Nutrients preserve cognition, protect against brain damage
Lutein speeds nerve-cell response time 
Recent studies reveal a role in healthy brain function for the colorful carotenoids normally found in the eye. Lutein, one of the yellow-orange-red pigments in the retina, also accumulates in the brain. Doctors can estimate brain levels of lutein without invasive procedures by measuring amounts of lutein in the retina.
In this study, doctors gauged lutein levels in the eye, and then measured nerve-cell activity in the brain while participants performed an attention test. The study tracked cognitive performance in 60 adults, aged 25 to 45.
Because the study included both younger and older adults, doctors could compare nerve-cell activity—which slows with age—between the two groups. Nerve-cells in the older adults with higher levels of lutein performed at a faster rate normally found in younger people, and better than their peers with lower levels of lutein. And those with more lutein were able to use more cognitive resources to complete the task.
Ginkgo benefits after stroke
In this study, 333 men and women who had had a stroke due to a blockage of blood flow to the brain within the past seven days took 100 mg of aspirin per day, with or without 450 mg of ginkgo biloba extract in three divided doses per day, for six months.
Doctors measured cognition at 12, 30, 90 and 180 days and found those taking aspirin plus ginkgo biloba had higher scores at all four points compared to aspirin alone. The ginkgo group showed a significant slowdown in cognitive decline, better attention, working memory, and cognitive flexibility—the ability to switch between two concepts.
Reference: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience; 2017,
10.3389, Published Online
Natural Insights for Well Being April 2018
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