Protect and Support Your Brain

By Jacquelyn Close
Registered Aromatherapist
Fully Certified CARE Instructor
Director, Conscious Healing Institute

Today people live longer. Average life expectancy is now 77.2 years,
according to the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. That
represents a greater than 10-year increase over life expectancy in
the 1960s. We celebrate more years of marriage, and enjoy more time
with our children, grandchildren even our great-children. Yet the
quality of life is not always commensurate with the length of life.

While our current living standard offers more years, is does not
always offer more joy, health and happiness. Living in an
environment rich in pollutants and toxins makes heavy demands on our
immune system. Our bodies are burdened with the chemicals and
synthetics found in commercial soaps, toothpastes, cosmetics,
kitchen cleansers, pharmaceuticals, even the water we drink and
bathe in, and increasingly they are also found in the food chain.
Our bodies are God's magnificent creations, built to withstand and
flourish even under difficult circumstances. Yet, just as a water
pitcher can contain only so much water, our bodies can only handle
so many chemical attacks before they overflow with chemicals,
breaking down our redundant life-support systems, and dramatically
increasing our chances for systemic illnesses, such as heart
disease, diabetes, arthritis, and chronic infections.

Vitamins, minerals, essential oils, and anti-oxidant rich super-
foods such as the NingXia Wolfberry support the body, helping to
keep it running like a well-oiled machine. They diminish, and may
even remediate, digest and remove toxins from our system.

In 2004, researchers at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, in
Chicago, found evidence suggesting that Alzheimer's was more likely
to occur in seniors with reduced levels of niacin than in
individuals with niacin to spare. Researchers suspect that B
vitamins protect, nurture and support dendritic growth, a key
component for brain health. Other recent research highlights the
importance of B vitamins in protecting the brain from stroke and
dementia, two of the main reasons for disability in the elderly.

A study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart
Association, published in 2002, found that people with moderately
high levels of homosysteine, an amino acid that damages blood
vessels, had a more than fivefold increased risk of stroke and a
threefold increased risk for Alzheimer's disease. According to
research, B vitamins can help quench homocysteine, and Vitamin B3
(niacin) has been linked to brain health.

An article in Alternative Medicine magazine, August, 2005,
says "Roughly 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, the
leading cause of dementia." By 2050 that number is expected to
quadruple to 16 million according to the Alzheimer's Association. In
the article, Decker Weiss, ND, a naturopathic physician at the
Arizona Heart Hospital in Phoenix is quoted as saying, "You've got
to get in the habit of taking B vitamins every day."

So, now is the time to start supporting your brain, before the first
signs of trouble ever appear. Fortunately, for those who are already
experiencing the first glimmers of dementia, or may be providing
care for a relative that has dementia or Alzheimer's, our great
Young Living products offer tremendous hope.

A very sweet and dear member of my Young Living group, who is an
LPN, has had wonderful results using Young Living oils and
supplements for her mother, who suffers from Alzheimer's. In fact,
her mother's MD now refers patients to my friend for information
about the oils and supplements she uses for her Mom, in the hopes
that they may provide better support with fewer side effects than
the options the MD can currently offer. Plus, there are many
benefits for family members who are providing in-home care for aging
relatives. My friend regularly orders:

Berry Young Juice
Lavender oil
Peace & Calming
Clarity
Brain Power

If I were dealing with this challenge or looking for a way to avoid
this possible future, I would place a standing monthly order for
Berry Young Juice or the new NingXia Red. These super-foods reduce
inflammation in tissues that may contribute to arterial stress,
considered to be a contributing factor in stroke and dementia.
Super B (Contains Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12)
Master His and/or Master Hers (Contains Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6,
and B12) Brain Power Clarity)

Brain Power and Clarity are two of my favorite oils. I use them
almost every afternoon to give me a lift. When I am teaching, if I
start to lose concentration or am unable to find the right words,
all I have to do is put a drop of Brain Power under my tongue, put
Clarity on the back of my neck, and just a drop of Peppermint around
my hairline. They work wonders! And I am able to function at 100%
for hours with just 1-2 drops of each oil.

I have also found it very beneficial to keep Berry Young Juice [now
NingXia Red], Wolfberry bars, and the 3 oils previously mentioned
readily available when traveling. They help keep me alert and
focused, providing an OH-SO-EASY way to stay awake. No caffeine or
sugar required!

For more information on oils and supplements for the brain, be sure
to check suggestions in your Essential Oils Desk Reference (EODR).
Thanks to the pioneering efforts of Gary Young and his company,
Young Living Essential Oils, thousands of men, women, children, and
even animals are now enjoying the miracles of their own,
personal "oil stories."