Be SMART!

I love reading the latest news on the UVa Health System Blog!

Yesterday I read an article (quoted below) about Chiro-Innositol which shows promise in treating Alzheimer’s disease.

I am never inclined to try self-prescribing the latest popular  over-the-counter supplement because many of them have not been studied enough to suggest a daily dose or to predict possible injurious side effects. However when I read an article about a new promising compound found in nature I DO try to find foods that supply that nutrient in natural form.

I learned that D-Chiro-inositol is found in buckwheat flour, and upon researching  further found that buckwheat is not related to wheat at all, but is more closely related to rhubarb!

I have been experimenting lately with soba noodles, which are made of buckwheat.  The simple way to serve them is to cook the noodles separately, drain, and place them in a  soup bowl, and then cover the noodles with a broth packed with veggies and a little protein such as shirred egg or cubes of tofu. — A pleasing meal-in-a-bowl that just might just preserve a little brain power!

There’s a lot of debate about the benefits of nutritional supplements and whether some do more harm than good. But researchers found one supplement that may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Chiro-inositol, a compound that occurs naturally in foods, protects the brain from the toxins that cause Alzheimer’s, UVA and Northwestern University researchers found. Alzheimer’s-affected brains are resistant to insulin, and they don’t use glucose very well. Researchers believe chiro-inositols help the brain overcome this insulin resistance.

via Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease: Supplement Chiro-inositol May Help | UVA Health System Blog.