Page 21 - Florida Sentinel 6-2-17

Health
1. Be a Stickler for Good Oral Health
2. If Possible, Avoid Allergy Drugs and Other Pills Linked to Dementia
Taking care of your teeth and gums also helps protect your brain. Those who reported brush- ing their teeth less than once a day were up to 65 percent more likely to develop dementia compared to people who brushed twice a day.
Gum disease bacteria may find its way to the brain, set- ting off an inflammatory process that causes brain damage, the study author noted.
In addition to brushing your teeth, Ayurvedic practice of oil pulling with coconut oil can also improve oral health. And believe it or not, you can actually reverse cavities natu- rally using diet.
5. Avoid Brain-Damaging Pesticides
3. Beware of Low Vitamin D Levels
4. Sleep in This Brain-Friendly Position
Sleep posi- tions matter. Most people — and wild animals — sleep on their sides. Sleep-
ing on your side could improve one of the brain’s waste-clearing processes, lower- ing the risk for neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
The link between certain types of de- mentia and sleep are well-established, but a recent study took a closer look at how the way you sleep impacts drainage of harmful substances in the brain.
People with severe Vitamin D defi- ciency (less than 10 ng/mL) face a 122 percent increased risk of dementia.
To figure out your baseline vitamin D levels, ask your doctor for a 5-hydroxyvi- tamin D or 25(OH)D blood test. Be sure to get the actual test result number, too.
Your test may come back as “normal” if it’s above 30 ng/mL, but the truth is many functional medicine doc- tors and researchers believe minimum levels of 60 or even 80 ng/mL
are needed to prevent many health problems.
Once you know your levels, you can increase vitamin D, if needed,
by getting sensible sun exposure and working vitamin D-rich foods into your diet. If you need to supplement, make sure it’s with the vi- tamin D3 form, which is more readily available to your body than D2.
Drugs linked to dementia include common allergy and sleep medica- tions, including popular medications like Benadryl, Dramamine, Advil PM and Unison, among others.
These pills are known to have an- ticholinergic effects, something re-
searchers are increasingly linking to dementia.
Learn to use essential oils for allergies could ease your
symptoms.
Peppermint oil acts as a relaxant and exhibits antispas-
modic activity, inhibiting contractions that causes you to cough.
It’s increasingly clear that dementia isn’t solely a genetic issue and that environmental triggers are often present. Such is the case with DDT, the insecticide once thought “safe” but later banned in the 1970s.
Animal and fatty foods con- tain the highest levels of DDT and breakdown products because they’re stored in fat and in-
crease in concentration as they move up the food chain. Also avoid eating nonorganic produce imported from countries that still use DDT and abide by fish advisories if
you fish for food.
To avoid the 12 most pesticide-laced foods, always buy or-
ganic versions of the produce items on the dirty dozen list.
6. Live a Life of Purpose
Living a life full of pur- pose. Find something that makes you happy (volun- teering about something you’re passionate about or learning how to play an in- strument are great exam- ples) and sticking with it can do wonders for your brain.
7. Beware of High Copper Levels in Your Water
You need traces amounts of the heavy metal copper to survive because it’s vital for bone, hormonal and nerve health. Too much of a good thing, though, could be bad for your brain.
Water filters that are NSF-certified under NSF/ANSI 53 for copper re-
duction will reduce copper to below the EPA’s maximum contam- inant level or lower.
FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 2017 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 9-B