Aging gracefully -- and healthfully Q: My mother is 86 years old and over the past few months, she has become more forgetful, is doing less and less, isn't reading or sewing much at all any more, and most of the time she seems a little depressed. But when we talk to her about it, she says "I'm fine," and when there's a social occasion, she actually can muster up the energy to act like her old self for a few hours. She let me take her to a neurologist who told us she doesn't think Mother has Alzheimer's disease, just that she's getting older. She takes a multiple vitamin-mineral tablet, as well as some memory supplements, but none of this seems to make any difference. Is there anything else I can do? JVW: Your mother's situation isn't at all unusual, but it doesn't necessarily need to stay that way. One of the simplest, safest, and least expensive things to try would be twice- weekly injections of vitamin B12, folic acid, and B-complex. Very frequently, several weeks of these injections will make a noticeable difference in energy, low-grade depression, and even memory in folks over 80. Particularly when people age, the foods they eat, as well as vitamin-mineral tablets (a minor point: switch to capsules), don't break down and absorb as well, often because of declining digestive capability. Giving some of these nutrients by injection can do the job when swallowing them doesn't. If the injections are effective or even partially effective, it's a good idea to have several tests done, starting with a "fasting plasma essential amino acid" determination. (Essential amino acids must be digested from our diets, as our bodies can't make them.) In individuals over 80 who respond to B-vitamin injections, the essential amino acid test finds low levels of essential amino acids in an overwhelmingly large majority. Since these essential amino acids are transformed into both body proteins and neurotransmitters, supplementing them can improve strength, depression, and memory. It's also important to check for minerals, and do tests for digestive efficiency (stomach acid test, stool test for digestion). Since the B-vitamin injections (even though extremely safe) require prescriptions, and since the above suggestions are a lot to handle on your own, contact the American College for Advancement in Medicine at (800)532-3688 or the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians at (703)610-9037 for a referral to a physician skilled and knowledgeable in nutritional therapies who can help you and your mother put together a program you can both follow easily. |
