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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
What can I take to prevent memory loss?
Dear David: Are there
any vitamins or other
supplements that have
been proven to help pre
vent memory loss?
Dear reader: The key
word in your question is
“proven.” And the simple
answer to your question is
no, there are no vitamins or
supplements that have been
proven to prevent memory
loss or improve mental abili
ty
However, lack of proof
doesn’t prevent numerous
products from being sold
that do claim to improve
memory, prevent memory
loss, and/or improve overall
mental function. These
products include ginkgo,
choline, ginseng, and the B
vitamins.
It is true that a deficiency
of B vitamins can cause
nerve damage and decreased
mental function; however,
there is no evidence that
supplementing B vitamins
will improve memory or
mental acuity.
B vitamins do help the
body convert food to usable
energy and they do help
with some other conditions.
There are many aspects of
modern life (smoking, alco
hol consumption, fast foods,
poor diet, and stress) that
contribute to B vitamin
depletion, so taking a B vita
min supplement may be
beneficial for some people. It
certainly won’t hurt; it just
won’t do anything for mem
ory.
It’s also a common mis
conception that B vitamins
(especially B 12) give people
energy or make then feel
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Tynerisha Sturn poses for the camera at the basic horsemanship workshop at the Fort
Valley State University Equine Center.
Basic horsemanship
training held at FVSU
Special to the HHJ
Eleven Middle Georgia
children and two university
students completed 18
hours of horsemanship
training in June during a
basic horsemanship work
shop at the Fort Valley State
University Equine Center
Sponsored by the FVSU
Equine Center and the
FVSU Future Farmers of
America Alumni Chapter,
workshop participants met
each Tuesday and Thursday
afternoon at the center.
Participants learned how to
catch, lead, tie, groom and
saddle horses. They also
learned basic showmanship
and Western riding tech
niq u e s
At the end of the workshop,
participants competed in a
horse show on June 30. Dr.
Curtis Borne of Perry, FVSU
professor of agriculture edu
cation, was the workshop
instructor and the horse
show judge.
Children who participated
were Tynerisha Stum and
Natalie Brown, both of
Warner Robins; Sherrod
Early, Nathanael Reagan,
Austin Hunter, Shannon
James, Millicent Cosby,
Ashonta Clarke and Jessica
David Voltz
Pharmacy Q&A
voltzrph@hotmail.com
more energetic. Unless the
person has a B vitamin defi
ciency, this just isn’t true.
When I say that B vitamins
convert food to usable ener
gy, I mean that B vitamins
facilitate the ability of cells
within the body to extract
fuel from the foods we eat.
This does not mean the per
son feels more energetic,
just that the cells have more
fuel (or energy) available to
them.
Another supplement that
claims to increase memory is
choline. Choline is an essen
tial part of a chemical that
the brain uses to transmit
nerve impulses called acetyl
choline. Nerves manufac
ture acetylcholine from
choline in the body. Taking a
choline supplement increas
es the amount choline in the
body; however, this may or
may not affect acetylcholine
production. And there is no
evidence to indicate that
increased choline in the
body prevents memory loss
or leads to improved memo
ry or mental function.
Clarke, all of Fort Valley;
and Bobby Cook of Roberta.
FVSU students Felicia
Cosby, a horticulture major
from Fort Valley, and
Marcus Bentley, a sociology
major from Barnesville, also
participated in the work
shop.
Horseshow winners are list
ed below.
• Showmanship at halter,
5- to 6-year-old exhibitors:
first place - Natalie Brown
of Warner Robins; second
place - Tynerisha Stum of
Warner Robins
• Showmanship at halter,
7- to 10-year-old exhibitors:
first place - Nathanael
Reagan of Fort Valley; sec
ond place - Jessica Clarke of
Fort Valley; third place -
Sherrod Early of Fort Valley;
fourth place - Austin
Hunter of Fort Valley
• Showmanship at halter,
12- to 15-year-old
exhibitors: first place -
Shannon James of Fort
Valley; second place -
Ashonta Clarke of Fort
Valley; third place -
Millicent Cosby of Fort
Valley; fourth place - Bobby
Cook of Roberta
• Showmanship at halter,
Ginseng is touted as being
beneficial for just about
everything, including mem
ory and mental functioning.
Qinseng may help the oxy
gen carrying capacity of red
blood cells (among other
things) but there is no indi
cation that this is beneficial.
And there is no evidence to
indicate that any of gin
seng’s many pharmacologi
cal properties help with
memory.
Ginseng can, however,
interfere with some medica
tions. Medications to treat
diabetes, certain diuretics
and Lanoxin may all be
affected by ginseng. Check
with your physician before
starting any product con
taining ginseng.
Probably the most popular
product sold for memory is
gingko or ginkgo biloba.
Ginkgo has mild blood thin
ning (anticoagulant) proper
ties which is supposed to
lead to increased blood flow
to the brain which is sup
posed to help memory or
help prevent memory loss.
There are some studies
that suggest that gingko
might help slow the degen
erative process in some
patients diagnosed with
dementia. However, there is
no evidence indicating any
benefit from ginkgo in nor
mal people and even persons
diagnosed with dementia
should only take ginkgo on
their physician’s advice.
Due to its ability to inter
fere with blood clotting,
ginkgo can cause some
bleeding problems and/or
drug interactions. Ginkgo
collegiate exhibitors: first
place - Marcus Bentley of
Barnesville; second place -
Felicia Cosby of Fort Valley
• Western pleasure riding,
3- to 6-year-old exhibitors:
first place - Tynerisha
Sturn of Warner Robins;
second place - Natalie
Brown of Warner Robins
• Western pleasure riding,
7- to 10-year-olds: first place
- Jessica Clarke of Fort
Valley; second place -
Nathanael Reagan of Fort
Valley; third place - Austin
Hunter of Fort Valley;
fourth place - Sherrod Early
of Fort Valley
• Western pleasure riding,
12- to 15-year-old exhibits:
first place - Shannon James
of Fort Valley; second place -
Bobby Cook of Roberta;
third place - Millicent Cosby
of Fort Valley; fourth place -
Ashonta Clarke of Fort
Valley
• Western pleasure riding,
collegiate exhibitors: first
place - Felicia Cosby of Fort
Valley; second place -
Marcus Bentley of
Barnesville
• Most improved show
man - Sherrod Early of Fort
Valley
LOCAL
can have an additive effect
to any drug that affects
blood coagulation (Aspirin,
Coumadin, ibuprofen, etc.)
and it may increase blood
pressure in patients taking
thiazide type (i.e.,
Hydrochlorothiazide)
diuretics. Again, consult
with your physician before
taking products containing
gingko.
Lastly, there is something
that studies have shown
that does help with memory
and mental functioning as
we age, but it’s not a pill.
It’s mental activity. Turn off
the television and keep your
brain active by constantly
challenging it. Simple things
like reading, working puz
zles, playing games, learn
ing something new like the
piano, computers or a for
eign language are all benefi
cial. Just like our muscles,
our brain needs good and
frequent workouts in order
to retain peak form.
If you have any questions
regarding medications or
pharmacy practice in gener-
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al, or comments, or sugges
tions for topics you’d like to
read about in this column,
just write to me. I can receive
email via voltzrph@hot
mail.com or postal mail at
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2005 ♦
Pharmacy Q&A, do The
Houston Home Journal, P.O.
Box 1910, Perry, GA 31069.
All questions are confiden
tial, so you don’t have to give
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