Glutamate Activity in the Brain

[Adam]

theres an interesting article from UCI about Ampakine, which apparently in their studies actually can reverse brain aging. The link the the article is below. According to the wikipedia article on Ampakine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ampakines), Ampakine basically does this through boosting the activity of the neurotransmitter Glutamate. I'm kind of tired atm, so I may not have looked hard enough, but I couldn't find anything on boosting the activity of Glutamate in your brain naturally.

Does anyone here happen to know anything about Glutamate as a neurotransmitter? (Please excuse if I overlooked some blatantly obvious stuff, i'm half asleep as i'm typing this).

http://today.uci.edu/news/release_detail.asp?key=1509



--Adam

[RRM]

Aging is not about a lack of Ampakine.
Aging 'in the brain' is about receptors for neurotransmitters getting blocked and destroyed, decreasing neurotransmitter acitivity. This is not at all reversed by stimulating the activity of that specific neurotransmitter, as that is only a symptom.
The key is in preventing the blocking and destruction of those receptors.
http://www.youngerthanyourage.com/13/brain.htm

[Adam]

Thanks RRM,

I have another question about a different unrelated study, this one regards apples, and their antioxidative properties.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/ ... 080106.php

http://www.j-alz.com/issues/9/vol9-3.html (printing of study in the journal of Alzheimers)

While the study is in regards to Alzheimers, it attributes the improved acetylcholine to the unique blend of antioxidants found inside the apple.

My question is, do most fruits containing antioxidants improve acetylcholine production, or just apples?


I found http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/supplem ... idants.htm

which has a list of the fruits highest in antioxidants and apples are not on the list.

Blueberries however are, and while I found plenty of information regarding the benefits of blueberries, improves acetylcholine production isn't among them.

I checked the brain article and a couple of others on waisays.com, but could not find anything about fruit antioxidants increasing acetylcholine production, only about bad foods reducing it.


Thanks,

--Adam

[RRM]

My question is, do most fruits containing antioxidants improve acetylcholine production, or just apples?

Many fruits, but you dont need them to 'improve your acetylcholine production' at all. Without exogenous antioxidants your acetycholine metabolism is perfect, except when its messed up by the toxins from bad foods.
Our body is perfectly designed. Its us who mess it up.
(except for rare genetic diseases, transmitted diseases etc)
We dont need anything to 'improve it'.
All we need to do, is to minimize damage done by bad compounds.

I found http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/supplem ... idants.htm

which has a list of the fruits highest in antioxidants and apples are not on the list.

Antioxidants are compounds that easily react with oxidants.
Its not that oxidants are bad and antioxidants are good. In the body they actually need to be in balance because too much antioxidants would inhibit processes involving oxidants, which is virtually everything.
See "Anti-oxidants" on http://www.youngerthanyourage.com/13/cancer.htm