonstrated that ALA can reduce damage to neurons caused by toxic substances.14 Alpha lipoic acid is also involved with various metabolic functions that regulate energy production in muscles, glucose metabolism, liver and nervous system function, as well as all physiological processes that are intimately linked to proper brain function.15
Acetyl-L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid. When used together, these nutrients inhibited the age-associated increase of oxidative damage to lipid membranes, proteins and nucleic acids in old rats, according to researcher Bruce Ames of the University of California Berkeley. By combining these two mitochondrial nutrients in studies conducted on old rats, Ames and colleagues restored the activity and substance-binding affinity of CAT.16
Within one month after administering this dynamic combo, they found that ALA and acetyl-L-carnitine not only reversed brain aging, but also improved memory and physical activity of old rats. In this animal study, 250 mg of alpha lipoic acid and 1500 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine were administered daily.16
Co-enzyme Q10. CoQ10, also known as ubiquinone, is a naturally occurring compound found in all cells of the body. As a fat-soluble substance, it serves as a coenzyme in the energy-producing metabolic pathways of the cells. Highly concentrated in the heart, liver and kidneys, this mitochondrial nutrient protects proteins and mitochondrial DNA from oxidation. It also has powerful antioxidant capabilities. More than 90 percent of the body's metabolic energy needs are regulated by CoQ10.
In fact, CoQ10 is responsible for the reactions of at least three mitochondrial enzymes, making it the essential component of the electron transport chain, where metabolic energy is released.17
In trials conducted at the University of Hong Kong, Chinese researchers exposed SHSY5Y neuroblastoma cells to neurotoxic beta amyloid peptides. They simultaneously starved cells of oxygen and glucose to assess the neuroprotective effects of CoQ10 in doses of 10 microM. According to these researchers, CoQ10 had a dramatic effect against abeta neurotoxicity by preventing the opening of mitochondrial transition pores and by reducing concentrations of superoxide anions, which disrupt normal mtabolic processes.
This study also demonstrated that CoQ10 plays a profound role in increasing mitochondrial cell survival rates.18In a related study appearing in Experimental Neurology, researchers in Portugal, using brain mitochondria isolated from 20-month-old diabetic goto-kakizaki rats, found that CoQ10 effectively prevented mitochondrial dysfunction. These researchers reported that CoQ10 inhibited significant decreases in the production of ATP and hydrogen peroxide, which are induced by the neurotoxic peptide abetal-40. This study strongly suggests that CoQ10 therapy can help maintain adequate mitochondrial energy levels. When these levels are low, the manifestation of diabetes and Alzheimer's disease often accelerates.19 Additional clinical trials have demonstrated that CoQ10 plays a role in combating several neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's) via its ability to scavenge free radicals produced during oxidative phosphorylation in the inner mitochondrial membranes.
In a 16-month randomized placebo-controlled study of 80 subjects with mild Parkinson's disease, researchers saw a marked improvement in halting the functional deterioration of this disorder after giving subjects 1,200 mg per day of CoQ10.20Furthermore, studies indicate that CoQ10 prevents the development of many other neurodegenerative disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, via its co-ability to act as an antioxidant and as an electron acceptor at the mitochondrial level.21
Without CoQ10, there is no spark, no ignition and no creation of energy. Take CoQ10 out of the mitochondria and the cell has as much potential as a V-8 engine without spark plugs. It is, in essence, a dead engine.22
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