Brain, body power: supplement to protect brain cells

Some people say you have to take the good with the bad. The good news is people are living longer than ever before. The bad news is brain health illnesses are on the rise.

An eight-year American company thinks they may have the secret to better brain health.

Prevagen, a vegetarian product made from proteins found in jellyfish, is made in America and distributed by a 55-person company in Madison, Wisconsin. After 18 years of research, President and Co-Founder Mark Underwood of Quincy Bioscience travelled 1,300 miles to speak here in Brooksville last month.

Underwood explained to a group of 30 participants, people's biggest fear of aging is losing mental brain capacity.

In 2006, the World Health Organization estimated that neurological disorders and their direct consequences affect as many as one billion people worldwide.

"People fear heart attacks, death of a spouse, running out of money, being a burden on their families, arthritis and restricted mobility as they age," said Underwood. "But losing mental brain capacity is number one."

Although the brain and spinal cord are surrounded by tough membranes, enclosed in the bones of the skull and spinal vertebrae, and chemically isolated by the blood-brain barrier, they are susceptible if compromised. Nerves lie deep under the skin but can become exposed to damage. Brain function in terms of behavior, memory or cognition can be affected.

He had neurological disorders in his family, which began a search for more study of the brain in college in the mid 1990s. His studies focused on neurochemistry and neuropsychology. Eventually through years of research at the University of Wisconsin, he found a calcium binding protein from the 'glowing' jellyfish, Aequorea Victoria, which were very similar to humans' calcium binding proteins. As people age, they lose the ability to produce the calcium-binding proteins, according to Underwood's Brain Health Guide.

In the 1900's life expectancy was 47 years old. In 2010, it was 80 years old.

Along with living longer there are pitfalls in other health related issues. At age 65 people have a 10 percent chance of Alzheimer's disease. At 85 years old, there's a 50 percent chance.

Underwood suggests five tips to a healthier brain. A healthy diet can enhance brain power as in fruits and vegetables. He explained endorphins from exercise or Valentine's Day love can help make your brain feel good. Mental exercise, social interactions and brain cell protection are other ideas for improving your brain's capacity.

Bad influences to the brain kill brain cells. These influences include alcohol consumption, sugar, stress, smoking and chronic inflammation. Traumatic brain injuries, lead, mercury, anesthesia, aging and disease processes can increase cell loss.

When you're 0 to 40 years old the cells don't die as fast. From 40 to 50 years old, proteins in the brain decline; 60 to 80 year old people have even more decline in brain cells. No matter what you do, brain cells die every day. If you take calcium, it provides means for electrical impulses to travel along the nerves, but 99 percent of it goes to your bones and teeth. Only one percent goes to the nervous system.

That's where the jellyfish come into play.

"Jellyfish have CaBPs, or calcium binding proteins, which give protection to cells," said Underwood. "In the four most frequent neurological disorders – Alzheimer's Disease, Huntington's, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's lateral sclerosis, calcium binding proteins are dismantled in areas of cell loss."

Prevagen, Underwood's vegetarian product, provides cell binding proteins. It is not approved by the Federal Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.

For more information on the natural replacement for brain cell loss, contact www.prevagen.com online, or call toll-free at (888) 931-1011. For more information on Quincy Bioscience, contact Underwood at 301 S. Westfield Rd., Suite 200, Madison, Wisconsin, 53717, or online at www.quincybioscience.com.