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Showing posts with label reduce stroke risk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reduce stroke risk. Show all posts

Monday, August 08, 2011

Beat the Brain Drain

I clearly recall back in the late 60s when I was taking college courses in nursing that one of the best things to help your brain recover better if you experience a stroke is to use you non-dominant hand for every day activities. Writing was one.  This is one thing I practice often.

This too can be an exercise that veterans who have had TBI can practice to overcome the problems they have to deal with daily.  It can help PTSD and aphasia too.

Now here's that suggestion again, 42 years later.
Use your non-dominant hand: If you’re right-handed, use your left hand to eat, comb your hair, brush your teeth, write your name, or try putting your mouse pad on the other side of the keyboard. This practice of non-dominant hand use stimulates communication between the two hemispheres of the brain, helping to improve mental capacity as well as physical balance. Another idea: tai chi and yoga are physical activities that coach people to use the right and left side of the body equally. 

from   Easy Exercises to Keep Your Brain in Shape

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Confusing you on purpose

B Complex vitamins do reduce heart risks, although a recent report opposes benefits -
A study published by the American Journal of Cardiology last month finds that cardiovascular patients with high homocysteine levels (above 15µmol/l) treated with B vitamins cut their risk of death by a quarter over ten years.

Among those not given B vitamins 32% had died, compared to only 4% of those given high dose vitamins. Homocysteine is now a proven marker for cardiovascular disease risk. For example, a recent meta-analysis concludes “each increase of 5 μmol/L in homocysteine levels increases the risk of CHD events by approximately 20%, independently of traditional CHD risk factors“. Lowering homocysteine levels with B vitamins has also been shown to reduce stroke risk.

Vitamin B12 is also a well established nutrient to help the fight against dementia.

Heart Disease: B-vitamin Pills Have No Effect, Review Finds

ScienceDaily (2009-10-20) -- B-vitamin supplements should not be recommended for prevention of heart disease, say scientists. A new review has shown these supplements do not reduce the risk of developing or dying from the disease. ... > read full article