#6 Vitamin B-5:
Essential for good memory and stress relief

B-5, or pantothenic acid, has many functions in the body. B-5 is essential for the conversion of choline into acetylcholine, which in turn is essential for memory.

B-5 is also a powerful antioxidant and stamina enhancer. And it's essential for the formation of steroid hormones, making it particularly important for individuals under stress. (Under stress, you secrete more adrenal cortex hormones.¹⁹)

As you age and when you're under stress, steroid hormones—including pregnenolone, DHEA, and testosterone—are depleted. These steroid hormones are themselves powerful memory enhancers. So taking B5, particularly as you grow older and when you're under stress, makes sense.

Help with recovery from traumatic injuries. B-5 in conjunction with choline can also help with recovery from traumatic injuries.

Contraindications: Large dosages of B5 may initially cause diarrhea. This effect can be avoided by starting with a low dose and increasing it slowly.

Dosage: Most people start with 100 mg and slowly work up to 250 - 1,000 mg per day, in 3 or 4 doses with meals.

B5 works very well in conjunction with …

#7 Choline:
Nutritional building block for acetyl-choline—one of the most important brain chemicals

Choline (together with B5) is a precursor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and improves memory by increasing the amount of this chemical in the brain. Choline has been shown to improve performance by normal, healthy people in many intelligence and memory tests.20

Choline is available in several forms, including choline bitartrate, choline chloride, phosphatidyl choline, and choline citrate. Choline bitartrate and choline chloride can sometimes cause diarrhea at doses high enough to give you cognition enhancement effects. Phosphatidyl choline is great for cell membrane integrity but to get high amounts of active choline, you would need to take several spoonfuls of it. Choline citrate is the preferred form for getting sufficient levels of active choline with the least likelihood of unwanted side effects.

Precautions: Choline and compounds containing choline, including phosphatidyl choline, should not be used by people who are manic-depressive since it can deepen the depressive phase.

Dosage: 1,000 - 3,000 mg of choline a day in three, divided doses. When combining smart nutrients use a lower dose.

#8 Phosphatidylserine:
A biological detergent

Phosphatidylserine acts like a biological detergent, keeping fatty substances soluble and cell membranes fluid. It also seems to work by increasing glucose metabolism in the brain, and by increasing the number of neurotransmitter receptor sites.²¹ The increased number of receptor sites may explain why the memory-enhancing effects last for up to a month even after the supplement is discontinued.

Improvement in normal, healthy people. Thomas Crook and his colleagues studied 149 individuals who suffered from age-associated memory impairment. These people had no overt illnesses, but showed signs of memory loss that normally occurs with aging. Those who took phosphatidylserine showed improvement in memory and learning. As with many other smart-drug studies, the people who functioned the worst in the beginning were the most likely to improve. The researchers concluded that "the compound may be a promising candidate for treating memory loss in later life."²²

Treating depression and senility in the elderly. In a study at the University of Milan, Italy, 10 elderly women with depressive disorders were given placebos for 15 days, then 300 mg of phosphatidylserine for 30 days. Phosphatidylserine alleviated depression and improved memory and general behavior. No adverse effects were noted in any of the patients.²³ Other studies have found similar, positive results. Phosphatidylserine has also proved effective in treating early and mild Alzheimer's Disease²⁴ and senility.²⁵

Precautions: Phosphatidylserine may interact negatively with anticoagulants. The only other reported side-effect is occasional, mild nausea.

Dosage: 100 - 200 mg twice a day, orally.

#9 DMAE:
Elevates mood, improves memory and learning, increases intelligence

DMAE, or dimethylaminoethanol, is normally present in small amounts in our brains. DMAE is known for its remarkable brain-enhancement effects. It is a naturally-occurring nutrient found in seafood, such as anchovies and sardines. Perhaps that is why fish has often been called "brain food."

DMAE improves memory and learning, increases intelligence, and elevates mood. It also has been shown to extend the life span of laboratory animals.²⁶ DMAE is used by many people for its mild, safe stimulant effect, and yet DMAE also makes it easier for most people to get to sleep at night as well as reducing the amount of sleep needed.

No quick highs, or crashing, depressive lows. The stimulant effect of DMAE is significantly different from the stimulation produced by coffee, amphetamines, or other stimulant drugs. DMAE does not have a drug-like quick up and quick come down. People who take DMAE report that after 3 to 4 weeks, they feel a mild stimulation continually, without side-effects. Also, when DMAE is discontinued, no depression or let-down occurs.

DMAE works by accelerating the brain's synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which in turn plays a key role in maximizing mental ability and preventing the loss of memory in aging adults.

Precautions: Overdosage can produce insomnia, dull headaches, or tenseness in muscles (especially those of the jaw, neck, and legs). These side effects disappear if the dosage is lowered slightly. No serious side-effects have been reported with DMAE. Patients with certain types of epilepsy should be closely monitored by a physician. DMAE should not be used by people who are manic-depressive because it can deepen the depressive phase.

Improving your memory, alertness, and mood with nutritional supplements

Smart nutrients can dramatically improve your memory, work performance, your social relationships, even your love life. Further, there is growing evidence that smart nutrients can prevent or reduce many of the mental problems commonly associated with aging.

Benefits you can expect include:

• Improved blood flow in the brain and throughout the body
• Dramatic improvement in memory and mental alertness
• Reduced cell damage from aging
• Improved sexual performance
• Increased attention span
• Healthier skin
• Improved ability of your body to de-toxify harmful chemicals

The sad fact is that as we age, our memory fails and we become less creative and productive. The good news is that you can now do something about it with smart nutrients. With so much to gain and so little risk, trying smart nutrients is a "no-brainer."
 

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