In my nutrition practice I have seen
countless patients with brain injuries.
These injuries can be a result of car,
motorcycle, bicycle or skiing/
snowboarding accidents, or even from
domestic or crime-related violence. Brain
injuries are reaching epidemic proportions in
America. Sadly, most patients with brain
injuries do not realize that optimal nutrition
can often make a difference in their recovery.
They are even told often by well-meaning
physicians that there is nothing they can do
to improve their brain function. Not so.
Brain nutrients for head trauma patients
is one of the most exciting applications of
optimal nutrition I have seen in my 15 years
of practice. But let me make one thing very
clear: optimal nutrition is not going to cure
anyone from a brain injury. However, in a
time of trauma, or even years after the
trauma, it only makes sense to feed the brain
as optimally as possible. The results will vary
from mild to striking improvement in
mental function.
Of all of the nutrients needed to optimize
brain recovery from physical injury—and
there are many—the most important and
best studied is acetyl-L-carnitine.
Why Acetyl-L-Carnitine?
Acetyl-L-carnitine is a special form of carnitine
that has the particular ability to optimize
brain function. Acetyl-L-carnitine is able to
cross into the brain more effectively than
regular carnitine. It therefore enhances brain
cell function much better than regular carnitine.
As we age, acetyl-L-carnitine levels in
our brains go down and for optimal brain
function, supplements of acetyl-L-carnitine
become mandatory. Particularly for those
over 40, acetyl-L-carnitine is the preferred
form of carnitine.
The research on acetyl-L-carnitine shows
it to be nothing short of extraordinary. Acetyl-L-carnitine prevents the deterioration
of the brain during stress and it helps the
aging brain function better. Acetyl-L-carnitine
also helps prevent damage that can occur to
nerve cells when there is a lack of oxygen in
the brain. It is therefore of no surprise that
acetyl-L-carnitine is very helpful for stroke
victims, who have been found to recover better
on 1500 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine per day.
Acetyl-L-carnitine acts in many ways to
prevent the deterioration of brain cells
that normally happens with age. It does this
in many ways. It acts as a powerful antioxidant,
provides the brain with healing energy
and increases levels of a very important messenger
molecule called acetylcholine. It is
acetylcholine which becomes deficient in the
brains of Alzheimer’s patients and that is why
these patients have such poor memory function.
So by increasing levels of acetylcholine,
acetyl-L-carnitine helps the memory work better
and may help prevent Alzheimer’s as well.
Animal studies have shown that
acetyl-L-carnitine can greatly improve the
body’s ability to recover and repair nerves
after physical trauma. Acetyl-L-carnitine is
an exciting nutrient for application in any
kind of nerve damage because it is a real
“Renaissance nutrient” when it comes to healing
nerves. The many roles acetyl-L-carnitine
plays in promoting nerve healing include:
- promoting the growth and health of nerve cells in many ways
- accelerating the maturation of nerve cells
- protecting nerve cells from free radicals
- activating nerve growth factor, an important nerve cell healing compound made by the body
- speeding the healing of damaged nerves in peripheral neuropathies
Helping Kim, who was in a car accident
A woman we’ll call Kim came to see me a
year after a car accident. She had been
rear-ended by a teenager looking at his girlfriend
instead of the road. She had her head
severely jerked forward and then back. A year
after the accident she could not remember
more than two states out of the union,
though she studied a map of the U.S. often.
She spoke slowly and haltingly. She was
taking a few supplements and wanted to
know if a more aggressive nutritional
regimen could help—especially since it had
already been a year since her accident.
I said maybe, and at the worst it would do
no harm except to her pocket book. (These
brain supplements are expensive.) She was
taking B complex, some vitamin C and an
antioxidant formula. A nice start. But with
brain damage of any kind, you need to get
very aggressive with your nutrition.
The sooner you can optimize nutrition
for brain injuries, the better. The goal with
such optimized nutrition is twofold: you
want to help stop any further damage to the
brain that may be progressing since the accident
and you want to help encourage the
brain to heal. While some nerve cells are lost
and may not be repairable, others may be
encouraged to function better and pick up
the slack. Making the brain cells you have
work better can make an enormous difference.
Optimizing nutrition for the brain also
helps neurons set up new networks that can
bypass damaged areas.
You also want to protect the brain from
further damage that can be caused by an accident.
One study showed that nearly a third
of those with Alzheimer’s had had a head
injury. Head injuries can set off a cascade of
events that optimal nutrition can prevent.
Wearing bike helmets and headgear during
all sports is important for all of us as well.
What was remarkable was that Kim responded to the regimen, even though she
began it a full year after the accident, when
one might think nutrition would no longer
have a therapeutic effect—but it did. Here
is what I put her on:
|
| Acetyl-L-Carnitine | 1,000-2,000 mg |
| Phosphatidyl Serine | 500 mg |
| NADH | 5 mg |
| CoQ10 | 100 mg |
| N-Acetyl-Cysteine | 1200 mg |
| Vitamin C | 2,000-5,000 mg |
| Vitamin E | 1,000 IUs |
| Tocotrienols | 100 mg |
| Magnesium | 400 mg |
| Zinc | 15 mg |
| Selenium | 400 mcg |
| Lipoic Acid | 100-200 mg |
| Octacosanol | 20 mg |
| Milk Thistle Extract | 150 mg |
| Grape Seed Extract | 100 mg |
| Ginkgo Biloba Extract | 240 mg |
|
After six months on this regimen, Kim was
talking more clearly and her memory was
much improved. After a year she sounded
better still as she talked to me over the
phone and told me of plans she had to open
her own business. She also told me that
when she stopped the supplements for a
month, she found that her brain function
and memory were regressing.
Helping Rosa with chronic fatigue
A woman we’ll call Rosa is a good friend of
mine. She had chronic fatigue since being
in a car accident 10 years ago. She is an
intelligent woman and would cry a lot
because she could not perform well on her
job or in life due to her fatigue. She had
seen a host of alternative medicine
practitioners and with little results.
I was so busy when Rosa called that I
could not fit her into my practice. I simply
put her on 1000 mg of acetyl-L-carnitine
and 300 mg of phosphatidyl serine and
asked her to call me if she felt any better.
That was on a Wednesday. On Saturday I
got a message on my machine that for the
first time in years she felt energized. She
even said she was sleeping better. For her
this was a huge breakthrough.
From the striking results Rosa had, I
believe that she was probably deficient in
both acetyl-L-carnitine and phosphatidyl serine. This is not surprising, since there are
virtually no food sources for these nutrients
and since the body has a difficult time making
them as we age. I saw Rosa recently at
the health food store and she is still doing
great: she just finished a huge project at
work that she is very proud of.
Helping Tom, who was robbed
Violent crime in America touches many of
us and brain injuries are often the result. A
man we will call Tom was struck in the
back of the head with a tire iron by a man
who attempted to rob him. The result was
that this once intelligent man could
barely remember anything. He had great
difficulty getting a job.
Tom was put on 1500 mg of acetyl-Lcarnitine
and 300 mg of phosphatidyl
serine. His improvement was slow but
after three months his memory was working
better. He was able to get a job and
e-mailed me his phone number and
address—from memory. For Tom these
were huge breakthroughs. He is far from
his former self, unfortunately, but thanks to
two powerful brain nutrients, he is able to
support himself and is doing the best that
can be hoped under the circumstances.
The best thing about acetyl-L-carnitine
is that it is completely natural. Because
of this it is completely non-toxic. And
acetyl-L-carnitine, like all natural compounds,
works through many pathways to
help keep the body well. When the body
weakens, it does so at many points,
not just at one particular area. That is why
acetyl-L-carnitine and the natural medicine
of which it is a part is so superior for disease
prevention. No drug will ever work as well
as acetyl-L-carnitine at slowing brain aging
or promoting brain health, because no drug
can match its breadth of influence on brain
function.
So don’t let anyone keep you from
progressing because of their limited understanding
of how the brain can heal. There
are many stories like these and everyone I
have ever dealt with who has had a brain
injury has found optimal nutrition to be a
positive experience. No one has fully recovered
because of nutrition but all have been
helped. Brain cells always want to heal and
have maximal function. Just give them an
optimal supply of nutrients and they will
show you just how much they want to heal.
The Research on Acetyl-L-Carnitine
Acetyl-L-carnitine maintains our ability to learn and interact positively with others as
we age. In other words, it allows us to teach
old dogs new tricks and make them
happier throughout the process. It probably
does this through its overall beneficial
effects on brain function. Older adults
given acetyl-L-carnitine saw their directional
and word memory improve in a matter of
weeks. Many studies have confirmed these
beneficial effects on memory in older adults
and the dose used in the studies is usually
2000 mg (2 g) per day. Even alcoholics with
cognitive impairment have benefited from
acetyl-L-carnitine.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine Benefits the Entire Body
Acetyl-L-carnitine has been found to be
an important nutrient for sperm health. It
may also be important for the health
of the offspring, because acetyl-L-carnitine
protects the valuable genetic material in
sperm from free radical damage.
Acetyl-L-carnitine has also been found
useful in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy.
There is mounting evidence that
acetyl-L-carnitine plays a key role in
immune defense. This is because immune
cells require acetyl-L-carnitine to remain
energetic when they defend the body and
fight off pathogens. Acetyl-L-carnitine
helps our immune cells stay healthy and
strong. It has been found useful in the
treatment of depression. This again is
through its role in helping brain cells communicate
more effectively. A social brain—
one where nerve cells can communicate
effectively—is a happy one. I have found
the acetyl-L-carnitine, along with phosphatidyl
serine, B complex and EPA/DHA,
can virtually eliminate winter depression
(seasonal affective disorder), especially
when combined with a healthy diet.
Common Questions Asked About Acetyl-L-Carnitine
Q: When should someone start taking acetyl-L-carnitine?
A: As early in adulthood as possible.
College age is a good time. While I
believe it is an essential supplement for
everyone over 40 who wants optimal
brain health and longevity, the damage to
the brain from stress begins earlier, for
many in the college years. So for those
who can afford it, I recommend taking
acetyl-L-carnitine during stressful times (studying, exam times), throughout one’s
20s and 30s, and regularly after age 40.
Brain aging starts young. If we are going to
slow it down, we have to start optimizing
nutrition and lifestyle as soon as possible.
Only then can we get the best handle on
preventing the loss of brain function later
in life.
Q: How much does acetyl-L-carnitine cost?
A: Acetyl-L-carnitine is somewhat expensive
and I hope to see prices come down soon so
that it will become more affordable. This
may be the main limiting factor for many
who want to take it. When you compare the
cost of a dose of acetyl-L-carnitine (500 mg)
to the price of a cup of coffee, however, you
realize that it costs less, energizes the brain in
a much more beneficial way and has none of
the downside of coffee. A lifetime of taking
acetyl-L-carnitine will leave you with a much
healthier brain and body than a lifetime of
caffeine.
Q: Is there anyone who should not take
acetyl-L-carnitine?
A: I do not recommend that acetyl-Lcarnitine
be taken without supervision in
someone with epilepsy or someone who is a
manic depressive (bipolar). Such people do
not always need more energy in their brain
cells. However, epileptics taking medications
such as Valproate—which induces carnitine
deficiency—should take supplemental acetyl
or regular L-carnitine at a dose of 500 mg
per day.
Q: Are there any side effects to taking
acetyl-L-carnitine?
A: One of the side effects of taking
acetyl-L-carnitine regularly is more vivid
dreams at night. Some enjoy this while
others do not. Adjust your dose of
acetyl-L-carnitine to correspond with how
much you like to dream.
Q: What about older folks who have the
beginnings of dementia—how much should
they take?
A: They should take 500 mg to 2500 mg of
acetyl-L-carnitine per day. Ideally they should also be given vitamin B12 shots and
plenty of B vitamins orally—these are all
often deficient in those over 60.
Phosphatidyl choline, 2000 mg per day, is
also very helpful. This is all best done with
the guidance of one’s healthcare practitioner.
Q: Are there nutrients that help
acetyl-L-carnitine work more effectively?
A: Yes, B vitamins, magnesium, phosphatidyl
choline and EPA/DHA (fish oils) all increase
the effectiveness of acetyl-L-carnitine.
For references send a SASE to totalhealth magazine.
|
|
