NOURISHMENT FOR YOUR BRAIN

[The following is excerpted from the Conscious Rasta Report entitled "FOOD: It's About Survival!" I highly recommend this book to everyone I meet ($5.00 plus postage from the Conscious Rasta Press.]

There have been numerous studies that have demonstrated the beneficial affects of four herbs on the mental processes:

· Ginko – has achieved widespread acclaim for reversing “decreased mental capacity due to a physical disability or advancing years”, increasing oxygen to the brain, delaying the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, “making people over age 60 feel more alert, attentive, sociable and less moody after just one to two months”, improving immediate short-term memory, attention span and quickening perception.  In increased doses of 600 milligrams, the effects of Ginko are said to be quick-acting.

· Panax Ginseng – another favorite brain herb contains compounds called ginsenosides that increase the brain’s neurotransmitter activity along with synthesis of protein.  This popular herb is said to improve concentration and intellectual performance, therefore decreasing mistakes along with increasing reading speed.

· Siberian Ginseng – this cousin of Panax Ginseng has reported the same effects along with certain other beneficial results when given to patients diagnosed as senile or suffering mental disorders from atherosclerosis.  This herb is also recommended for women suffering symptoms of pre-menopause and menopause. Benefits are said to include balancing hormone production in the adrenal glands, thus easing hormone-induced stress, along with relieving the fatigue and irritability of menopause.

· Gotu Kola – this popular herb from India has widespread acclaim for its ability to have “energized and preserved the brain cells of anyone who took it”.  Clinical studies have showed that those who took gotu kola scored higher on standardized intelligence tests.  Additional beneficial claims for this herb have included improved behavioral patterns for “mentally challenged children”, increased mental alertness as well as feelings of relaxation and calmness.

In addition, studies have show that vitamin B6 can affect seratonin levels in the brains of children, providing a more desirable alternative to the Ritalin which is currently being prescribed to hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren and young adults who have been mis-labeled as attention deficit disorder (ADD), hyperactivity and other dubious diagnoses of learning disabilities.