Not So Random Thoughts

If you suffer from brain fuzzies, forgetfulness, and a lack of concentration, and you’re in the menopause, the good news is that you don’t have to reach for hormone replacement therapy yet. Whilst the protective effects of estrogen on the brain have been documented, so have the risks, and for this very good reason, many women opt to go through menopause without taking any additional hormones. In fact, many experts advise women against going on hormone replacement therapy just for its’ memory enhancing effects. They cite the risks, and the lack of conclusive evidence that HRT prevents Alzheimer’s, in saying that is not, in and of itself, a reason to start hormone replacement therapy.

The good news is that in terms of memory, there are other hormones that have a vital influence, and you can do something about influencing these hormones with your diet and habits. The hormone in question is insulin. It is involved with regulating the body’s blood sugar levels. The blood sugar levels of the body are important in memory because our brains use glucose for energy. Without the energy to function - and for the brain, this is having enough glucose available - we can’t learn or remember.

And because our brain doesn’t make or store glucose, it relies on the presence of glucose in the body. And insulin is involved in regulating that.

But insulin does more than simply provide the brain with glucose. It affects memory and learning in other ways. Researchers believe that it produces a neurotransmitter involved in memory, acetylcholine, as a by-product. It also makes new connections in the hippocampus, which is involved in the creation of new memories about events you experience. Insulin also helps increase levels of norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter involved in attention and the ability to focus. Additionally, insulin opposes the effects of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol interferes with our ability for memory recall when we are under prolonged stress.

People with insulin resistance, such as those with metabolic syndrome, or type 2 diabetes, which is also associated with aging, can have these processes affected. When you are insulin resistant, your body produces increasing amounts of insulin to try and get the normal effect insulin has in the body. It’s not unlike a drug addict who has built up a tolerance to their drug of choice. Gradually, the body becomes less and less responsive to it, so more is needed for the ‘hit’. Thus with insulin, if you have too much circulating in your body, it becomes less sensitive to it, and so its’ effects are reduced.

To make matters worse, high levels of insulin in the body create correspondingly high levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. And in large amounts, cortisol is bad for the functioning of memory.

What Can You Do About It?

Exercising, three times a week, for about 20 minutes, really improves the way your body handles glucose, and has a protective effect against insulin resistance. Aerobic activity and other forms of exercise can help resensitize the body to insulin, and thus improve your memory.

Pay attention to your diet. Eating foods rich in fat, and refined sugars, contributes to the potential for insulin resistance. Eating foods high in fiber, and complex carbohydrates (not pasta!), is a much better choice.
Reference: The Hormone Connection by Maleskey & Kittel

Tags: Menopause by tiskey
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One of the potential issues facing women who have gone through menopause, is the loss of some of the protective effects estrogen has on the body. The protective effects of estrogen on the bones and heart are more well known than the beneficial effects of estrogen on the brain. For example, estrogen helps in the growth of cells called glial cells, which provide energy to the brain by acting as an intermediary between our neurons and the blood supply. These glial cells also affect the neurons themselves. During the development of the fetus, infancy, puberty, and pregnancy, estrogen encourages our neurons to grow more dendritic spines, which improve the way we process information by creating more connections for processing it.

Estrogen’s effects on the workings of the brain aren’t just limited to these phases however. Estrogen also affects parts of the brain that are involved with learning and memory. It does this by making more effective the activity of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and acetylcholine. Acetylcholine helps us learn, remember information, and concentrate. Norepinephrine increases the flow of blood to our brain and helps make us more alert. And norepinephrine produces another neurotransmitter called dopamine. Dopamine is involved with our ability to remember faces, facts, and events, amongst other things.

Of more serious implications, is the effect estrogen has on preventing the formation of beta amyloid plaques. These so-called ‘dead spots’ are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Estrogen can also act as an antioxidant in the brain, and prevent inflammation.

The marked reduction in estrogen in the body during menopause can result in the pre-menopause symptoms like forgetfulness, lack of concentration, mental fuzziness, and using the wrong words in conversation.

To alleviate some of these symptoms, many women choose to go on HRT therapy. Hormone replacement therapy seeks to mitigate the loss of estrogen by supplying either bio-identical hormones or synthetic hormones to a woman, according to individual hormonal needs. In relation to the effects of estrogen on the brain, a study conducted at the US National Institute on Aging found some interesting differences between the brains of post-menopausal women on estrogen therapy, and those who did not receive it.

The researchers actually found that women on estrogen therapy aged differently. They had more blood flow to their brains in the areas that involved memory. Whether or not this translates into a protective effect with Alzheimer’s is another question. That has not been established, and women must take into account some of the other risks associated with hormone therapy.

Tags: Menopause by tiskey
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