You may be doubtful that reversing cognitive decline and dementia is even possible.
I used to be too.
But I want to point you to an amazing study published in the Aging Journal.
Read moreA Powerful Protocol Proven to Help Reverse Brain Damage
I’ve been reading a lot about brain damage and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in retired NFL football players lately.
While doing so, I came across an interesting study by Dr. Daniel Amen, MD, titled “Reversing brain damage in former NFL players: implications for traumatic brain injury and substance abuse rehabilitation.”
In the study, thirty retired NFL players who had brain damage and cognitive dysfunction followed a brain-healthy protocol (which I outline below in this post).
After following the protocol for six months, the former NFL players had increased blood flow to the brain and significant increases in performance.
Neuropsychological testing showed that they had significant improvements in attention, memory, reasoning, and information processing.
The NFL players themselves also self-reported subjective increases in memory, attention, mood, motivation, and sleep.
It just so happens that a lot of the supplements and therapies used in this protocol have also improved my mental health and supported my brain after suffering multiple concussions, living in a moldy home, and experiencing neurotoxicity.
“We demonstrated that even if you have been bad to your brain, on the right program you can often reverse the damage and improve your life. It’s one of the most exciting discoveries in medicine today. I hope this message finds anyone who played contact sports like football, hockey, soccer, boxing so they can find help because their degenerative conditions can be reversed.”
Why This Research Study Is So Important
It’s well known that brain injuries are common in professional American football players, and they increase the risk of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, depression and CTE (1-2).
A study sponsored by the National Football League (NFL) found that 6.1% of retired NFL players over the age of 50 had been diagnosed with dementia, which is five times the national average of 1.2%.
Even 2% of players aged 30 to 49 have received a dementia-related diagnosis, which is 20 times higher than the rate of the general population within that age group (3).
And in a study of 100 active and retired NFL players, researchers found reduced brain blood flow and higher rates of depression, memory and attention problems compared to the general population (4).
Brain injuries also increase the risk of drug abuse (5-6).
Lastly, another study reported that 96% of all former NFL players autopsied had CTE, and that 79% of males who played football at any level also had CTE (10).
But brain injuries and neurological damage don’t just affect retired professional football players.
Millions of people, including soldiers, suffer concussions every year.
In addition, substance abusers also experience high levels of brain damage from drugs and alcohol, and from the increased likelihood of suffering brain injuries during intoxication (7).
But based on Dr. Amen’s protocol, there is hope. And it’s possible to reverse brain damage.
Below is the protocol that the NFL players followed to reverse brain damage and cognitive impairment, and it significantly improved their brain, mental health and quality of life.
1. Improve Your Diet and Exercise Regularly
Even after taking into account their large body frames, forty-eight percent of players in the study were overweight or obese.
So they were encouraged to eat healthier and exercise regularly in order to lose weight.
This is because obesity is associated with dementia and smaller brain size (8).
For exercise, you should find an aerobic activity that you enjoy so that you’ll stick with it consistently.
This is exercise routine I try to follow consistently:
Lift heavy weights 1-4 times per week
High-intensity interval sprinting 1-2 times per week
Walk as much as I can (ideally 30-60 minutes every day)
Run for 20-30 minutes before lifting weights
If you’re looking for a bunch of healthy, brain-boosting foods that you can eat on a regular basis, check out my Free Grocery Shopping Guide for Optimal Brain Health and my Fuel Your Brain Cookbook.
2. Eliminate Alcohol
Not too surprisingly, the NFL players in Dr. Amen’s study were encouraged to completely eliminate alcohol.
Alcohol is a neurotoxin and wreaks havoc on the brain by raising cortisol levels, disrupting the blood-brain barrier, and increasing inflammation and oxidative stress (11).
There are ways to protect your brain from alcohol, but you’re better off avoiding it completely, or significantly reducing your consumption, if you’re trying to heal from brain damage. I personally don’t drink alcohol at all anymore.
Other than alcohol, the NFL players were also told to eliminate others drugs, including cigarettes.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Getting enough high-quality sleep was another key aspect of Dr. Amen’s therapeutic protocol for the NFL players because it’s so important for brain health.
Deep sleep has been shown to slow down cognitive decline, reduce cortisol levels, promote the regeneration of myelin, increase the growth of new brain cells, and support the blood-brain barrier.
That’s why getting at least 7 hours of high-quality, restorative sleep is so important.
I used to have very poor quality sleep and it was one of main factors that contributed to my poor mental health.
This sleep supplement contains magnesium and a number of other natural compounds that I’ve used over the years to improve sleep.
But I work with my clients so that they can naturally maximize the quality of their sleep without so many supplements. We have free online workshop that talks about how you can work with us. You can register for the workshop here.
4. Reduce Brain Inflammation with Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Your brain is made up of about 60% fat, so you want to eat high-quality fats so that it can rebuild itself.
Omega-3s fatty acids are the highest quality fats for the brain, and increasing your intake of them is one of the most impactful ways to reverse brain damage.
Dr. Amen gave the NFL players 5.6 grams of fish oil each day, containing 1720 mg of EPA and 1160 mg of DHA.
EPA and DHA are omega-3 fatty acids that are necessary for the optimal functioning of your brain and nervous system. They have been shown in many studies to significantly reduce inflammation; improve memory, mood and cognition; and protect against mild cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer's disease (9-10).
They are also the structural components of synapses, and have been shown to support the brains of people with neurodegenerative diseases who have experienced synaptic loss (12).
It’s important to get enough omega-3s because they are essential fats that your body cannot produce itself.
They are found primarily in cold water fish such as salmon, black cod, sablefish, sardines and herring.
Unfortunately, most people don't consume enough omega-3 fatty acids through their diet.
That’s why I recommend people supplement with krill oil, a special kind of fish oil that contains the essential omega-3 fatty acids.
I previously wrote about the importance of omega-3 fatty acids in-depth here.
Make sure you also check out this article for 22 other effective ways to reduce inflammation in the brain.
5. Get Enough of These Vitamins and Minerals
Research shows that supplementing with B vitamins, vitamin C and minerals can reduce stress, improve mental health, and increase cognitive performance (13).
So Dr. Amen got the NFL players in the study to take a high-potency multivitamin every day.
I don’t usually recommend all-in-one multivitamins because they often contain too many synthetic vitamins that we don’t need, and not enough of the minerals that we do need.
Instead, I regularly take minerals, B vitamins, and this supplement with Vitamin C.
6. Enhance Brain Blood Flow
Dr. Amen also focused on increasing blood flow in the brains of the retired NFL football players.
The main way he enhanced brain blood flow was by giving them Ginkgo Biloba.
Ginkgo Biloba is a plant used in China for thousands of years to treat a number of health problems. It’s one of the top-selling herbal supplements in the world, and it’s even a prescription herb in Germany.
It’s most commonly used to improve brain health, as it’s been shown to increase cognitive function, memory and attention in both healthy and unhealthy individuals. It even reduces the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease and can improve mood and mental energy.
It has these effects primarily by increasing blood flow to the brain (27).
Ginkgo biloba extract is included in the Optimal brain supplement.
Check out this article for 20 other ways to increase blood flow to the brain.
7. Increase Acetylcholine
The retired football players also supplemented with Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALCAR) and Huperzine A to increase levels of acetylcholine in their brain.
Acetylcholine is considered the “learning” neurotransmitter and plays a key role in the brain’s cognitive processes.
Huperzine-A is a compound extracted from the herbs of the Huperziceae family.
It has neuroprotective effects and cognitive enhancing properties because it increases acetylcholine. It does this by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine. Because of this, it’s a promising treatment for fighting cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (33).
Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR) is an acetylated form of the amino acid carnitine. It has neuroprotective and cognitive-enhancing effects and helps reverse neurological decline by increasing levels of acetylcholine in the brain and supporting mitochondria function (32).
It is often used as a brain booster because it increases alertness and provides support to brain cells. It’s also been shown to be very effective at alleviating chronic fatigue and improving mood.
ALCAR can be found in the Optimal Brain supplement.
Check out this article for 25 other ways to increase acetylcholine levels in the brain.
And make sure you read this article to learn more about the remarkable benefits of ALCAR.
8. Increase Antioxidants
Another key aspect of reversing brain damage is optimizing your intake of antioxidants, and Dr. Amen doesn’t ignore this.
Dr. Amen had the NFL football players in his study take Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) and N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) daily.
NAC is a modified form of the amino acid cysteine, and precursor to glutathione, your body’s master antioxidant.
Environmental toxins and oxidative stress deplete your body's reserves of cysteine and glutathione, but supplementing with NAC can increase and normalize cysteine and glutathione levels.
This can combat and reduce oxidative stress in the brain, which helps treat several mental illnesses, including cognitive problems and addiction (23).
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a fatty acid created in the body, playing a role in mitochondrial energy metabolism. In supplement form, it is a potent antioxidant compound that has been shown to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain, which can contribute to neurological decline. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels, which is crucial for healthy brain function (24-25).
Several other studies have found that a combination of antioxidants – including NAC, ALA, Vitamin C and Vitamin E – can improve cognitive functioning and decrease symptoms of cognitive decline. This is likely because oxidative stress plays a major role in the development of cognitive impairment and dementia, and these antioxidant nutrients and plant compounds can counteract this (14-22).
NAC, ALA, Vitamin C, Vitamin E and several other antioxidant nutrients are included in the Optimal Antiox supplement.
Antioxidants can also reduce levels of cortisol, your body’s main stress hormone.
9. Reduce Cortisol with Phosphatidylserine
Participants in Dr. Amen’s study also supplemented with phosphatidylserine.
Phosphatidylserine is a fat-soluble amino acid that supports cognitive function.
High amounts of phosphatidylserine can be found within the brain, and supplementation has been shown to improve attention, learning and memory.
“…consumption of phosphatidylserine may reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive dysfunction”
It’s also been shown to reduce cortisol, which can negatively affect the brain at chronically high levels (26).
I personally take phosphatidylserine every day. It's included in the Optimal Brain supplement.
Make sure you read this article to learn more about the remarkable benefits of Phosphatidylserine.
10. Optimize Important Health Markers
Important health markers were also monitored and optimized to ensure that the NFL players were in the best health possible to support their brain.
Here are some of the markers Dr. Amen monitored in the NFL players:
Weight measures, such as body mass index and height-to-weight ratio – research shows that as a person's weight goes up, the size of their brain goes down. To reduce this problem, Dr. Amen ran an weight loss class to help the NFL players lose excess weight.
Fasting blood glucose levels – Having high fasting blood glucose levels increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, which is associated with depression and dementia.
C-reactive protein – This is a measure of inflammation, which is associated with many chronic illnesses, including depression, dementia and chronic pain. Dr. Amen aims for a measure of less than 1mg/liter. A healthy diet and nutrients can help get inflammation under control. Make sure you read this article for other ways to reduce inflammation.
Vitamin D – Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that our skin synthesizes when exposed to the sun. Every tissue in your body has vitamin D receptors, including the brain, so a deficiency can lead to costly physiological and psychological consequences, including cognitive impairment. Normal levels are between 30 and 100 ng/mL. Dr. Amen prefers his patients’ levels to be between 50 and 100 because optimal vitamin D levels can reduce inflammation and improve mood. To boost vitamin D levels, he encouraged players to get more sunlight or take a Vitamin D3 supplement. It's important to test and monitor your Vitamin D levels before and after supplementing with it.
Ferritin – Ferritin is a measure of iron stores. Iron deficiency can cause fatigue, but too much iron can cause stress and accelerate aging. If the NFL players’ ferritin levels were too low, Dr. Amen gave them iron. If they were too high, he encouraged them to donate blood. I personally prefer beef liver capsules as good source of iron instead of taking iron supplements.
In addition to the above strategies, Dr. Amen and his team treated other dementia risk factors, such as hypertension, heart disease, gum disease, alcohol and drug abuse, low thyroid and testosterone levels, sleep apnea, and ideally the cessation of anti-anxiety medications such as benzodiazepines.
Check out this article for several other important blood tests.
11. Reduce Homocysteine
This step – and the next two – are not a part of the original study.
However, Dr. Amen says he uses these treatments with his patients, including retired football players.
Homocysteine is an inflammatory compound at high levels, which can lead to the development of mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, depression and other mental health disorders.
However, certain B vitamins have been shown to normalize homocysteine levels and reduce the rate of cognitive decline.
As a result, Dr. Amen says that he recommends his NFL patients supplement with methyl-B12, methyl-folate, and P-5-P (bioactive B6).
Trimethylglycine (TMG) and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM-e) also lower homocysteine.
I personally prefer SAM-e since it is the most powerful and noticeable.
Here is a full article all about how to lower homocysteine levels.
You can check your homocysteine levels by ordering this blood test.
“For those players who were depressed or demented, we did more. I acted as the psychiatrist for a number of our players or a consultant to their own physicians. For many, I prescribed natural antidepressants, such as SAMe, because it also helps with pain.”
12. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT)
“A number of our players also opted to do hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which we have seen improve blood flow to the brain. Over the years I have been impressed with HBOT’s ability to increase blood flow to damaged brains.”
Again, this wasn’t included in the main protocol of the study, but Dr. Amen often recommends it to NFL players or anyone else with brain damage.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a treatment that enhances healing in the brain.
Patients inhale 100% oxygen in a total body chamber.
Usually, oxygen is transported throughout the body only by red blood cells. But with HBOT, oxygen is dissolved into all body fluids, including the fluids of the central nervous system.
This leads to oxygen being carried to areas of the body where circulation is diminished or blocked. As a result, extra oxygen can reach all damaged tissues, including areas of the brain that need to heal.
Lots of research shows that HBOT improves blood supply to the brain, reduces inflammation, and enhances neurogenesis, which improves recovery after injury to the central nervous system (34-38).
You’ll need to find a practitioner or clinic in your area that provides this treatment.
HBOT can be expensive though. That's why I decided to buy my own oxygen concentrator. An oxygen concentrator is much less expensive than HBOT but it still helps.
My doctor uses this one at his clinic and recommended it to me.
But I did a lot of my own research before buying my own and got this one instead. I use it almost every day. It's the best option on the market. You can also get a refurbished one for cheaper.
Check out my full article about oxygen therapy for more information.
13. Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback that shows you your brain activity in real-time and teaches you how to self-regulate it.
Sensors are placed on your scalp to measure your brain’s activity, and the measurements are displayed using video or sound.
Dr. Amen uses it with his NFL patients.
“In our retired NFL players, we often saw excessively high slow wave activity (excessive delta and theta) and too little fast wave activity (too little beta) in the front part of the brain. Many of our athletes thought of neurofeedback like going to the gym for their minds and found it very helpful.”
It’s best to work with a qualified practitioner.
But I also like the Muse headband. It’s a good substitute and gives you real-time feedback in your brainwaves while you meditate. I previously wrote about it here, and you can get it through the Muse website.
Please note: If you’re interested in trying neurofeedback, I recommend becoming a client and working with us to determine the best type of neurofeedback for you and your condition. I have found that some types of neurofeedback are completely ineffective and may even be harmful. So it’s very important to do the right type of neurofeedback that actually works. It’s also critical to work with a qualified neurofeedback practitioner who knows what they are doing. Otherwise, you can get worse. We help our clients find a qualified practitioner in their area.
Conclusion
Researchers used to believe that the brain could not heal, but they now know that’s wrong.
Brain plasticity is possible, and if you put the brain in a healing environment, it can get better, and brain damage can be reversed.
But the above protocol isn’t just for retired NFL players.
It also applies directly to the larger traumatic brain injury and drug abuse communities.
Or simply anyone who is experiencing cognitive decline, depression or other mental health problems.
The retired NFL players in the study had sustained brain injuries decades previously, but they improved.
If researchers can improve the brains of retired football players – who have had tens of thousands of hits to their heads – imagine the benefit you can get with a brain healthy program.
You don’t have to be held hostage by your bad brain.
You can recover from brain damage, brain infection, substance abuse and toxic exposure.
And Dr. Amen isn’t the only doctor showing the brain’s incredible power to heal.
Dr. Dale Bredesen, MD, is reversing cognitive decline and dementia with his own brain rehabilitation program.
You can read more about his protocol here.
This work is incredibly important for football players, soldiers, firefighters, police, and anyone who has suffered brain trauma and damage.
Please share this post with anyone that you think would benefit from the information within it.
Enjoy This Article? You Might Also Like My FREE Food Guide for Optimal Brain Health!
References:
(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16239884
(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17545878
(3) http://ns.umich.edu/Releases/2009/Sep09/FinalReport.pdf
(4) http://neuro.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/jnp.23.1.jnp98
(5) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18991956
(6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20414130
(7) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19345341
(8) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19662657
(9) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17574755
(11) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17241155
(12) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2344157/
(13) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20454891
(14) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2984445/
(15) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14500988
(16) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9110909/
(17) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10681271/
(18) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16402761
(19) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18042001
(20) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC161361/
(21) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2675154/
(22) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17510979/
(23) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18990082
(24) https://examine.com/supplements/alpha-lipoic-acid/
(25) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/20622459/
(26) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2170852
(27) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12905098
(28) https://examine.com/supplements/vinpocetine/
(29) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15760651
(30) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12498034
(31) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12460136
(32) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19720082
(33) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17657601
(34) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3231808/
(35) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20715898
(36) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22146131
(37) https://www.hindawi.com/journals/mi/2013/512978/
How to Fight Alzheimer's Disease with Intranasal Insulin
Today I want to discuss "intranasal insulin", a cutting-edge therapy that could help a lot of people.
Neurologists and psychiatrists tend to undervalue the impact of hormones originating outside the brain.
Until modern medicine treats the entire body as one unified system, people will continue to lose faith in conventional practitioners and look elsewhere for solutions to their chronic brain and mental health problems.
As Dr. Suzanne Craft, Ph.D, Professor of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, explains:
“People are now starting to understand the critical interaction between the brain and the body and that many of the peptides and hormones produced in the body have very substantial roles to play in the brain. I think we’re at the beginning of a very exciting era in which we’re going to be able to start putting together these systems to understand Alzheimer’s disease, which is clearly a disease of the entire organism, not just of the brain.”
Insulin is one of the hormones that significantly affects brain function.
It's been shown to pass the blood-brain barrier and act on insulin receptors directly within the brain (3, 4).
Not only does our body produce and release it, but it can also be taken as a medication, particularly for the treatment of diabetes (1, 2).
Researchers have found that insulin has “neurotrophic, neuromodulatory, and neuroprotective effects” by:
Promoting neuronal growth;
Regulating the levels of certain neurotransmitters;
Increasing brain energy levels (ATP in your mitochondria);
Increasing blood flow in the brain;
Preventing dopaminergic neuron loss;
Protecting against oxidative stress in the brain by restoring antioxidants and energy metabolism (5-13).
“In the brain, insulin has a number of roles to play. It promotes glucose uptake in the neurons of the hippocampal formation and the frontal lobes, areas that are involved in memory. Insulin also strengthens the synaptic connections between brain cells, helping to form new memories. In addition, insulin regulates the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays an important role in learning and memory.”
So, it clearly does a lot in the brain, and research shows that it can be therapeutic for a number of mental health conditions, particularly Alzheimer’s disease.
In a new therapeutic approach, commercially-available insulin (Novalin R) is prepared and added to nasal spray bottles, and sprayed and inhaled through the nose to support brain and mental health.
Dr. William Banks, Professor of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, says there are more than 100 different intranasal compounds that are being tested for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Intranasal insulin” is just one of them, and it’s one of the more promising ones, as it’s been reported to significantly enhance memory, increase mental energy, reduce brain fog, improve mood, and lower anxiety and stress levels.
The Link Between Alzheimer’s Disease, Insulin and Diabetes
Many of the brain health experts I’ve talked to are convinced that Alzheimer’s disease should actually be called "Type 3 diabetes".
This is because diabetes and insulin are closely linked to cognitive decline and dementia.
Many studies show that diabetes is associated with an increased risk of cognitive dysfunction, and people with diabetes are 2 to 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment than non-diabetics (14-21).
Researchers have also found that insulin declines in the brain as people age, and patients with Alzheimer’s disease often have insulin resistance and reduced levels of insulin in their brains (25-30)
But what if insulin deficiency is detected in the brain, and then insulin is supplied to the brain, could neurodegeneration and the development of dementia be prevented? And could the progression of existing Alzheimer’s disease be halted?
The answers to these questions appears to be yes:
Diabetic patients who take insulin have improved memory and reduced rates of Alzheimer’s disease;
Elderly diabetics who take insulin have less severe Alzheimer’s disease compared with non-diabetics;
Insulin improves cognition and memory in people with Alzheimer’s disease; and
Insulin prevents and reverses brain degeneration and cognitive impairment in diabetic animals (22-24).
Check out the below video to learn more from one of the leading researchers in the field:
Cutting-Edge Research Shows That Intranasal Insulin Improves Cognition and Memory
The intranasal route of insulin administration provides direct access to the cerebrospinal fluid and brain.
This allows insulin to directly enter the brain from the nose, and bind to receptors within specific areas of the brain that are involved in memory and cognition (42).
“Insulin receptors in the brain are found in high densities in the hippocampus, a region that is fundamentally involved in the acquisition, consolidation, and recollection of new information. ”
An increasing amount of research has been published over the last ten years, demonstrating that intranasal insulin can significantly improve cognition, attention, memory and overall brain function in people with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease (31-33, 38-39, 43-45).
In fact, there are over 30 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials showing that it’s effective at improving memory, learning and cognitive performance in humans (34-37).
Yet most people aren’t aware of it, and doctors aren’t prescribing it, while millions of people suffer from dementia.
One study found that it improved objective biomarkers of neurodegeneration, including amyloid deposits and tau pathology, in people with Alzheimer’s disease within a few months. In the group of patients that didn’t receive intranasal insulin, brain function continued to deteriorate (40).
In another study, researchers gave intranasal insulin to 104 adults with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease. At the end of the 4-month study, the participants who received insulin had significantly better memory and cognitive function compared to the group who didn’t receive insulin (41).
The researchers also found that the improvements in cognition were correlated with improvements in objective biomarkers, and concluded that “intranasal insulin therapy can help to stabilize, slow, or possibly even reverse the course of Alzheimer’s disease (41).
Because of the promising research so far, the US government is currently funding a two-year long clinical trial to see if intranasal insulin will help 240 people with Alzheimer’s disease. Results from the Study of Nasal Insulin in the Fight Against Forgetfulness (SNIFF) are expected to be released in 2017.
And intranasal insulin doesn’t just help elderly people with dementia. It’s also been shown to improve memory in younger, healthy individuals (46-51).
Intranasal Insulin and Other Brain and Mental Health Disorders
Alzheimer’s disease isn’t the only brain and mental health condition that can benefit from intranasal insulin.
Here are some others:
ADHD and drug addiction – Insulin affects dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter linked to both these conditions (52).
Depression, anxiety and anger – In one study, 38 healthy people took intranasal insulin for 8 weeks and experienced enhanced mood, increased self-confidence and reduced anger. Another study found that it affected heart-rate variability (53, 59).
Stroke – Researchers point out that “intranasally administered insulin possesses many of the ideal properties for acute stroke neuroprotection” (54, 62).
Bipolar disorder – One study found that intranasal insulin significantly improved executive function in patients with bipolar disorder (55).
Neurodevelopmental disorder – Two studies have found that intranasal insulin improves cognition, autonomy, motor activity, nonverbal communication, social skills and developmental functioning of children and adults with a rare neurodevelopmental disorder (Phelan-McDermid syndrome) (57, 58).
Overall brain function – “Intranasal insulin appears to restore complex neural networking in the direction of normalization”. In other words, it seems to “reboot” the brain (56).
Parkinson’s disease and Down Syndrome – There is no evidence for this yet but there are ongoing trials looking into whether intranasal insulin could help people with these conditions (60, 61).
Safety of Intranasal Insulin and How to Try It Yourself
Numerous studies show that intranasal insulin is incredibly safe and does not cause any significant adverse side effects. The only minor side effects I came across were dizziness, nose bleeding and mild rhinitis, but these were rare (63-65).
This is because unlike regular insulin administration, intranasal insulin only affects the nose and brain. It doesn’t enter the bloodstream, change insulin levels throughout the entire body, or cause low blood sugar (66-83).
Overall, I believe the benefits outweigh the risks and it’s worth trying, especially if you’re struggling with mild cognitive impairment or early Alzheimer’s disease. It may be another decade or more until the research trickles down and reaches your doctor’s office. Research shows that it takes about 17 years for new scientific evidence to be implemented in clinical practice.
However, I’m not a doctor and you should definitely talk to your doctor about this if you’re considering trying it. If you have an open-minded doctor, perhaps they will support you in trying it. Don’t be surprised if they dismiss the idea entirely though.
With that said, you can easily and legally buy insulin yourself. It’s available over the counter without a prescription at any pharmacy (in the US and Canada). Pharmacists hold it behind the counter and you just have to walk up and ask for “Novolin R.” In Canada, it’s called “Novolin Toronto.”
It’s that simple. You don’t need to provide personal identification or sign anything. It costs about $30.
After that, you can get a nasal spray bottle - like this one or this one.
Then, use pliers to carefully remove the rubber cap from the insulin vial, and pour the insulin into the spray bottle.
At this point, you’re ready to use it. Make sure to keep it in the fridge when you're not using it.
Again, I’m not a doctor. So talk to your doctor about this before trying it. But I feel this is worth sharing and writing about considering it has massive potential to help many people who are struggling day-to-day.
Dosage
Each spray from the nasal bottle is 0.1mL or 10IU of insulin.
Dosages in human studies range from 10IU to 160IU (1 to 16 sprays) daily.
In the longest lasting study, participants took either 20 IU (2 sprays) or 40IU (4 sprays) of insulin daily for four months (86).
So, if you’re going to try it, I wouldn’t take more than 40IU (4 sprays) for longer than 4 months.
However, participants in the ongoing SNIFF trial have been taking intranasal insulin for more than one year, so once the results from that study are released in 2017, my recommendation may change.
Overall, self-experimentation is necessary to find the correct dosage that works best for you.
Conclusion
Intranasal insulin is a very impressive and exciting substance, and the lack of side effects is encouraging.
If you’re looking to improve your memory and brain function and avoid Alzheimer’s disease, it’s definitely worth considering and talking to your doctor about it.
All that’s needed is:
Novalin R (US) or Novalin Toronto (Canada)
I’m aware that this might be little bit “out there” for some people, but I think it has the potential to help a lot of people reach optimal brain and mental health.
Please share with anyone who is struggling with cognitive impairment or the early signs of dementia because it isn't a very well known treatment.
References:
(1) http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00125-003-1153-1
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