Chapter Three

How to Create Long-Lasting Good Health

We’ve all heard that old saying, wise in its simplicity, “You are what you eat.” Perhaps it’s just as true that you are what you don’t eat. What we do and don’t eat, a healthy daily dose of exercise or movement, good sleeping habits, and a positive perspective on life are the golden keys to a high-quality, productive life. Following are a list of natural whole food supplements, herbs, and vitamins that aid in the process of creating radiant well-being.

Superfoods for Well-Being

Superfoods are whole foods that are naturally concentrated with important nutrients. They are nature’s original supplements and may actually be the precursor of the supplement industry. Although supplements — vitamin and mineral pills — have their place and are useful therapeutic agents, superfoods provide whole-spectrum nutrients as only nature can. Most supplements, while useful in the same manner that drugs can be valuable, are generally made from unnatural substances — contrary to what the labels may claim.

Spirulina: The Protein Powerhouse

A tiny aquatic plant, spirulina is a blue-green algae that grows on freshwater ponds. It has been traced to the first forms of plant life on Earth. Respected as an excellent source of nutrition in many cultures for centuries, it only found its way into the American diet a decade or two ago.

Why it’s beneficial. Spirulina is 60 to 70 percent protein by weight. It is considered the highest plant source of usable protein, is rich in B vitamins and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), and is second only to dried whole eggs when compared to animal forms of protein. People often complain about the flavor of spirulina, but let me assure you, it is far better than dried eggs!

How to use. Spirulina is available in tablet and powder form. I recommend the powder for quality and economy, but most people find the “green” taste and appearance overpowering and opt for the tablets. A recommended amount would be six to ten tablets daily. If you use the powder, mix two tablespoons of spirulina into a blender drink, or sprinkle on stir-fries and salads. Though people sometimes balk at the high price, it is quite economical when purchased in bulk. My favorite way to take spirulina is in a drink available through Empowered Herbals (see Resources for more information).

Herbal History

These primitive organisms were among the first life forms. In spirulina, we find three and one-half billion years of life on this planet encoded in their nucleic acids (RNA/DNA). At the same time, algae supplies that fresh burst of primal essence that manifested when life was in its birthing stages.

—Paul Pitchford, Healing with Whole Foods

Fermented Foods

Did your Granny, like mine, have jars of colorful vegetables foaming and fermenting in her pantry? Or leave her milk sitting on the counter to be magically transformed into a fermented milk product like yogurt or kefir? All around the world for thousands of years, people have used various techniques to ferment or “culture” food. Not only is it an excellent technique for preserving food, fermenting substantially increases the nutritional value of food. In the fermenting process, vitamins and minerals increase and a host of beneficial bacteria develop, making good food even better. Prized recipes have been developed for culturing food and passed down through generations. Through fermentation, milk, various grains, and vegetables and fruit are turned into well-known products such sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh, yogurt, crème fraîche, and buttermilk. These foods not only are staples in millions of people’s diets but also are well-known for their positive effects in promoting health and well-being.

During the fermentation process, numerous bacteria or lactobacilli develop. Called friendly flora or probiotics, these healthy gut bacteria, which include L. acidophilus, Bifidobacterium, and Streptococcus, colonize the stomach and colon, improving digestion, assimilation, and elimination. Fermented foods also are essential to a healthy active immune system. People worldwide increase their intake of fermented foods during the autumn and winter months to increase immune health and help ward off colds, flus, and other cold weather maladies. Fermented foods are also recommended during medical treatments for cancer and other immune-suppressing illness to help restore health and vitality. And it’s always recommended following treatments with antibiotics to eat fermented foods as well as probiotic supplements to help restore the healthy bacteria that are indiscriminately destroyed by antibiotics. (It is interesting to note that antibiotic translates as “anti or against life,” while probiotic means “pro or for life.” Fill your body with probiotics — eat fermented food!

Fermented foods also nourish and replenish the nervous system. Many vitamins and minerals, including the B vitamin complex, vitamin C, calcium, and protein — all essential to a healthy functioning immune system — are increased during the fermentation process. Simply by including a small amount of fermented food in your daily diet, you begin to replenish and rebuild a depleted nervous system.

Because fermented/cultured foods are becoming popular again as people rediscover their healthy healing properties and delicious flavors, a wide variety of fermented food is easily found in supermarkets and natural food stores. However, make sure that the products you buy are “raw”, not cooked or pasteurized, as cooking and high heat destroy the living enzymes and bacteria produced by the fermentation process. Better yet, ferment your own food! Making sauerkraut, kimchi, and other pickled vegetables (raw and uncooked) is fun and easy! Or try making your own yogurt and buttermilk. For recipes and further information on fermented foods, two books are excellent resources: The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz and Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.

Flaxseed: Protect Your Heart

Much has been written about flaxseed and flaxseed oil in the past few years, especially since the rise in heart disease and other degenerative diseases.

Why it’s beneficial. Flaxseed is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for keeping the arteries clean, the heart functioning, and the immune system in good health.

How to use. One tablespoon of the oil daily is sufficient. Be certain to buy only cold-pressed oil and store it in the refrigerator. Two to four tablespoons of the ground seeds (they are easily ground in a spice and seed mill or coffee grinder) added to your daily meals not only helps to prevent heart disease and improve your immune health, but will add a beautiful glow to your skin and hair. Their mucilaginous quality aids in digestion and makes them mildly laxative. Flaxseed oil goes rancid quickly, so store seeds in the refrigerator and grind only a few days’ supply at a time.

Seaweed: Treasures from the Sea

There are a number of seaweeds available, harvested off the many coastlines around the world, and though they all have several nutritional factors in common, they vary greatly in flavor and texture. If you try one and don’t like it, don’t dismiss them all.

Why it’s beneficial. Seaweed is our richest source of minerals, providing 10 to 20 times the minerals of land-based plants. They definitely qualify as a superfood, as they contain a wider range and broader spectrum of minerals necessary for human metabolism than any other known organism. They have been used for thousands of years to promote longevity, prevent disease, and impart health to those wise enough to use them.

How to use. The many types of seaweed have distinct flavors and textures that lend themselves to a variety of dishes. My favorites include hiziki, arame, kelp, and dulse. Add seaweed to your meals several times a week in salads, soups, Oriental dishes, and salad dressings. Some seaweeds, like dulse, are just nice to snack on by themselves.

Defend Your Health with Shiitake Mushrooms

The shiitake mushroom is a staple of the traditional Japanese diet, and it has been long used in Asia to enhance the body’s resistance to infection and disease. This mushroom is not only exotically delicious but also easy to grow. You can grow a mushroom log in your basement or under your sink.

Why it’s beneficial. The mushroom contains a polysaccharide complex called lentinan, which has been shown to possess significant immune-enhancing properties. It also stimulates the production of interferon, as well as macrophages and lymphocytes, infection-fighting agents that form the first line of defense against viruses, colds, and other illness.

This fungus also has antitumor properties and is useful in the treatment of ovarian cysts and tumors, and as part of a nutritional therapy for people with cancer. In addition, it lowers blood cholesterol and is good for the heart.

How to use. Include shiitake mushrooms as a food for well-being in your meals several times a week. Shiitakes are best fresh but are fine dried as well. They can be expensive, and unfortunately, what’s available in the supermarket is often not of the best quality. Try your hand at growing them, join a shiitake mushroom club (they’ll deliver the highest-quality mushrooms at the best prices directly to your doorstep), or buy quality dried ones.

Supplements

Supplements will never be a replacement for eating a nutritious, balanced diet, but there are several supplements that are useful in the process of aging gracefully. I recommend and use supplements in much the same way a pharmaceutical preparation might be suggested to someone. When needed, supplements can be helpful in correcting a problem and restoring energy and vitality. But no matter how “natural” the label or the advertisement states a product is, supplements of high-potency vitamins, minerals, and enzymes are not natural; they were not made by nature nor did nature intend for us to take such high-potency substances over long periods of time. Think about it. We have evolved to eat plants and other food-based products with much lower potency levels than vitamin and mineral pills provide.

For short-term remedies and imbalances, vitamins and minerals and other potent supplements have proven to be helpful and can be used to restore and replenish. But for long-term nourishment and dietary needs, depend on a whole food diet to provide the nourishment needed for daily health and maintenance. With that said, there are several excellent supplements that have proven helpful during the elder years. Be sure to follow directions carefully when taking supplements of any kind.

Coenzyme Q10

A naturally occurring substance in human tissue, coenzyme Q 10 is found in many foods including spinach, broccoli, eggs, fish, and meat.

Why it’s beneficial. It is a powerful antioxidant, more powerful even than vitamin E, and helps control free radicals in the system, thus preventing cellular damage and guarding against disease and illness. It has been widely researched in Japan, where it is used as a treatment for heart disease, high blood pressure, and brain disorders, among other things. Coenzyme Q 10 has been found to be effective as a preventive for many of the illnesses associated with aging.

How to use. The suggested daily dose of coenzyme Q 10 is 30 to 80 mg. It’s an expensive supplement; try to buy it wholesale.

Glucosamine Sulfate

Originally used on dogs for hip dysplasia, this naturally occurring substance has become the rage for stiff joints, arthritis, and other bone and joint problems.

Why it’s beneficial. I’ve found glucosamine sulfate to be remarkably effective in many cases. I use it on my beautiful Bernese mountain dog for her stiff joints and as a preventive for hip dysplasia. I take it myself for joints that have stiffened up at those points where bones have been broken over the years — each with a tale to tell. Glucosamine enhances cartilage regeneration.

How to use. This supplement can be used continuously, with increased dosages during uncomfortable times. The suggested daily dose is 500 mg twice a day, and up to 2,000 mg daily if you’re in pain.

Vitamin E

These days, most people are familiar with vitamin E because of its inclusion in many skin care and beauty products. It’s true that this vitamin has the ability to help heal wounds and lessen scar formation, but vitamin E is important for its antioxidant actions as well.

Why it’s beneficial. A powerful antioxidant, vitamin E guards against fat and cell membrane degeneration and protects the sheath surrounding each cell. It is a natural anticoagulant and helps guard against heart attacks and strokes. For people on heart medication, however, it is best to consult with your doctor before taking it. It oxygenates the blood and helps with fatigue and oxygen-deprived red blood cells.

How to use. The suggested dose of vitamin E is 200 to 400 IU daily. If you are on heart medication, check with a holistic practitioner before taking this supplement.

Vitamin D

The sunshine vitamin does as much for our mood as it does for our bones. Vitamin D is most well known for its role in maintaining blood levels of calcium and keeping our bones and skeletal system strong and healthy. But increasingly, studies are showing that it’s essential for the health of our entire system. Our immunity, heart health, and certainly our nervous system all respond to the amounts of vitamin D stored in our body. A fat-soluble vitamin, vitamin D is found in some food sources such as egg yolk, cod liver oil, and milk and butter from pasture-raised cows, but most of our vitamin D is naturally synthesized from exposure to sunlight. Much like the plants stretch their leaves skyward and get food directly from the sun, we synthesize vitamin D when we stand in the sunlight. Perhaps it’s the amount of sunscreen that people use to protect themselves from the sun that has caused the vitamin D deficiencies that are seen today, or less time spent outdoors? It is estimated that one in seven adults is vitamin D deficient and approximately 40 to 50 percent of hospital patients under the age of 65 have low levels of vitamin D.

Why it’s beneficial. Vitamin D supplementation has been very helpful for many people experiencing depression, mood swings, SAD (seasonal affective disorder), and/or PMS. In northern climates where SAD is an issue due to decreased light in the winter, vitamin D supplements are recommended to help lessen the effects of light deprivation.

How to use. Vitamin D supplements are typically available in two forms: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D2 doesn’t occur in the human body and is difficult to assimilate. Vitamin D3 is the form that our bodies naturally produce and is easier to assimilate. Dosage varies and is dependent on the amount of sun exposure one gets daily. Also, many dairy products and other food items have been fortified with vitamin D, which also has to be considered when determining individual doses. It’s generally better to start with lower dosages and increase as needed.

While everyone agrees that vitamin D is essential to health, expert opinions vary and no one seems to agree on what the correct dose of vitamin D should be. Doses vary from a low of 200 IU (hardly sufficient unless you’re out in the sunlight a lot) to 800 IU and upward. But too much of anything can be as harmful as too little. Excess vitamin D in the body can be problematic. Start with a low or moderate dose (follow recommended guidelines that come with the product). If increased amounts are called for, work with a health care professional to determine the correct amount of vitamin D you need. Blood work for vitamin D is simple and fairly inexpensive. And remember, sunlight is the best source — 15 to 20 minutes a day will give you all the vitamin D needed to sustain you. And if you’re depressed or stressed, that 15 minutes of sunshine will not only help ensure adequate amounts of vitamin D needed for a healthy nervous system, but also lift your spirits.

Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)

Another nutrient that has been used to treat depression, anxiety, and stress disorders, omega-3 fatty acids are a group of three fats: ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which is found in some plants (hemp seed, flaxseed, sea buckthorn berries), and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), both commonly found in fatty cold-water fish and also in algae. ALA, DHA, and EPA are considered essential fatty acids because they are not produced in the body but need to be obtained from outside sources, and also they are needed by the body to function normally.

Why it’s beneficial. Vital for normal metabolism, omega-3 EFAs are not only essential for a healthy nervous system but also contain important anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce inflammation in the blood vessels, joints, and heart. There is some evidence that suggests a diet rich in omega-3s reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes, but recent studies are controversial. The issue here is not that omega-3s are not heart protective, but that the source (where our EFAs are coming from) is paramount. Eating whole foods rich in omega-3s is going to be more effective than taking a supplement, no matter how good the quality or high the dose. Our bodies were designed to obtain nutrients from food sources. In a marvelous and complex manner that we’ve hardly begun to understand, we assimilate, synthesize, and reorganize complex compounds into substances that we can recognize and utilize. Supplements come in handy and in their most potent forms can help to right or correct imbalances, but for the long term, depend on whole foods for the correct amount of omega-3s. The controversy stems around the effectiveness and safety of supplemental forms of omega-3s, not whether these substances are healthy for us.

How to use. Though most research on omega-3s concentrates on the anti-inflammatory properties and cardiovascular health, many people with depression and anxiety-related disorders have found that supplementing with omega-3 EFAs has helped reduce the symptoms and correct underlying issues. Dosage varies from 500 mg to 2,000 mg daily. My friend and fellow herbalist Thomas Easley tells his clients to eat one pound of fatty cold-water fish each week (sardines, wild salmon, and tuna). Cod liver oil is another effective way to get your omega-3s as well as fat-soluble vitamins D and A. It’s best to mix omega-3s and to include fish and plant sources. If you’re a strict vegetarian, in spite of what people tell you, you can get adequate amounts of omega-3s from plant oils, but use several different plants and rotate your sources. Algae and seaweed are great sources, as are flaxseeds, hemp seed, and sea buckthorn berries.

Warning: Some studies suggest that omega-3 supplements (EPA/DHA) may cause the blood to thin and cause excess bleeding, particularly in people taking anticoagulant drugs.

Lutein

If your eyes are getting worse with age (and most people’s do) there are three things that seem to strengthen the eyes and reverse their aging process: bilberry (see chapter 2), eye exercises (check with your eye doctor for suggestions), and lutein supplements.

Why it’s beneficial. A member of the carotenoid group, lutein strengthens the eyes, helps repair vision, and is especially useful as a preventive for macular degeneration.

How to use. The suggested dosage for lutein supplements is 6 mg daily. You could eat several servings of kale and spinach a week; both have high amounts of lutein and are much tastier and less expensive alternatives to supplements.

Creating Enduring Energy and Stamina

Are you tired all the time? Have a hard time starting your day? Can’t get out of bed? Before investing in expensive vitamins and minerals or energy supplements, before taking herbs even, try this simple prescription: For the next two weeks get at least six to eight solid hours of uninterrupted sleep. If sleeping soundly is difficult for you due to stress or anxiety, you might wish to use a tincture combination of valerian and hops, or a combination of passionflower, hops, and skullcap, just before bed to ensure a sound sleep. Skullcap can also help you turn your brain off at night. You may just find that the reason behind your exhaustion and mental depression is lack of sleep and not enough dream time, and that the magical elixir is just a healthy dose of ZZZs. It’s simple enough to try, costs nothing, and is certainly worth the effort.

Refilling the Energy Reserves

Most people in our culture are content with quick bursts of energy that often leave them feeling more strained and depleted. When younger, the body has remarkable abilities to call on its energy sources at any given moment. There is little thought of replenishing or restoring the energy used. However, as we grow older, those bursts of quick energy begin to take their toll, and our internal energy reserves often seem drained. People become “addicted” to substances and activities that give them a quick pick-me-up and often depend on stimulants to get them out of bed and going in the morning. Not good, especially if longevity and radiant well-being are what you strive for.

We don’t have to drain those energy reserves if we remember to restore and replenish the resources we use. (Sounds like an environmental lesson, doesn’t it?) The steps are simple, but challenging for most people to follow:

Step 1. Eliminate or cut back on your daily need for stimulants, especially coffee. Coffee is high in a variety of alkaloids that are very draining to the system. Caffeine, in particular, has a very negative impact on the adrenal glands and endocrine system if used over a period of time. Symptoms of adrenal exhaustion are almost identical to what some women consider the symptoms of menopause: depression, anxiety, insomnia or the need to sleep all the time, and extreme fatigue. Usually, what women are experiencing is brought on not by menopause but by adrenal exhaustion from too many high-powered stimulants and too much stress. Men go through this period of life, too, and often experience fatigue, exhaustion, and depression. This adrenal exhaustion is often brought on by an overactive lifestyle and an excess of stimulants (coffee, soft drinks, and sugar).

An occasional cup of coffee can be a wonderfully uplifting and stimulating experience. Daily consumption, especially after you reach the midlife years, can have a very detrimental effect on overall energy and vitality and will drain, not restore, your energy reserves.

Step 2. Take daily those herbs that have a reputation for restoring and replenishing energy. Consider herbs such as Siberian ginseng, fo-ti, goji, rhodiola, ashwagandha, ginkgo, gotu kola, licorice, nettle, oats, dandelion, and burdock. All will build and restore energy if used over a period of time.

Step 3. Work on strengthening your nervous system. Often people are depleted and worn out because the central nervous system is so overtaxed. By using herbs that strengthen and nourish the nervous system, such as ashwagandha, oats, nettle, and Siberian ginseng, you begin to experience a sense of calm relaxation. It is when you reside in the center of calmness that tremendous energy is available. It is in this center that the chi or life force is stored.

Achieving Balance through Chi

Chi (pronounced chee) is a Chinese term meaning, essentially, life force. It is the energy that activates all other energy, the form behind the form. All manifestation of life is a result of this invisible energy. When the term is used to describe the energy in the body, we are referring to the vital energy that flows through the body. When we are in a state of mental and spiritual balance, the internal organs reflect this balance and disease cannot enter. But when the chi, which nourishes the organs, is out of balance, then the internal organs are vulnerable, and disease can enter.

Revitalizing Herbs and Supplements for the Body

This is a quick look at the herbs and supplements that are used to maintain the health and vitality of the body. Use these herbs on a regular basis for best effect. Most of these herbs are described in detail in chapter 2.

Body Part or System

Herb or Supplement

Blood

astragalus, burdock, dandelion

Bones

astragalus, oats, nettle

Brain

ginkgo, gotu kola, rhodiola

Eyes

bilberry, blueberry, lutein

Heart (cardiovascular system)

ginkgo, hawthorn, garlic, cayenne

Kidneys

dandelion leaf, nettle, oats

Liver

dandelion root, burdock root

Muscles

fo-ti, glucosamine sulfate

Nerves

oats, nettle, ginseng, ashwagandha

Nervous system (endurance and stamina)

ginseng, Siberian ginseng, fo-ti, ashwagandha, oats

Spirit

flower essences, kava-kava, rhodiola, holy basil, gotu kola

Treating Caffeine Withdrawal

If you are used to the daily consumption of high-powered stimulants like caffeine, it will take a while for your nervous system to adjust. Feelings of exhaustion, depression, and headaches — symptoms of withdrawal — are often experienced for a few days to a few weeks. But if you stick with it, you will be rewarded by a sense of renewed vitality and well-being. Here are some tricks to ease you through the transition.

For exhaustion, try substituting rhodiola, green tea (a powerful antioxidant), or chai (formulated with a small amount of black or green tea) to help with the feeling of exhaustion that so often accompanies caffeine withdrawal.

For depression, try St. John’s wort. Known as the “sunshine herb,” it elevates the spirits and often alleviates depression. The suggested dose is two capsules three times daily or 1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon of the tincture three times daily.

For headaches, a feverfew-lavender tincture taken at the first signs will help with prevention; take a valerian-hops tincture for the pain. A relaxing lavender bath, along with hot foot soaks and shoulder rubs, will help get you through those headachy first three days of caffeine withdrawal.

For gradual withdrawal, if you are having a particularly challenging time giving up caffeine and experience extreme fatigue and/or headaches, add 1 teaspoon of guayusa or 1⁄2 teaspoon of guarana to the Dandelion Mocha Herbal Beverage recipe and slowly wean from them by decreasing week by week.

Guayusa is rich in polyphenols, flavonoids, and L-theanine, chemical constituents that help calm the nervous system and contribute to cardiovascular well-being. As with all plants rich in caffeine, guayusa use should be moderate. Don’t overdo it! Served as a morning tea (brew 1 teaspoon of guayusa leaf in 1 cup of boiled water for 10 to 15 minutes), guayusa will help sustain energy throughout the day while calming and fortifying the nervous system. At the same time, it can be used to cut back on the daily consumption of coffee, which has a stronger, more depleting effect on the nervous system.

Guayusa, a native tree whose leaves indigenous people in the Ecuadorian Amazon have brewed like tea and used for energy for thousands of years, is an excellent herb to use when transitioning from coffee. While it has almost as much caffeine per cup of coffee — with twice the amount of antioxidants as green tea — it is not as jolting to the endocrine system or depleting to the nervous system. In fact, most people who use guayusa find it gives clear, focused energy. In traditional Amazon tribes, guayusa is considered a “plant teacher” and is used in shamanic practice as a dreaming herb to help users recall their dreams. It is also used to conquer fear and maintain poise and presence through difficult situations.

Herbal History

The root of fo-ti “is said to have mysterious properties. . . . If taken for some time, one becomes an earthly immortal. Wonderful restorative and reviving powers are ascribed to the ordinary root.”

— Li Chih Shen, a Ming Dynasty herbalist

Dandelion Mocha Herbal Beverage

My friend, herbalist Kami McBride, makes this wonderfully delicious Dandelion Mocha Herbal Beverage to help people cut back on coffee consumption.

Ingredients

Instructions

Make a tea from the water, dandelion root, and cocoa nibs. Steep 30–45 minutes. Strain. Add the remaining ingredients and reheat to desired temperature. For deeper nerve relaxation, add 1 tablespoon ashwagandha to the tea formula.

Dandelion

Feed Your Brain

Because of the ravaging effects of Alzheimer’s disease, there is often fear among the elderly every time they forget something. Children forget, too, to put their clothes on, where they left their jackets and shoes, and what time bedtime is — even though it’s been the same time every night for several years. Teenagers are notorious for forgetting everything they don’t want to remember.

I’ve noticed that as we grow older, there is a resistance to remembering certain details and facts, a selective memory process, and I wonder if this isn’t a natural process meant to draw us into ourselves, away from the mundane, into the inner journey of knowing. Perhaps our inner clock is telling us it’s time to forget those details that seem so important to the world but are hardly worth thinking about, and to get on to the more important quests of life.

Brain Overload!

We have about 2,000 thought processes occurring every minute. 99.9 percent are from yesterday or the day before. Your brain may be on overload.

— Virender Sodhi, M.D., Ayurvedic physician

Improving Your Mental Acuity

In any instance, no matter what you choose to contemplate, it is important to have a mind that’s sharp and clear. The one thing that clears the mind like magic is peace and calm. Even the most confused states of mind are relieved by a few days by a quiet lake, a hike in the great outdoors, a walk on the beach, or a journey into an old-growth forest. If these are not feasible, meditation and yoga provide a similar calming and peaceful experience.

For long-term mental acuity, the following herbs are extremely beneficial and should be used on a regular basis by anyone who finds themselves frequently in “brain fog.”

Dosage for Herbal Brain Treatments

All of the herbal brain nutrients must be used over a period of several weeks or months to be effective. I generally suggest taking herbs on a rotational basis: five days on, rest for two, then repeat this cycle for up to three months. Rest for three to four weeks, then repeat the cycle again. Here are the common adult dosages:

Capsules

Tincture/Extract

Tea

3 capsules 2 times daily

1⁄2–1 teaspoon 2–3 times daily

1 cup 3 times daily

Ginkgo. One of the best substances to take for brain function is ginkgo. It has been used for several thousand years and has been subjected to much testing in modern times. Most people will notice a marked improvement, but it must be taken over an extended period of time (at least 4 to 6 weeks) to be effective. Ginkgo increases cerebral blood flow, is a powerful antioxidant, and increases short- and long-term memory. Recent studies confirm that it does slow cognitive decline in patients with early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Herb Tip

You’ll often find standardized ginkgo products on the market. They are very effective for Alzheimer’s disease and I would recommend the standardized products as well as tea and whole-plant tincture. However, for most other problems, it is not necessary to use ginkgo in standardized preparations for it to be effective. Instead, use products made from the whole leaves of the ginkgo plant.

Gotu kola. This is the most noted herb in Ayurvedic medicine, the ancient healing art of India, for brain function. It is also used extensively in China for memory and mental acuity. It is used specifically for brains that are stressed by deadlines and intense intellectual activity.

Ginseng. All varieties of ginseng are longtime brain rejuvenators that increase cognitive function. They are especially useful for brain fatigue, when one just can’t think anymore. Ginseng is restorative and tonic in action.

Ashwagandha. This herb contains alkaloids and steroidal lactones that relax the central nervous system, as well as concentrations of several key amino acids that bolster the brain’s natural supplies. Ashwagandha has a long reputation for clearing the mind, calming the nervous system, and promoting deep sleep.

A Warning on “Smart Drugs”

Along with the herbs used for improving cognitive powers, there are a host of trendy “smart drugs,” both synthetic and natural, sweeping the country. Substances such as acetyl-L-carnitine (transports fatty acids into the energy-generating mitochondria in cells), DMAE (crucial to the production of acetylcholine, a major brain neurotransmitter), DHA (a polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid crucial for communication between neurons), phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine (important for the flexibility of brain-cell membranes) are found in every health food store and are hot market items.

A Caution on Using Asian Herbs

When using herbs from China and India it is important, and sobering, to remember that many of these plants are treated with sulfates and other harsh chemicals both in the growing process and in transport. Do not be merely content with a company that tells you their imported Asian herbs are untreated. Rather, ask what the company’s policy regarding chemical exposure is, and what their wildcrafting standards are. Find out how they treat the farmers that grow for them. In this way, we all help one another to become responsible.

Though some of these brain nutrients look promising, little is known about them or their long-term effects on the brain. Accolades are high, mainly from the companies that market them, but research to substantiate the claims is lacking. These “brain nutrients” may be useful for corrective procedures such as “brain fog,” depression (check with your doctor first), early-onset Alzheimer’s, or mental exhaustion, but for long-term brain maintenance and memory function, I would certainly recommend the herbs that have been tested and used for hundreds of years. For information on brain nutrients, see Dr. Ward Dean’s Smart Drugs and Nutrients, Smart Drugs II by Steven Fowkes, and Brain Longevity by Dharma Singh Khalsa.