Try these eight cognitive health tips you haven't heard before from Ayurvedic herbal practitioner and Organic India Co-founder Prashanti de Jager.
Try these eight cognitive health tips you haven't heard before from Ayurvedic herbal practitioner and Organic India Co-founder Prashanti de Jager.
Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of moderating a Webinar presentation by Prashanti de Jager, cofounder of Organic India, about how to maintain and reinvigorate brain health.
An ethnopharmacologist, Ayurvedic practitioner, and teacher, de Jager is a unique and inspiring intellect and spirit, steeped in both Western biological science and in the ancient traditions of herbal medicine, Ayurveda and Yoga.
Here are 8 takeaways from his enlightening presentation—a holistic look at how we can support myriad aspects of cognitive function: intuition and awareness, focus, and memory.
1. The No. 1 cause of “waning wit” is inflammation, or Inflamm-Aging, as de Jager calls it.
2. NF-kB (nuclear factor kappaB) is a critical, tiny protein molecule that supports a healthy response to inflammation and stress, immunity, and more. Natural ways to support NF-kB function include:
Lignans (flaxseed); Polyphenols (resveratrol, ECGC in green tea, quercetin); Flavonoids (anthocyanins in berries); Herbs and spices (curcumin in turmeric, ginger, tulsi, ursolic acid in rosemary, garlic); Colorful fruits and vegetables
3. Five great herbs for Clarity (and sustained energy)
- Bacopa
- Shankhapupushpi
- Centella (Gutu Kola)
- Tulsi
- Lotus
4. Five great herbs for Focus and Acuity
- Tulsi
- Eleuthero
- Trikatu
- Rosemary
- Mints
- Also: Atis and Chai
5. Support your brain (with its high fat content) by adding oils (or seeds and nuts) to smoothies: Flaxseed; Chia; Borage; Hemp; Walnut
6. Ashwagandha may help protect stress-induced neuronal loss in the hippocampus (specifically, its components withanolide A and withanosides IV and VI)
7. Bacopa and Gutu Kola may help optimize nerve function and neurite elongation.
8. Lion’s Mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceous) may help promote nerve growth factor secretion.
To learn more on brain health and other topics, visit Organic India's new Herbal U, where you can take online courses, and if you wish, become a company ambassador and win free product as well as other incentives.
Also check out the archived version of the 1-2-3s of Cognitive Health Webinar (available by end of day Aug. 23, 2012) and educational videos with de Jager at EarthDais1 channel on YouTube.com.
