Loss of Chewing Ability May Be Linked to Dementia

Researchers from the Department of Dental Medicine and the Aging Research Center (ARC) at Karolinska Institutet and from Karlstad University in Sweden suggest that the loss of chewing ability may be linked to cognitive decline and a higher risk of dementia.

Dementia is a serious loss of global cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging. It is not considered a single disease, but rather a set of signs and symptoms, in which affected areas of cognition may be memory, attention, language, and problem solving.

The study randomly selected a nationwide sample of 577 participants aged 77 or older to investigate tooth loss, chewing ability and cognitive function. Results showed that individuals that experienced more difficulty chewing hard foods were more at risk of developing cognitive impairments, even when controlling other variables such as sex, age, education and mental health. In addition, chewing with dentures or real teeth had no impact on their results.

It could be that “few or no teeth makes chewing difficult, which leads to a reduction in the blood flow to the brain. However, to date there has been no direct investigation into the significance of chewing ability in a national representative sample of elderly people.”

Unfortunately, this study does not specify whether all participants consumed similarly nutritious meals. Those with a reduced ability to chew certain foods may have been malnourished, which could have played a major role in their cognitive decline.

Nevertheless, the preliminary results of such research certainly provide further support for the fact that oral health impacts overall health. Good oral health brings significant benefits to self-esteem, dignity, social integration and general nutrition.

According the World Health Organization, the proportion of people aged 60 years and older is growing faster than any other age group, as a result of both longer life expectancy and declining fertility rates. Therefore, as our society ages, this type of research becomes more and more relevant…

• As of 2010, more than 35.6 million people worldwide are living with dementia, or more than the total population of Canada.


• The global prevalence of dementia stands to double every 20 years, to 65.7 million in 2030, and 115.4 million in 2050.


• Total health-care costs for people with dementia amount to more than 1 per cent of the global gross domestic product (GDP), or US$604 billion in 2010.

Chewing Ability Linked to Reduced Dementia Risk
Dementia
Ageing
Facts about dementia

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Sleep Helps Improve Memory and Creativity

It is common knowledge that sleep is an important part of healthy living, but just how important is it? We already know that sleep helps to strengthen our memories and store them in some sort of order so that they may be retrieved as needed at a later date.

Recently, the journal, Current Directions in Psychological Science, has published findings that explain how sleep is also important for the reorganization of memories. According to Jessica D. Payne of the University of Notre Dame, who co-wrote the article with Elizabeth A. Kensinger of Boston College, our brain extracts the emotional details from our memories during our slumber, while keeping the most relevant information in tact so that it may reconfigure those memories and use them to create new and creative ideas.

Payne and Kensinger study what happens to memories during sleep, and they have found that a person tends to hang on to the most emotional part of a memory. For example, if someone is shown a scene with an emotional object, such as a wrecked car, in the foreground, they're more likely to remember the emotional object than, say, the palm trees in the background -- particularly if they're tested after a night of sleep. They have also measured brain activity during sleep and found that regions of the brain involved with emotion and memory consolidation are active.

The table below displays our suggested amount of sleep that is needed at various stages in life:


So, the sleeping brain is actually quite busy. We may not realize how beneficial sleep can be for our brains. Payne says: “People who say they'll sleep when they're dead are sacrificing their ability to have good thoughts now […] we can get away with less sleep, but it has a profound effect on our cognitive abilities”.

Sweet dreams.

Sleep Makes Your Memories Stronger, and Helps With Creativity
Sleep

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No Evidence That Ginkgo Biloba Benefits Cognition

A recent study, Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM), by Beth E. Snitz, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh, demonstrates that the use of the herbal supplement Ginkgo biloba does not slow the rate of cognitive decline among older adults as construed.

“The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial included 3,069 community-dwelling participants, ages 72 to 96 years, who received a twice-daily dose of 120-mg extract of G biloba (n = 1,545) or identical-appearing placebo (n = 1,524). The study was conducted at six academic medical centers in the United States between 2000 and 2008, with a median (midpoint) follow-up of 6.1 years. Change in cognition was assessed by various tests and measures.”

In 2000, older adults that had normal to mild cognitive impairment were chosen and observed. The researchers placed the subjects into 3 distinct groups. Some were given a placebo over the 8 year period. Others were given either Ginkgo biloba or the placebo, where their group identity was not disclosed to the participant or the experimenter. The third group was randomly assigned to either of the groups. Double-blind studies are said to achieve greater scientific rigor than other types of research. The conclusion of this double-blind study is that Ginkgo biloba is not effective in reducing the incidence of Alzheimer dementia or dementia in general. In addition, no evidence was found to support any effects on memory, language, attention, visuospatial abilities and executive functions. Furthermore, no differences were detected through age, sex, race, education or baseline cognitive status.

Basically, no evidence was found to support the widely marketed fact that Ginkgo biloba slows the rate of cognitive decline.

What is Ginkgo Biloba?

Ginkgos are very large trees, normally reaching a height of 66–115 feet, with some specimens in China being over 50 m. The tree has an angular crown and long, somewhat erratic branches, and is usually deep rooted and resistant to wind and snow damage. A combination of resistance to disease, insect-resistant wood and the ability to form aerial roots and sprouts makes ginkgos long-lived, with some specimens claimed to be more than 2,500 years old. Extreme examples of the Ginkgo's tenacity may be seen in Hiroshima, Japan, where six trees growing between 1–2 km from the 1945 atom bomb explosion were among the few living things in the area to survive the blast. While almost all other plants and animals in the area were destroyed, the ginkgos, though charred, survived and were soon healthy again. The trees are alive to this day.

Extracts of Ginkgo leaves contain flavonoid glycosides and terpenoids and have been used pharmaceutically. Ginkgo supplements are usually taken in the range of 40–200 mg per day. Ginkgo has many alleged nootropic properties, and is mainly used as a memory and concentration enhancer, and an anti-vertigo agent. According to some studies, in a few cases, Ginkgo can significantly improve attention in healthy individuals. Allegedly, the effect is almost immediate and reaches its peak in 2.5 hours after intake.

Ginkgo has been used for…

• Alzheimer's disease
  
• Improving blood flow
  
• Protecting against oxidative cell damage
  
• Blocking the effects of platelet-activating factor (platelet aggregation, blood clotting)
  
• Intermittent claudication
  
• Easing the symptoms of tinnitus
  
• Improving cognition and fatigue in those with multiple sclerosis
  
• Arresting the development of vitiligo

Ginkgo may have undesirable effects, especially for individuals with blood circulation disorders and those taking anticoagulants such as ibuprofen, aspirin, or warfarin. Ginkgo should also not be used by people who are taking certain types of antidepressants (monoamine oxidase inhibitors and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) or by pregnant women, without first consulting a doctor.

Side effects can include…

• possible increased risk of bleeding
  
• gastrointestinal discomfort
  
• nausea
  
• vomiting
  
• diarrhea
  
• headaches
  
• dizziness
  
• heart palpitations
  
• restlessness

Other precautions…

Ginkgo biloba leaves contain long-chain alkylphenols together with the extremely potent allergens, the urushiols (similar to poison ivy). Individuals with a history of strong allergic reactions to poison ivy, mangoes, and other urushiol-producing plants are more likely to experience an adverse reaction when consuming Ginkgo-containing pills, combinations, or extracts.

The nut-like gametophytes inside the seeds are particularly esteemed in Asia, and are a traditional Chinese food. When eaten by children, in large quantities (over 5 seeds a day), or over a long period, the raw gametophyte (meat) of the seed can cause poisoning by MPN (4-methoxypyridoxine).

Bottom line...

It is very important to remember that herbal supplements are not regulated by the FDA in the US and Canada’s regulation of such health products is quite often confusing and inconsistent. Therefore, personal responsibility is essential when relying on this type of treatment.

Ginkgo Biloba Does Not Appear to Slow Rate of Cognitive Decline

Wikipedia

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