YOU Docs Daily The online edition of their daily newspaper column
Can’t Find Things? Your Memory May Be Too Good
Can’t figure out where you put the remote? Your problem may not be a bad memory. It may be one that’s too good. Some people are able to store gigabytes of information. If you’re one of them, the sheer volume -- especially of useless info -- is like mental litter: It can clutter up your brain. The key to a good memory is being selective: retaining the relevant and discarding the unimportant.
When it comes to short-term visual memory -- where you left your drink, what that street sign said -- the brain generally can retain only three or four things at once. Because of this, efficiently "erasing" unnecessary bits of data can make the difference between whether you’re good at recalling things or not.
Just as it’s easier to search your computer’s hard drive when there’s less stuff on it, your brain works better if there’s less to look through. Whether you can actually retrain your brain to store only things that are important to you has yet to be figured out. Meanwhile, these strategies may help: When you really need to remember something -- where you’re tucking your plane ticket, what time you promised to call your boss -- ignore distractions (the person with the pierced lip or pet parrot) and FOCUS on the thing you need to lock onto. Also, associate things with something emotional: Put all notes from your family close to your heart. Slip all baggage claims into your back pocket, near where you’d get back pain if you had to carry the bag yourself. Now, where is the send button on this computer?
Headed to the gym today for the usual? Try walking around the building instead. Or, if you go anyway, hop on the elliptical machine instead of the stair climber. Repetitive routines -- pounding the same strip of sidewalk every day, lifting weights in the same order every time -- may cause overuse injuries.
Constantly doing the same thing may not do your mind any favors either, according to new research. But change it up and you might remember exactly what went on at that lunch meeting 3 days ago -- not only now, but 20 years from now: People 65 or older who do four or more different kinds of physical activities each week seem less likely to develop Alzheimer's than people who do one or no activities.
So, for the sake of your body, your mind, and your sanity, try some new moves. Walk in a different direction. Bike around the hill you usually coast down. Try yoga or chi-gong (sort of slow-mo martial arts) -- both focus your mind as well as your body, so you think more clearly. And include something aerobic (brisk enough to get your heart pumping): In another study, aerobic exercisers increased their brain volume while those who did just stretching missed out on that benefit (though they got other goodies).
Other ways to protect your mind and memory: Stimulate your brain (do the crossword in this newspaper) and fill up on foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, folate, flavonoids, and turmeric (a spice used in curries and many mustards). Translation: Eat heaps of colorful fruits and vegetables (including green ones), drink tea, sip red wine, spread mustard on your sandwiches, and when you want a little something for dessert, make it deep, dark chocolate.
If you ate the whole enchilada -- or screaming hot curry dish, or bowl of gazpacho -- and don’t have any antacids on hand, here’s how to extinguish the heartburn flames without blowing gas money driving to the nearest drugstore:
Chew some gum -- but not mint. Chewing gum (make it sugar-free) for an hour stimulates swallowing, which reduces acid reflux. Just choose any flavor but mint, which is actually a heartburn trigger. It can relax the valve that's supposed to keep stomach acid from creeping upward into your esophagus.
Drink milk. For persistent heartburn, sip a little skim milk every 1 to 2 hours. Casein, the protein in milk, binds capsaicin -- the hot stuff in many dishes -- and the milk helps wash acid back down into the stomach.
Take a walk. It’s a great way to burn off some of the calories you just consumed, and it cuts the amount of time that stomach acid touches the esophagus. Incentive to keep going: The benefits last as long as the walking does. So if you can walk and chew gum . . . !
Of course, even better than stamping out roaring heartburn is preventing it in the first place. Refraining from downing a bucket of wings during the 9th inning is a good start (it’ll improve your love life that night, too). Normally, your esophagus enters your stomach at a sharp angle that keeps food from coming back up. But large meals (and extra weight) stretch this angle, allowing acid to flow up. There are sneakier causes, too. Certain meds can weaken the valve at the bottom of the esophagus, including ibuprofen, aspirin, antihistamines, and birth control pills. If you suspect a connection, talk to your doc.
What Your DNA Can (And Can’t) Tell You About Your Health and Love Life
We are happily married. No, not to each other -- to two wonderful ladies (one each, of course). But if we weren’t, and we lived, say, near Boston, a peculiar dating service might arouse our curiosity. For $1,995.95, a company called ScientificMatch.com claims that if you crack open their special kit, rub a cotton swab on the insides of your cheeks, and ship it to them, they will use the DNA they collect from it to find your soul mate.
The company examines the genes that relate to your immune system -- technically, the genes in your major histocompatibility complex (MHC) -- to match you with another member of the dating service who has a very different MHC makeup. Studies suggest that people are more likely to feel that romantic lightning-in-a-bottle called “chemistry” when they have genetically dissimilar immune systems. (One theory suggests that blending diverse genes gives children stronger immune systems, so it’s an evolutionary advantage.)
This matchmaking venture is just one of dozens of consumer-based genetic-testing services that have popped up in recent years. Many others promise to look into your DNA and tell you whether you’re susceptible to certain medical disorders. For about $1,000 and up (not covered by health insurance), services such as 23andMe, Navigenics, Genelex, deCODE Genetics, and others will scan your DNA for gene markers linked to heart disease, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, certain cancers, and more. Other tests claim to identify nutritional deficiencies and then provide diet advice.
Beyond these pricier services, many over-the-counter DNA test kits are now sold in drugstores for as little as $30. Send them your swab and, for an additional $200 and up, they’ll test your DNA for markers of lupus, sickle-cell anemia, depression, glaucoma, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, high blood iron . . . the list goes on.
Are they legit? In the case of romantic bliss, we have seen the studies linking diverse MHC with sexual attraction in animals and humans. But we also know that -- like nearly all research involving genetic testing -- these limited studies probably reveal only a tiny part of a complex process that nobody truly understands yet. So we’d take any advice from ScientificMatch.com -- or any other personal DNA-mapping or -matching service -- with a grain of salt the size of a Volkswagen.
Gene testing is an amazing tool. Mapping the human genome has yielded powerful new weapons against cancers of the breast, ovaries, colon, prostate, and others. In fact, we have colleagues who refer people for testing for the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 breast cancer genes every week. For adopted children, gene testing may be the only way to acquire valuable medical information. These tests are conducted by certified laboratories and interpreted by physicians who can help patients decipher and use the findings.
Also, while research has identified genes that contribute to about 1,400 diseases or disorders, so far, most of these provide only preliminary clues. And with certain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, genetic mutations don’t always mean you’ll get a disease. So you really need a counselor to help you interpret the results.
The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate the quality of the counseling you get after using one of these consumer DNA tests. These kits could give you helpful information -- or leave you feeling falsely safe or needlessly scared. Before trying one, start with these steps:
· Thoroughly discuss your family medical history with your doctor, going back to your grandparents. This can yield vital information. Counselors should ask for this history; if they don’t, you need a different laboratory and counselor.
· If you decide to go ahead, be sure that the company keeps your test results confidential. A recent federal law prohibits job or health insurance discrimination based on genetic tests, but we’re still in uncharted legal territory.
· Review the test results with your doctor or a certified genetic counselor (ask your doc for a referral), not just a rep from the testing company. Especially before buying pricey supplements or additional services.
Do You Misplace Things? How to Know If It’s Serious
Q: I know that some forgetfulness during menopause is normal. But I feel like I'm losing my mind sometimes. I’m not a nut case. I’m a fully functioning adult with a good job. I just have memory and focus problems. All my friends talk about this, but I feel like I’m worse. How can I tell if it’s menopause, or more than that? -- Terry, Long Island, NY
A: It can take a while for your body to settle into the new hormonal equilibrium that menopause creates. Meanwhile, symptoms of the changes inside you can range from hot flashes and insomnia to, yes, memory lapses.
To get some idea of whether your forgetfulness is normal, look at three objects; 5 minutes later, ask yourself what they were. Next, ask yourself what you ate at your last meal. If your answers are iffy, ask a friend to repeat the process with you, showing you three objects and asking you to describe a recent meal. Trouble twice with these questions is an indication that something may be going wrong with your short-term memory. Next step: Go through this checklist of seven early signs of serious memory loss.
Do you . . .
1. Ask the same questions over and over (and not because you’re named Woodward)? 2. Repeat the same story over and over (and not because your kids are tuning you out yet again)? 3. Forget how to do something you normally can do easily (and not as a slick attempt to have your boss assign the job to the dude in the next cube)? 4. Get lost in familiar surroundings (and not as a way to avoid being nagged about mowing the lawn)? 5. Misplace things often (and not because your home has more junk than a city landfill)? 6. Neglect to bathe (and not as a sexual deterrent)? 7. Rely on someone else to make decisions you’d normally make yourself (not applicable to men married more than a decade)?
If you answered yes to one or more of these, talk to your doc. If the symptoms started with menopause, you may be able to restore your memory with a specific form of hormone therapy -- a combination of bioidentical estrogen, micronized progestin, and aspirin -- soon after menopause starts. We’ve seen many miraculous memory recoveries with this, and our bet is that we will eventually discover that it creates a longer, better quality of life, too (younger arteries, healthier hearts, stronger bones). The downside: We’ll see a slight increase in breast cancer because estrogen helps estrogen-sensitive breast tissue grow -- that’s why it’s not for everybody. Keep this in mind as you and your doctor decide whether, in your case, the potential benefits outweigh the risks.
Q: A while ago I began taking Chantix to quit smoking and had some unusually good side effects. Not only did I quit smoking, but I also stopped drinking, stopped biting my nails, lost weight (normally impossible), kept my apartment consistently clean, and even stuck to my monthly budget -- a first! But I recently went off of the drug and all my old habits crept back. I'm now taking half the normal dose and am doing great again! I don't think Chantix is meant to be taken long term, but I feel so much better and more together when I'm on it. Is it bad to keep taking it? -- Nan, Lexington, KY
A: Chantix helps you stop smoking by removing the pleasure -- it prevents one of your body’s feel-good chemicals, dopamine, from being released when you take a puff. It might help you stop these other unwanted behaviors in the same way -- they may have a similar chemical footprint and Chantix may take the fun out of them. We’d recommend staying on it while continually reducing the dose, cutting it in half again and then again. Work with your doc to see how infrequently you can use it and still get its benefits. Meanwhile, find a buddy -- maybe another ex-smoker -- that you can call (and vice versa) anytime you need a prod or a cheer. You’ll be amazed at how powerful this can be. Sometimes, support from a buddy can produce the same chemical changes in the brain as a drug!
Just because Mother Nature packs nutrients into fruits and vegetables more tightly than commuters on a Japanese subway doesn’t guarantee that the good stuff will last forever. How you treat produce before you eat it has a big impact on how many nutrients are still there when you eat it. Here’s how to handle three summer favorites:
· Keep watermelon out of the fridge. That’s a big whew, since there’s never room for one anyway. But whole watermelons stored at room temperature deliver more cell-protecting antioxidants (specifically lycopene and beta carotene) than melons that are refrigerated or even fresh off the farm. That’s because watermelons continue to ripen and build antioxidants after they’re picked; the big chill cuts that process short. For a cool treat, chill the sliced fruit right before serving. (And, of course, store any leftovers in the fridge.)
· Slice fresh fruit yourself. Pre-cut fruit saves time, but it opens the door for vitamin C to escape. Kiwifruit, pineapple, and cantaloupe seem particularly prone to C loss, according to one of our favorite physician-chefs, John La Puma, MD.
· Be gentle with broccoli. Cook broccoli at too high a temperature and you decrease levels of sulforaphane, its main cancer-fighting nutrient. Light cooking, however, actually boosts that good-for-you compound. Cooking broccoli to 140 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal (158 degrees Fahrenheit was the point at which sulforaphane content dropped), but if you don’t want to make a science project out of your broccoli, know that lightly steaming it does the trick.
We feel your pain. But you shouldn’t. Whether it’s in your back, neck, head, knees, or anywhere else, pain doesn’t do you any good. See, when you chronically hurt, your body’s pain receptors start to expect it, which actually ratchets up the pain a notch. If you tell your body it’s okay to ache -- by not doing anything about it -- you’re reinforcing the message that pain is okay. But you can reset this response. One of the cheapest and most interesting ways to do this yourself -- no docs, no drugs, no medical devices needed -- is with a remedy you probably already own: your headphones.
Put them on and turn on some soothing sounds. When people with osteoarthritis listened to relaxing music through headphones for 20 minutes every day for 2 weeks, their bodies felt better. In fact, the more often they listened, the better they felt. These folks listened to Mozart, but if he’s not at the top of your playlist, just pick something else that’s fairly slow -- it should have fewer than 80 beats per minute.
Other research has found even more benefits from music. Unrelenting pain makes people feel powerless, but music somehow helps restore feelings of confidence and control. And more power equals less depression from the pain (and, in a chicken-and-egg way, less depression may give you less pain). So when you want to tune out what hurts, tune in daily to a slow program on your iPod. For the greatest pain-busting benefits, try not to skip sessions.
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