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Memory supplements

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Flakie

Flakie

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Im feeling the need for something to boost my memory a bit. I don’t think it’s anything serious at this stage but have begun to notice my forgetfulness and usually I’m quite sharp and in control. I’ve looked at supplements online as I use Healthspan for a couple for hubby for his heart and joints, and he has found them to be beneficial. Has anyone tried anything that they could recommend? These things always have a disclaimer to say you should consult your GP if you have any underlying health conditions but I can’t keep doing that! The ones I’ve looked at have omega fish oils in them as well as certain vitamins and ginkgo biloba. I already take a multivitamin each day for the over 50s which is quite comprehensive. Just thought I’d try something for a few weeks before I see a doc about it but don’t want to take anything that might affect the diabetes. Thanks.
 
Funnily enough, I was just reading an article about supplements in the New Scientist. Essentially, they say don’t bother. The reason is fallacious thinking. There is evidence that diets high in omega 3 are good for the brain. Lots of omega 3 in oily fish. It doesn’t follow that omega 3 supplements have the same benefit, indeed studies have shown little benefit. That’s because supplements don’t come with everything else that’s in fish, that hasn’t yet been identified. You can’t replace the whole diet with supplements. Often, supplements have much lower active stuff than normal food.

So by and large, supplements are a waste of money if you have a healthy diet with a fair amount of oily fish, a reasonable amount of red meat, lots of fruit and veggies and fibre. You can’t do any more with supplements. And you can’t get fibre in a pill. That’s the easy way to do it, always has been. It’s harder if you’re vegan or vegetarian, so supplements might help.

If you think about this, it’s blindingly obvious. Nobody can live off a diet of pills. You have to eat food to get the benefit.

Ginkgo Biloba is a prehistoric tree - it was around when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. Although long prized as medicine in the Far East, no formal studies have shown any benefit at all in cognitive function. Or anything else, come to think. They grow quite happily in acid soils if you fancy one in the garden. The leaves turn saffron yellow in winter. Just watch out for marauding sauropods.
 
Flakie said:
Im feeling the need for something to boost my memory a bit. I don’t think it’s anything serious at this stage but have begun to notice my forgetfulness and usually I’m quite sharp and in control. I’ve looked at supplements online as I use Healthspan for a couple for hubby for his heart and joints, and he has found them to be beneficial. Has anyone tried anything that they could recommend? These things always have a disclaimer to say you should consult your GP if you have any underlying health conditions but I can’t keep doing that! The ones I’ve looked at have omega fish oils in them as well as certain vitamins and ginkgo biloba. I already take a multivitamin each day for the over 50s which is quite comprehensive. Just thought I’d try something for a few weeks before I see a doc about it but don’t want to take anything that might affect the diabetes. Thanks.
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Flakie - I'm not a believer in supplements, although having had a low VitD result, I do top that up, on an advised basis. Forr that I take Vit D3+K2 and also use Magnesium as they all sort of go together.

If I think I'm having a forgetful day, I always ask myself if I have taken on board enough fluids. If I allow myself to become dehydrated, my memory becomes quite dodgy.

Just, finally, some people taking statins also find their memory is impacted. I have never taken statins, so can't comment on that from a personal perspective.
 
My very first thought was 'I hope she's not on statins!' - cos I had the awful memory side effects - eventually losing entire days at work and my sister's name in the middle of a conversation - and I'd had trouble finding the word I wanted for a while. You fight it cos you fear you have Alzheimer's. I refuse to endanger going there again as a side effect of something - if I have a cardiac event it will terrify me, not because I'm that frightened of having cardiac trouble or that it might kill me - but because I know they'll try to bully me into taking the pox ridden things.
 
I am on statins but just 20mg daily. I’ve been on them for ages and I’m not really sure why to be honest! I’m only on blood pressure meds apart from that so it must be something to do with that. I think I’m due a med check with the doc soon so will have a word. Didn’t think of that.
 
Fortunately I am recorded as having had side affects, mine was more aches and pains.
 
Well, Flakie, I was on statins for years, but when my total cholesterol hit 3.2 I wondered why I was taking statins. You need cholesterol to make myelin and stuff, so I thought sod that for a game and gave up. It’s still in the normal range. I don’t like taking drugs for no reason.

I suspect you were put on statins because of the fashion for sticking every T2 on statins because it stopped fat American diabetics having the occasional heart attack. Nobody noticed that thin Americans who weren’t diabetic were having the same rate of heart attacks, and only the folk who had had heart attacks benefitted from being on a statin.

But don’t let me put you off taking them, I’m just a rebel.🙂
 
Before being asked to go on statins and when applying for travel insurance I was asked if I had been asked to go on statins, not whether I was or not. So before I was ever asked I requested that the doctor puts on my notes not to ask me, so that if I was asked that question again I could answer truthfully that I had not been asked 😉
 
If they asked me that, I could answer No as well, and absolutely truthfully. Uberrima Fides runs in my bloodstream!

I wasn't asked, I was told how brilliantly protective it would be and side effects weren't ever mentioned. I've been told that numerous times since by medical staff too. I've never been asked to take any drug for any condition, come to think. Just told that the medic thinks they will help whatever it is, usually as writing the prescription LOL
 
If you need a supplement for memory would you remember to take them? :D Gets coat...………...
 
I was put on them quite some time ago - pre diabetes - and my cholesterol is 3.4 so I will have a word with the gp. That’s if I remember!
 
Flakie said:
I was put on them quite some time ago - pre diabetes - and my cholesterol is 3.4 so I will have a word with the gp. That’s if I remember!
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I was put on statins at diagnosis and my cholesterol came down to 2.4 - so I stopped taking them for the same reasons @mikeyB quotes. I'm sure that the general public is pretty unaware that cholesterol (at least some!) is essential to life and that approaching zero is not actually healthy! 😱 One doctor tried to persuade me by quoting a study of an ethnic minority tribe in Northern China who had low cholesterol and low incidence of cardiovascular disease - I pointed out that I was from Brighouse in West Yorkshire, and maybe there were other differences between me and them ... 🙄
 
Flakie said:
I was put on them quite some time ago - pre diabetes - and my cholesterol is 3.4 so I will have a word with the gp. That’s if I remember!
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Flakie - If you stop taking your statin, please do not expect any change with your memory to be evident quickly, unless you gt very lucky. Most folks I have encountered who suffered with undesirable side-effects found it took some time for their plights to improve.

Good luck with it, whatever you decide to do.
 
Madeline said:
I’m with @trophywench, Hell will freeze over before I take statins.
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