I was watching the television on Talking Point a few days back. The topic caught my attention – ‘Am I at Risk of Dementia‘. It was said in 2015 that 1 in 10 Singaporeans over 60 have dementia. In 2012, about 28,000 people in Singapore aged 60 and older had dementia. And this number is expected to soar to 80,000 by 2030.
As defined in ADA (Alzheimer’s Disease Association) website:
Dementia is an illness which affects the brain, causing the brain cells to die at a faster rate than normal. It is not normal ageing. As a result, the mental abilities of the person with dementia declines. This leads to failing memory, deterioration of intellectual function and personality changes.
What further disturbs was the mention that more and more younger people are diagnosed with dementia and, as early as at 40; the prime of their life and careers.
Prevention seems the only solution.
The Nerve Growth Factor
Our brain and nervous system depend on a vital protein called the NGF (Nerve Growth Factor) for normal development. NGF supports the health of growing and existing neurons. Our body produces NGF naturally, but age, illness, medications and environment can affect the level of our NGF.
Healthy Brain Foods
Examples of foods that allow our body to produce more NGF are Lion’s Mane Mushrooms (Hericium erinaceus)Ji-Lin Ginseng (Panax ginseng) and Ashitaba (Angelica keiskei Koidzumi).
Lion’s Mane Mushroom can influence the production of enzymes that signal cells to release more NGF.
Ji-Lin Ginseng contains ginseng saponins that are found to maintain cell viability in the hippocampus, a memory-making part of the brain. Thus it supports healthy learning and memory. It also contains ginsenoside Rg1 that supports healthy neurons, cognition, and internal signaling, which supports the creation of proteins vital to the health of the brain.
Ashitaba supports healthy levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which belongs to the same group of nerve cell proteins as NGF. BDNF is particularly vital to the hippocampus, and its ability to create persistent, long-term memories. Ashitaba also contains chalcone which supports the production of multiple neurotrophic factors, which are proteins that support neurons.
E-memories actually contains all the mentioned ingredients in concentrated form! That’s so nice! It can also be consumed by the young at school to enhance their learning, for the working adults to be more effective in ‘retrieving their memories’, and last but not least, the elderly to prevent declining of memory.
2 June 2018
