Dietary Supplement can Boost Older Adults' Brain

A nutritional supplement high in natural components and antioxidants can help boost the speed at which the brains of older adults process information.

A decline in the underlying brain skills needed to think, remember and learn is normal in ageing.

Rare Form of Autism may Have a Cure in Nutritional Supplements
Those who suffer from a very rare form of autism, with symptoms of autism and epilepsy, may benefit with a treatment of a common nutritional supplement, a recent study has revealed.

The nutritional supplement, containing extracts from blueberries and green tea combined with vitamin D3 and amino acids - including carnosine - is developed by researchers at the University of South Florida.

The researchers tested the supplement, named NT-020, in a clinical trial enrolling 105 healthy adults aged 65 to 85.

"After two months, test results showed modest improvements in two measures of cognitive processing speed for those taking NT-020 compared to those taking placebo," said professor Brent Small, school of aging studies, the University of South Florida.

Hospitals can Achieve Readmission Reduction Policies Via Use of Oral Nutritional Supplements
Official data reveals that one in five Medicare patients is readmitted to a hospital each year at an estimated cost of $17.5 billion annually in the US

"Processing speed is most often affected early on in the course of cognitive aging. Successful performance in processing tasks often underlines more complex cognitive outcomes, such as memory and verbal ability," Small added.

Blueberries, a major ingredient in the NT-020 formula, are rich in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant containing a polyphenolic, or natural phenol substructure, said the study published in the journal Rejuvenation Research.

Use of Oral Nutritional Supplements in Pediatric Patients Decreases Their Length of Hospital Stay
Use of nutritional supplements provided pediatric patients during their hospitalization are linked to a decrease in their hospital stay for upto 14.8 percent

Therapies to improve the cognitive health of older adults are critically important for lessening declines in mental performance as people age.

While physical activity and cognitive training are among the efforts aimed at preventing or delaying cognitive decline, dietary modifications and supplements have recently generated considerable interest.

Nutritional Supplements Lower Earthquake Stress
Nutritional supplements of minerals, vitamins help people during earthquakes and in the stress periods after earthquake, states study.

"The basis for the use of polyphenol-rich nutritional supplements as a moderator of age-related cognitive decline is the age-related increase in oxidative stress and inflammation," said study co-principal and investigator Paula C. Bickford, professor at the university's Health Morsani College of Medicine.

Source-IANS