Welcome to mywellbrain and welcome guest author, Trevor John, to share his knowledge about Spirulina for the brain. His website is whyspirulina.com. 

As long ago as December 2013 at the G8 dementia summit in London, over a hundred dementia experts (1) called upon governments to make prevention of dementia a healthcare priority.  They highlighted how “drugs have only relieved symptoms” but pharmaceutical companies did not have a medication that was effective against the Alzheimers/Dementia disease progression.  Seven years ago, they called for trials for those at risk of developing dementia, to include trials on exercise;  but also to control blood sugar, including diabetes treatment; depression treatment; high blood pressure treatment; B vitamins; omega-3 fatty acids; cognitive training; & social activities.”

And seven years ago these same experts were encouraging people to adopt a Mediterranean diet. So does this website. You can learn more via this click through. But have you ever thought how the superfood spirulina might also help?  This article explores how it might also be another weapon in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.*

Did the G8 Dementia Summit in 2013 Make A Difference?

Unfortunately not.  If you look at the statistics, today in 2020, 5.8 Million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s/Dementia (2), and this is projected to rise to 13.8 Million by 2050.  And globally, according to Alzheimer’s Research UK, (3) the number of people living with Alzheimer’s/Dementia in 2020 has now reached 50 Million People. It’s projected to grow to the staggering number of 152 million by 2050 – no doubt many of these will be the baby boomer generation, raised on or who developed a taste for junk food!

Time To Reboot Your Lifestyle?

Is it time you urgently rebooted your lifestyle or risk joining the statistics?  Thank you for allowing me to add to the discussion here at mywellbrain.com. I am pleased to contribute.

My own mother suffered from dementia.  Seeing my Mother suffer from dementia was a wakeup call.  She had been a highly active, semi-professional actress, singer, and homemaker.  To see her suffer from dementia was heart-breaking.  It certainly made me question my own lifestyle.  I think I was well on track to follow her experience and become one of the statistics, as in my late 50`s, I was suffering from brain fog.

I Changed My Lifestyle & Added Spirulina

My experience is described on whyspirulina.com.  I have overcome the frequent brain fog I used to suffer from, thanks to spirulina.  And by partially adopting a Mediterranean diet. Lockdown has made that harder recently!

Are There Any Supporting Studies?

We know from animal studies, where the animals ate spirulina, that they scored higher on tests for memory and brain function [9]. Children too.  Whilst an animal study (10) demonstrated it reduced stroke-related brain damage.  So far, so good. Furthermore, there is recent evidence 2020 (4) from an animal study that it helps to reduce inflammation in the gut, a key factor in Alzheimer’s, although clinical studies have yet to be undertaken to provide conclusive evidence.

Is It A Silver Bullet?

We cannot say at this stage that the spirulina superfood is a “silver bullet”. But it certainly seems to be a promising weapon, if taken consistently over a period of time, in the fight against this horrible disease.*

This article would not be complete without mentioning an old and inconclusive study (11) (2009) from Guam that called for further research, which to date has not been undertaken and for a while, cast some doubt on Spirulina´s benefits with regard to Alzheimer’s Disease.  The Guam study linked the high intake of Cycad seeds by the local community, to a compound found in spirulina. To our knowledge, further studies have not been undertaken.  Bearing in mind the global pandemic that Alzheimer’s/Dementia is growing to be, this seems very surprising.

So What is The Evidence That Spirulina Might Help Prevent Alzheimers Dementia?

We know spirulina helps children’s academic performance and we have the animal study [9] demonstrating the animals that ate spirulina scored higher on memory and brain function tests. And we have the study that demonstrated how it helped reduce stroke-related brain damage. (10).  Also, we have a very recent study (4)  that it helps to alleviate chronic inflammation. Anecdotal evidence (2014) from The Sanctuary Healing Center in Mexico also highlights how spirulina can help the symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia.  So Adding spirulina and Cocoa to your diet, combined with a Mediterranean diet may be another weapon to help prevent Alzheimers Disease and dementia.

If you are going to give spirulina a try after reading this article, please bear in mind the importance of a clean and quality supply of spirulina. In the past, this was not fully understood and might have been a factor in the Guam study.

The Importance of Exercise

The World Health Organisation WHO (5) recommend exercise to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s/Dementia. And there are plenty of supporting studies that confirm this!  A review of 16 studies said that physical activity was linked with reduced risk.  It concluded, as so many research papers do, calling for further research, in particular, to establish the “optimal dose” of physical activity leading to a “protective” level of exercise. And in a review of 15 studies (7), “A total of 3210 patients” showed a 38% improvement “with people who undertook a high level of physical activity against cognitive decline”  (6), (7).  So get those sneakers or walking shoes on!

Weight Training – Pump The Iron To Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia

Now when you clicked on an article to read about Alzheimer’s/Dementia I bet you didn`t expect to see a tip to start lifting weights or weight training!  Don`t worry, I`m not about to suggest that you should start lifting heavy weights, but there is some evidence that it can help more than aerobic exercise to help prevent dementia.

There is evidence that exercise gives your brain a boost but a study found that pumping the iron can even help those who already suffer from mild cognitive impairment! Check out this short video from the British BBC:

Top tip: Taken over a period of time, spirulina typically gives you an energy boost,  so you will be more inclined to want to exercise!

If you are a fast-food junkie or at risk for other reasons, you might want to incorporate light weights, into your exercise routine!

The Ball is in Your Court Now

It seems that medication for dementia is a long way off, if ever.  So if you have led a lifestyle that included a lot of fast food or if you are at risk from other factors, then you may wish to explore further the idea of adopting a Mediterranean diet lifestyle, that includes regular exercise and vitamins. Along with spirulina!*

In Conclusion

What I can say, is that spirulina definitely helped me overcome brain fog. I also made lifestyle changes. I would encourage readers of this to follow the advice here at mywellbrain.com particularly with regards to adopting a Mediterranean diet as an option. And remember to always choose quality spirulina.* There are other good diet options that help the brain. Here is a certified organic spirulina supplement from Swanson, a brand we trust. More choices at whyspirulina.com.

Related Article: Brain Nutrition Facts

Thank you

Thank you for reading this article. I hope you learned about how you or a loved one, might be helped with the prevention of Alzheimers Dementia, or indeed perhaps improve any mild cognitive impairment that you may already be suffering from with spirulina. Go on, get those dumbbells out!  And pick up some extra vitamins as suggested on mywellbrain.com’s Top 10 Brain Supplements.

Sources:

• Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 38 (2014) 699–703. Dementia (Including Alzheimer’s Disease) can be Prevented: Statement Supported by International Experts.
• 2019 ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE FACTS & FIGURES, Alzheimer`s Association.
• https://www.dementiastatistics.org/statistics/global-prevalence/
• Spirulina platensis alleviates chronic inflammation with modulation of gut microbiota & intestinal permeability in rats fed a high‐fat diet Ting Yu, Yan Wang, Xiaosu Chen, Wenjie Xiong, Yurong Tang, & Lin Lin
• Risk Reduction of Cognitive Decline & Dementia WHO Guidelines
• Physical activity & risk of neurodegenerative disease: a systematic review of prospective evidence. M Hamer, Y Chida
• Physical activity and risk of cognitive decline: a meta-analysis of prospective studies F Sofi, D Valecchi, D Bacci, R Abbate, G F Gensini, A Casini, C Macchi
• Spirulina prevents memory dysfunction, reduces oxidative stress damage and augments antioxidant activity in senescence-accelerated mice Juen-Haur Hwang, I-Te Lee, Kee-Ching Jeng, Ming-Fu Wang, Rolis Chien-Wei Hou, Su-Mei Wu, Yin-Ching Chan
• Dietary supplementation with blueberries, spinach, or spirulina reduces ischemic brain damage
• BMAA–an unusual cyanobacterial neurotoxin

*Nothing on this website should be interpreted as personal medical advice. Always consult a qualified Doctor or health care professional before changing anything related to your healthcare.