Brain Food

Brain Food by Dr. Dr. Lisa Mosconi, PhD, INHC. A neuroscientist's approach to taking care of your brain.

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Welcome to anyone arriving via my work, or my book! I encourage you to follow me at www.lisamosconi.com, which is where you can get frequent updates about brain nutrition and my latest research on Alzheimer's prevention, or everything else really (and I answer DM!). Thanks so much for everyone's feedback and support. All best, Lisa

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When the nanny calls is sick, stay home and cook up a storm! While you’re at it, bring the toddler down the path to healthy cooking 👩🏻‍🍳✌🏻💕🧠#brainfood #healthyliving #buddhabowl #vegan #brainfoodbook

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The perfect weekend treat: raw chocolate rose ganache 💕🌹It tastes amazing and literally melts in your mouth #sugarfree #rawcacao #rawfood #rawhoney #rosepetals #coconutoil #brainfood #healthyeating #healthiswealth #vegan #veganrecipes

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Homemade Cashew milk -- takes 5 minutes at most, costs but a few cents, and tastes sooooooo much better than anything you'll ever find in a grocery store #cashewmilk #brainfood #homemadefood #mommydaughter #kitchenfun #momlife

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Slow roasted Moroccan chicken. Amazingly flavorful and so easy to make! Because eating healthy doesn’t have to be a hassle 🙅🏻💃🏻👩🏻‍🍳 #brainfood #healthiswealth #slowroast #moroccanchicken #healthyeating #mommylife #lecreuset

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Slow roasted Moroccan chicken. Amazingly flavorful and so easy to make! Because eating healthy doesn’t have to be a hassle 🙅🏻💃🏻👩🏻‍🍳 #brainfood #healthiswealth #slowroast #moroccanchicken #healthyeating #mommylife #lecreuset

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Today's #glowbowl is avocado banana #chiaseeds #amazinggrass topped with fresh blueberries & peach 🍑🥑🍌 #muesli and a teaspoon of #justinsbutter #justinshazelnutbutter #yummy #brainfood #healthylifestyle #rawfood #momlife #healthiswealth #beautyisfromwithin

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Menopause may trigger Alzheimer's disease

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319721.php

Thank you @medicalnewstoday​ for featuring our study.

Menopause may bring about important neurological changes that need to be addressed urgently, suggests new research.A new study highlights the metabolic changes that occur in the brains of menopausal and perimenopausal women, suggesting that a loss of estrogen could make these women vulnerable to developing Alzheimer's disease.

The study was carried out by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine - the biomedical research unit and medical school of Cornell University - in New York City, NY, in collaboration with scientists at the University of Arizona Health Sciences in Tucson.

Read more here: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319721.php

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Our latest research on #alzheimerprevention in women @weillcornell. Trying to reach as many women as possible #womenshealth #alzheimersdisease #alzheimerawareness

Menopause causes metabolic changes in the brain that may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a team from Weill Cornell Medicine and the University of Arizona Health Sciences has shown in new research.

The findings, published Oct. 10 in PLoS One, could help solve a longstanding mystery about Alzheimer’s, namely, why women get this fatal neurodegenerative disorder more often than men—even accounting for the fact that women on average live longer. The investigators say the results also eventually may lead to the development of screening tests and early interventions to reverse or slow the observed metabolic changes.

Alzheimer’s afflicts more than 5 million Americans, including one-third of Americans older than 85, and the disease process is known to begin several decades before dementia sets in.

“This study suggests there may be a critical window of opportunity, when women are in their 40s and 50s, to detect metabolic signs of higher Alzheimer’s risk and apply strategies to reduce that risk,” said lead author Dr. Lisa Mosconi, who was recruited to Weill Cornell Medicine as an associate professor of neuroscience in neurology.

For the study, Dr. Mosconi and her colleagues, including senior author Dr. Roberta Brinton from the University of Arizona Health Sciences in Tucson, used the imaging test positron emission tomography (PET) to measure the use of glucose—a principal fuel source for cellular activity—in the brains of 43 healthy women ages 40 to 60. Of those, 15 were pre-menopausal, 14 were transitioning to menopause (peri-menopause) and 14 were menopausal.

The tests revealed the women who had undergone menopause or were peri-menopausal had markedly lower levels of glucose metabolism in several key brain regions than those who were pre-menopausal. Scientists in prior studies have seen a similar pattern of “hypometabolism” in the brains of patients in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s — and even in mice that model the disease.

In addition, menopausal and peri-menopausal patients showed lower levels of activity for an important metabolic enzyme called mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase, as well as lower scores on standard memory tests. The strong contrast with pre-menopausal patients remained even when accounting that the menopausal and peri-menopausal women were older.

“Our findings show that the loss of estrogen in menopause doesn’t just diminish fertility,” said Dr. Mosconi, associate director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian. “It also means the loss of a key neuroprotective element in the female brain and a higher vulnerability to brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease. We urgently need to address these problems because, currently, 850 million women worldwide are entering or have entered menopause. Our studies demonstrate that women need medical attention in their 40s, well in advance of any endocrine or neurological symptoms.”

The findings add to mounting evidence that there is physiological connection between menopause and Alzheimer’s. Dr. Mosconi and colleagues published a study in Neurology in September that linked menopause to increased accumulation of the Alzheimer’s-associated protein amyloid beta in the brain. The investigators also observed reduced volumes of gray matter (brain cells) and white matter (nerve fiber bundles) in brain regions that are strongly affected in Alzheimer’s.

Menopause long has been known to cause brain-related symptoms, including depression, anxiety, insomnia and cognitive deficits. Scientists widely believe they are caused largely by declines in estrogen levels. Estrogen receptors are found on cells throughout the brain and evidence suggests that reduced signaling through these receptors due to low estrogen levels can leave brain cells generally more vulnerable to disease and dysfunction.

More specifically, the authors suggest that the menopausal fall in estrogen may trigger a shift to a “starvation reaction” in brain cells — a metabolic state that is beneficial in the short term but can be harmful in the long term.

“Our work indicates that women may need antioxidants to protect their brain activity and mitochondria in combination with strategies to maintain estrogen levels,” Dr. Mosconi said, noting that exercise and foods that are rich in antioxidants, such as flaxseeds, also may help boost estrogen production. “We believe that more research is needed to test efficacy and safety of hormonal-replacement therapies at the very early stages of menopause, and to correlate hormonal changes with risk of Alzheimer’s. This is a major priority at our Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic.”

Dr. Mosconi and her colleagues now plan to expand their patient group, and also hope to perform longer-term, more comprehensive analyses of neural and metabolic markers during and after menopause. This work may lead to the development of biomarkers that could help investigators identify at-risk patients.

“We really need to follow larger groups of women over long periods to see how this menopausal change in metabolism relates to Alzheimer’s,” she said.

Said Dr. Brinton, a leading neuroscientist in the field of Alzheimer’s, the aging female brain and regenerative therapeutics: “Outcomes of this study will provide critical evidence for early changes in the aging female brain that are relevant to the two-fold greater lifetime risk in Alzheimer’s disease. Importantly, these results indicate that we know when to intervene in the aging process to divert the potential for developing this devastating disease.”

Read more: https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2017/10/menopause-triggers-metabolic-changes-in-brain-that-may-promote-alzheimers

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Menopause triggers Alzheimer's risk

Ladies: this is science published today -- important, relevant, urgent.

Among Alzheimer's patients, we've known for a long time that women outnumber men 2 to 1. It hasn't been clear quite why that is.

Our study -- published today in PLOS One -- shows that menopause triggers metabolic changes in the brain that may promote Alzheimer's. This is not great news.

The ok news is that there are some steps that women can take to mitigate these effects, outlined in the article and the paper. And hopefully this is just the first paper and some of the first steps for women in preventing Alzheimer's.

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The things you do for love.. ☕️🙏

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Wishing you all a magical Christmas and New Year filled with love, laughter, health and happiness 🙏🎄🎅

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Grilled Peaches With Cinnamon & Rosemary

This recipe is from French Women Don’t Get Fat, a delightful, witty and sensible non-diet book written by the former Veuve Clicquot CEO, Mrs. Mireille Guiliano (who happens to be French).

French women don’t get fat, but they do eat bread and pastry, drink wine, and regularly enjoy three-course meals. The book unlocks the simple secrets of this “French paradox” -– how to enjoy food and stay slim and healthy. The book includes several recipes, and this is one of my favorites. 

Unfortunately peaches are not in season right now - try pears instead!

As Mireille puts it: “Peaches, like apricots, demand to be eaten when perfectly ripe, but because they bruise so easily, they are frequently picked when they feel like baseballs. Set aside, they will mature, but you can’t expect the peachiness of a ripe picking. Keep an eye out for those - you’ll know them by the scent. Lesser peaches can be grilled, however, with excellent results.”

Original recipe — Ingredients:

4 peaches

1 tablespoon sugar 

1⁄8 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons canola oil 

4 sprigs rosemary, minced

Brain-health boosting recipe — Ingredients:

4 peaches (or pears, if winter season)

1 tablespoon raw coconut sugar or 2 tablespoons raw honey

1⁄8 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons coconut oil 

4 sprigs rosemary, minced

2 springs lavender, minced

Yield: 4 Servings

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler if you plan to use it instead of the grill. 2. Rinse the peaches, pat dry, cut in half, and remove the pits. Place the peach halves in a baking dish. Mix the coconut sugar (or honey) and cinnamon, stir in the coconut oil (let it melt first), and brush the mixture over the peaches. Sprinkle with the rosemary and lavender. Marinate for 10 minutes, turning over and basting once. 3. Broil or grill the marinated peaches for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until they are tender but not soft.

4. Serve immediately, alone or with a scoop of coconut milk ice cream.

Enjoy!  http://brainfood-blog.tumblr.com

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Parents with Alzheimer's may be passing abnormal brain changes to kids

People whose mothers and fathers had Alzheimer's were shown to have brain volume abnormalities, 5 to 10 percent more brain plaques

CBS interview from Feb 2014. Our brain imaging study shows that parents with Alzheimer's may be passing abnormal brain changes to kids.

Do you have a family history of Alzheimer's? It's time to take extra special care of your brain. Consider an integrative approach that combines preventive medicine and lifestyle adjustments.  http://brainfood-blog.tumblr.com

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This interactive website leads you through a tasty journey to discover how food shaped our world, and what the food of the future looks like (National Geographic Channel)

We used to be what we ate. What does the future hold? -- http//brainfood-blog.tumblr.com

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My favorite brain-healthy breakfast

A staple in our household: my favorite, super quick, brain-healthy breakfast that combines the crunchiness of toasted bread with the sweetness of raw honey.

This recipe provides a good amount of dietary fiber, healthy vegetable fats, and sugar from the naturally anti-bacterial honey, while keeping an eye on the glycemic index. Of relevance for brain health is the use of coconut oil vs. more traditional butter or margarine.

Though coconut oil was believed by many to be unhealthy because of its high saturated fat content, research shows that the fat in coconut oil is unique and different from most all other fats and is now gaining recognition as a nutritious health food.

In a nutshell, the difference is in the fat molecule. All fats and oils are composed of fatty acids. There are two scientific methods of classifying fatty acids:saturation, and fatty acid length.

Saturation.

According to the first method, saturation, there are saturated fats (like butter) ,monounsaturated fats (like olive oil), and polyunsaturated fats (like the omega 3 fats in salmon). "Saturated" means that these fat molecules are saturated with hydrogen molecules (see picture below: C= carbon, H = hydrogen). Which is why butter is solid at room temperature - that’s typical of saturated fats. Saturated fats are believed to be bad for you because they raise the level of cholesterol in your blood, therefore increasing risk of heart disease and stroke.

Coconut oil — which, like butter, is solid at room temperature, is also a saturated fat. So by some measures, it might be suspect. But that’s not the whole story. 

Fatty acid length.

The other classification system is based on the length of the carbon chain within each fatty acid. Fatty acids consist of chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms attached (see picture above: C = carbon, H = hydrogen). According to this method, there are short-chain, medium-chain, and long-chain fatty acids. 

The vast majority of fats and oils in our diets, whether they are saturated or unsaturated, whether they come from animals or plants, are composed of long-chain fatty acids. Coconut oil is composed predominately of medium-chain fatty acids. There is increasing evidence that medium-chain fat molecules don’t have a negative effect on cholesterol, and can actually help to lower the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease, which in turn increase risk of dementia.  

A word about breakfast.

There is some confusion over whether breakfast is, if not the most important, at least an important meal of the day. 

Many people wolf down several slices of commercial white bread or pastries in the morning (beware of refined flour, it’s nutritionally empty and will do nothing to support your digestive tract) while drinking processed orange juice (e.g. all sugar).

I wouldn’t recommend having a nutritionally empty, heavy breakfast, but the opposite may be just as bad for you.

Many people skip breakfast altogether in favor of a cup of coffee with tons of added sweeteners, artificial flavorings and creamy products. Many observational studies have found that people who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight, possibly because they more than make up for the missed calories in the morning by eating more at lunch or snacking during the day. This may not be true for everyone though, and everybody is different.

So if you, like me, need something sweet to start the day, this is a great way to satisfy your needs and support your body and brain health at the same time. 

Just keep in mind that sugar is sugar, and fat is fat. A little of both goes a long way. And as simple as the recipe is, the quality of the ingredients is what really makes a difference:

Ingredients:

1x slice vegan, sprouted whole wheat bread (my favorite brand is Alvarado Street Bakery)

1 teaspoon local raw honey. I usually get the Clover, creamed honey variety from the Farmers’ market. Manuka honey is another great option - you can find it in any proper Health Food store.

1/2 teaspoon extra virgin, unrefined coconut oil

Directions:

Toast bread. Spread honey. 

Spread coconut oil on top. Coconut oil is liquid at room temperature but becomes solid if you put it in the fridge (as in the picture). In that case, just scrap a little with a knife and wait till it melts.

I always have a cup of green tea or herbal tea for breakfast too

Enjoy! 

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Our recent paper published in the British Medical Journal (2014) shows a strong connection between diet and risk of Alzheimer’s disease, many years prior to clinical symptoms.

Do you want to keep your brain healthy over time?

In a nut-shell: make sure your diet includes foods that are rich in vitamin B12, vitamin D, beta-carotene (precursor to vitamin A), folate and omega-3 fatty acids.  Recipes to follow.

The paper is Open Access, if you are interested!