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FTA:

Brain health is the second most important component in maintaining a healthy lifestyle according to a 2014 AARP study. As people age they can experience a range of cognitive issues from decreased critical thinking to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers write about eight nutrients that may help keep your brain in good shape.

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    Dr. Rhonda, would you say it’s advantageous to take a choline supplement daily, like Alpha GPC, if you have one variant of the APOE4 gene? I know it’s used in current AD patients, but curious on your knowledge if taking it before you have AD would help prevent getting it? I’m 28 and I just found out I have one variation of the APOE4 gene via 23andme and am trying to do everything I can to avoid AD.

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      I didn’t know that blueberries are a nutrient. Are blueberries a good source of blueberries?

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        Blueberries are not a nutrient…but they are really high in anthocyanins, which activate the NRF2 pathway. NRF2 is a transcription factor that increases antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, DNA repair genes and more. I’m wrapping up a clinical trial where we gave obese individuals a cup of blueberries a day…I have some exciting results on DNA damage that I hope to publish by Dec. @mdc2275

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          Thank you for the teaser on the blueberry study you did. Can’t wait to see the results published!

          I do also think that the flavonoids in blueberries are likely more important than the stilbenes, the content of which is comparatively low and variable depending on the growing conditions. The same is true for red wine, btw. Stilbenes are as much overrated as flavonoids are underrated!

          One of my favorite sources of anthocyanins are black chokeberries.[1] They contain 10 times as much anthocyanins as blueberries (mostly cyanidin glycosides). They are yummy, very popular and inexpensive in Poland and Germany. Polish researchers have published some fascinating but unfortunately little noticed papers on aronia melanocarpa. Just look at the impressive, highly significant effects on blood pressure and inflammatory markers in a secondary prevention trial.[2]

          1. http://phenol-explorer.eu/contents/food/106
          2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17320090
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            We convinced my in-laws to grow chokeberries a few years ago…they have 4 bushes in their yard! THey freeze them and put them in smoothies!

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              Great job! I have them in my muesli right now (of course with homemade probiotic yogurt enriched with oligofructose ;-)

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            Testing done by the Natural Nutrition Board of America states that blueberries provide an adequate supply of blueberries [sic] while strawberries do not.

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              pterostilbene is in blueberries. More studies should be done on that. I love taking 400mg of pterostilbene. Clears brain fog amazingly well/ Also anxiolytic.