The Aging Brain – Do You Really Have Any Choice?

Dopamine is a very important neurotransmitter in the brain. It declines with age. This decline is why we start to feel older after we pass our 50th birthday. A reduction in dopamine is manifested with a loss of

● Cognitive function
● Motivation
● Feeling of well-being

It is responsible for many of the addictions we acquire over throughout our lives – alcohol, gambling, sex, drugs, sugar, etc. We want a healthy brain in our later lives.

The depletion of dopamine is the result of an enzyme called MAO-B, monoamine oxidase B. In our early lives, the levels of MAO-B are stable. With age, excess MOA-B is created, dopamine levels fall and accelerated brain aging and shrinkage begins.

Recently, scientists discovered that wild green oat extract inhibits the formation of MAO-B. Additionally, it enhances and protects the youthful aspects of dopamine in an aging brain. Tests with wild green oat extract yielded:

● Increased focus
● Increased concentration
● Increased processing speed
● Better memory
● Better executive function
● Improved blood flow
● Reduction in additive behavior

A prescription drug, deprenyl, has been used since the 1970s to improve longevity by countering the increasing levels of MAO-B in aging brains. It has been shown to preserve cognitive function and to extend the lifespans of animals. Wild green oat extract has been shown to be as effective as deprenyl without the side effects.

Increased levels of MAO-B produce hydrogen peroxide, a very powerful free radical. Inside the brain, these free radicals damage brain cell mitochondria. Over time, enough damage occurs that the brain cells die. As part of the damage process, MAO-B actually replaces healthy brain cells with cells that produce more MAO-B. More MAO-B means less and less dopamine levels in the brain.