Category: Uncategorized

By Dr. Noelani Rodriguez, ND

 

Who doesn’t want better memory, more focus and improved cognition? What can we do naturally to enhance and preserve our brain function? From herbs and mushrooms to nutrients, I will discuss a few of the most common natural memory and cognitive enhancers and why people are talking about these “nootropics.” 

Herb and extract perks

One ancient, well-known herb that has long been known to affect our nervous system is rosemary. Rosemary, Latin name Rosmarinus officinalis, has been shown to stimulate the nervous system and thus perk up memory and concentration capacity¹ when the plant is sniffed prior to completing a task. In a 2020 study on mice, rosemary was shown to improve cognition like that of methylphenidate (Ritalin)² and has long been known to decrease brain inflammation.

Mushrooms for memory enhancement

When we think about mushrooms, two thoughts might come to mind — tasty mushrooms we add to foods and psychedelic “shrooms” with which people sometimes experiment. But on the quest to increase brain power one non-psychedelic mushroom is the rightful king — lion’s mane, latin name Hericium erinaceus. Also known for its anti-depressant abilities, lion’s mane has strong research showing its neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer’s studies by preventing impairments of spatial, short-term, and visual recognition memory due to its anti-inflammatory and NGF (nerve growth factor) stimulation.³ It even showed a reduction in dementia scale and significant improvement in visual recognition memory in adults after 16 weeks of supplementation.³

Phosphatidylserine to increase memory and lower stress

Phosphatidylserine is a naturally produced nutrient within the cell membrane of neural tissue. It contains high amounts of DHA (an omega-3 fatty acid) and functions to support brain neuron survival and differentiation. As we age, our ability to produce phosphatidylserine declines. A 2013 study showed that elderly people supplementing with phosphatidylserine had an increase in memory recognition, memory recall, executive functions (decision making) and mental flexibility.⁴ Furthermore, phosphatidylserine has also been shown to lower cortisol levels in chronically stressed males where hyperactivity of the HPA axis (the stress-regulating loop in our body). 

Nootropics: brain-boosting, neuroprotective supplements

Nootropics are a class of natural or synthetic substances that can boost brain performance and are sometimes called cognition enhancers or memory-enhancing substances. They have gained much popularity in the past few years due to the increasing awareness of wanting optimal health coupled with the highly competitive and hardworking nature of United States society. But we are not only talking about better memory and cognition; of equal importance is that these natural supplements have been shown to have neuroprotective properties and thus, can protect the brain from inflammation and injury. 

So is it time to power up your inner nerd? What is your brain telling you? 

 

 

Dr. Rodriguez is a licensed naturopathic doctor in Poway, San Diego, California. She can be reached at (858) 345.4910. Note: this information is not to be taken as medical advice, and each person should speak with their doctor before initiating any supplementation. For more information, visit www.mavwellness.com

By: Dr. Noelani Rodriguez, ND

 

Throughout various stages of a woman’s life her estrogen levels change. Between pre-puberty, going through puberty, monthly cycling, pregnancy, peri-menopuase, and post-menopause, our hormones are constantly fluctuating.

 

To start, let’s talk a little bit about the benefits of estrogen in the body. From heart health, to skin integrity and elasticity, to brain health and bone health, to maturing follicles for pregnancy, there are so many functions to estrogen. It’s a shame that it has been given a bad rep throughout its time and in society. According to the American Heart Association, “estrogen is believed to have a positive effect on the inner layer of [the] artery wall, helping to keep blood vessels flexible. That means they can relax and expand to accommodate blood flow,” and thus be a contributing factor in keeping blood pressure down. With bone health, estrogen helps to balance the activity of cells that breakdown bone tissue, known as osteoclast, and regulates parathyroid hormone activity which controls calcium levels in the blood. During menopause, as estrogen becomes deficient, we see bone loss accelerate leading to osteopenia or osteoporosis. While our body is still cycling estrogen is responsible for maturing a follicle (egg) to be released from the ovary for possible fertilization leading to pregnancy. With hair and skin, estrogen is responsible for modulating activity within our hair follicles, sebaceous glands (keep our skin from becoming dry), melanocytes (cells that produce the color of skin), and keratinocytes (cells that produce keratin in hair, skin, and nails), just to name a few. As we age, the lowered amount of estrogen in the body directly relates to the quality of our hair, skin, and nails as well as many other parts of health. Therefore, as we can see estrogen is very important to the woman’s physiology.

 

Stage 1: Puberty

During puberty the spike in estrogen (along with other hormones such as progesterone and testosterone) triggers puberty. These hormones are responsible for development of what is known as female secondary sex characteristics such as the development of breasts and pubic and armpit hair.

 

Stage 2: Menstrual Cycling

Once a female hits puberty, she will begin cycling in which each month she should experience menses (aka period, aunt flow, etc.) During the first half of the cycle aka the Follicular Phase (approximately the first 14 days after the beginning of a period) estrogen levels rise and help mature a follicle or egg to be released for fertilization. (More on Luteal Phase and progesterone levels in a later article).

 

Stage 3: Pregnancy

Hormones to be covered in another article … Stay tuned!

 

Stage 4: Peri-menopause

This is a transitional period that can start as early as age 35 and go for 15+ years. During this time the ovaries are still trying to produce regular amounts of estrogen but the signals from your brain (FSH and LH) are starting to send stronger signals to the ovaries to continue to produce those healthy levels of estrogen. Despite the brain and ovaries best efforts, these fluctuations in the production and signaling of estrogen can lead to symptoms such as irregular periods, hot flashes, night sweats, hair thinning, skin changes, brain fog and weight gain.

 

Stage 5: Post-Menopause

Once a woman has not had a period for 12 consecutive months, she is considered to be post- menopausal. From this time on, without hormone replacement therapy, her hormones will all be lower that what she has been used to for most of her life. The good part about this time is that some women who experienced symptoms from fibroids or cysts earlier in life that are often triggered by estrogen may find relief. Symptoms of peri-menopause may also subside by this time. Some women however continue to struggle with symptoms and find that they just don’t feel like themselves anymore. Speaking with your healthcare provider about your options for relieving symptoms and healthy aging is great to do before hitting this point.

 

 

Dr. Rodriguez is a licensed naturopathic doctor in Poway, San Diego, California. She can be reached at (858) 345.4910. Note: this information is not to be taken as medical advice, and each person should speak with their doctor before initiating any supplementation. For more information, visit www.mavwellness.com

By Dr. Noelani Rodriguez, ND

When I am working with patients to either maintain their skin integrity or rejuvenate their skin, collagen is one of the main supplements I am recommending.

 

Collagen, as we know, is already naturally occurring in the body but as we age our ability to produce it decreases. It’s important because this amazing protein is responsible for many functions throughout the body including giving skin the elasticity and suppleness that we all want to retain. But not only does it support skin, it’s also fundamental in joint health as a significant part of cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. Something that supports my skin’s youthfulness and my joints feeling limber—count me in!

 

I love to put collagen in my coffee or in my smoothies. I add it to coffee because it has a very light taste and really helps give coffee that creaminess that cow’s milk used to give since now I only drink plant-based milks (which can sometimes be thinner and thus changing the coffee consistency that some of us are REALLY attached to). Making it a part of your routine is essential with this nutrient as it isn’t just a supplement taken for two weeks and poof magic! I would plan on giving it about 2-3 months to start seeing and feeling its benefits. Also because this is just a supplement and not a magic pill, it doesn’t negate the fact that we first and foremost still need to focus on getting all the nutrients necessary to support our body’s ability to produce (synthesize) and utilize collagen. That’s why, I also like putting it in my smoothie which is a mash-up of a bunch of green leafy vegetables and berries, plant-based protein powder with all the amino acids necessary to build collagen, some brain boosting herbs and of course…nut butter!

 

There are two main sources to get collagen supplementation from: cows or fish. If you are vegetarian or vegan then your efforts are more focused on what is commonly called “collagen boosters” or a supplement formulated to support your body’s abilities to produce and maintain your own collagen. These collagen booster supplements will usually contain key ingredients such as Vitamin C, B vitamins, and amino acids like proline and glycine which all support collagen building pathways. If you choose to use animal/marine sources of collagen one feature to be aware of is that your supplement provides collagen in the “peptide” form, which allows for better absorption by your body.

 

Like with all supplements out there, it is best to consult your doctor before beginning supplementation. There are many brands of collagen supplements on the market and not all are created equal. Just like we want wild caught fish or 100% grass-fed beef with no antibiotics, we want to ensure you get clean sources of collagen and high quality vitamins.

 

 

Dr. Rodriguez is a licensed naturopathic doctor in Poway, San Diego, California. She can be reached at (858) 345.4910. Note: this information is not to be taken as medical advice, and each person should speak with their doctor before initiating any supplementation. For more information, visit www.mavwellness.com