It is possible to naturally boost and/or to stabilize the brain's levels of various neurotransmitters without getting caught up in the pharmaceutical drug culture. One method of improving the mood, which works for many, is to provide additional quantities of the nutritional building blocks of the major neurotransmitters.

The quality of both mental and emotional functioning is highly dependent upon special messengers in the brain called neurotransmitters. These chemicals carry the signals between nerve cells. The most important brain messengers are serotonin, acetylcholine, norepinephrine and dopamine. (Antidepressant drugs strongly manipulate the levels of one or more of these neurotransmitters, generally with a plethora of side effects.)

Optimizing brain function and preventing cognitive decline is best accomplished if all of the major causes of suboptimal performance are addressed as a group. The brain is amongst the organs which are least capable of self-repair, so it is very important to prevent the damage caused by pro-oxidants and free radicals. Similarly, the brain is the most dependent of all bodily tissues upon stable sources of glucose (blood sugar), and therefore requires special attention to its ability to process energy. Again, as an organ which has as its primary role special "switching" and "signaling" operations, the brain requires that the neuronal membranes properly regulate excitability and osmolarity. All of this can be accomplished without overt stimulation which sometimes happens when too much of certain "smart" nutrients are supplemented.

CDP-CHOLINE & PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE (PC)

CDP Choline (cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine, also called citicoline) is a donor of choline for use in the synthesis of phosphatidyl-choline and the neurotransmitter actetylcholine in the brain. Experiments have shown that there is a reactivation of brain mitochondrial ATPases and the Na+/K+ ATPases when this compound is employed. There may be improvements in the regulation of blood flow and neuroimmune responses in the brain, as well. The compound has been tested extensively in clinical trials in the areas of memory, verbal memory, recall, recognition, cognitive abilities, recovery from brain injury, ischemic stroke and cerebrovascular disease.

CDP Choline consists of cytidine and choline. It is almost completely absorbed and almost as bioavailable when given orally as when given by injection. Once CDP Choline enters the system, it is broken into its component parts and these readily cross into the brain and the central nervous system. Both components are incorporated into the phospholipid fraction of the membrane and microsomes. CDP-choline activates the biosynthesis of structural phospholipids in the neuronal membranes, increases cerebral metabolism and acts on the levels of various neurotransmitters. Increased levels of phosphatidylcholine, noradrenaline, acetylcholine and dopamine have been demonstrated in animal trials with the administration of CDP Choline. NeuroOptimizer(TM) includes preformed phosphatidylcholine to take advantage of yet other possible pathways of supplementation.

PHOSPHATIDYLSERINE (PS)

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a phospholipid. As is also true of cholesterol, the phospholipids are the principal components of all cell membranes. PS is most concentrated in the cells of the brain and nerves. PS promotes the stability and the integrity of the cellular membrane and it promotes the ability of cells to maintain that internal balance known as homeostasis. Nerve cells are particularly dependent upon the actions of the enzymes known as the ATPase's. Fully 70% of the energy used by the brain and nerve cells may be required simply to maintain the sodium/potassium and the calcium/magnesium balances within these cells. The enzymatic "pumps" literally operate all the time. With age, the activity of these pumps declines, as does nerve function. PS reverses this decline to a certain extent, thus returning membrane functions to a point which more closely resembles that of youth. In this regard, PS works especially well in conjunction with CDP Choline.

PS promotes the functioning of special receptors, which line the membranes of cells, and it facilitates cell-to-cell communication. PS in animal studies also has shown this ability to induce the production of a number of neurotransmitters and/or to prevent their age-related decline. These studies help to explain the clinical effects found in humans. PS stimulates acetylcholine output and the synthesis and release of dopamine. Of special interest, tests of the electrical signal strength associated with memory function indicated that PS reversed the loss of signal, which marks memory decline. Human trials have demonstrated memory improvement, improvements in lucidity, in outlook upon life, and in the general ability to cope with the concerns of the day and to function socially.

PS provides five special benefits: it activates cell-to-cell communication, it stabilizes the inner environment of the cell, it helps to regulate cell growth, it improves the functioning of the special receptors found on cells, and it prepares cells for activity.

ACETYL-L-CARNITINE (ALC)

Acetyl-L-carnitine is the acetylated form of the amino acid L-carnitine and is involved in many metabolic functions. As an antioxidant, ALC can protect brain neurons from the damage caused by superoxide radicals. ALC is involved in many other aspects of neuronal metabolism and structurally resembles the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. It supports energy production through its effects upon the metabolism of fatty acids by the mitochondria.

L-GLUTAMINE

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body and is a precursor to the neurotransmitters glutamic acid and gamma amino butyric acid (GABA). It can serve as a precursor to the production of glycogen by the body and may help to stabilize energy levels. In clinical trials using glutamine, the subjects taking this amino acid showed improved brain electrical energy patterns when compared with controls.

ALPHA LIPOICACID (ALA)

Also known as thioctic acid, alpha-lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant and a cofactor in the body's production of energy. It has vitamin-like roles in the body and augment the actions of the hormone insulin. Alpha-Lipoic acid is a cofactor in the multienzyme complex which catalyzes the last stage of the process called glycolysis. Glycolysis is the first step in converting blood sugar (glucose), which is obtained from carbohydrates and proteins, into energy in a form which the body can use. ALA has been shown to produce improvements in energy metabolism in the brain.

TAURINE

This sulfur-containing amino acid has numerous diverse biological functions, which include regulating cell growth, stabilizing cell membranes, acting as a minor insulin mimic and improving neurotransmission. It also serves as an antioxidant and helps to regulate the concentration of ions within cells.

Jarrow Formulas Neuro Optimizer™ contains the ingredients listed in this article.

REFERENCES

Kidd, Paris M. Phosphatidylserine (PS): A Remarkable Brain Cell Nutrient. (Decatur, Illinois: Lucas Myer, Inc., 1995) 13-14.

Toffano, G. "The therapeutic value of phosphatidylserine effect in aging brain" in Lecithin: Technological, Biological, and Therapeutic Agents , ed. I Hanin and G. B. Ansell. (New York: Plenum Press, 1987) 137-146.

Jacob S, et al. "Enhancement of glucose disposal in patients with type 2 diabetes by alpha -lipoic acid," Arzneimittel-Forschung 1995:45:872-874.

Barbiroli B, et al. "Lipoic (thioctic acid) increases brain energy availability and skeletal muscle performance as shown by in vivo 31P-MRS in a patient with mitochondrial cytopathy," Journal of Neurology 1995;242:472-477.

Roth E., et al. "Glutamine: An Anabolic Effector," Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 1995;14:1305-1365.

Shabert J, Nancy Ehrlich N. The Ultimate Nutrient, Glutamine: The Essential Nonessential Amino Acid. (New York: Avery Publishing Group, 1994.)

Secades JJ, Frontera G. "CDP-choline: pharmacological and clinical review," Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol 1995 Oct;17 Suppl B:2-54.