This Week In The HSI Forum "Many of my friends including myself have been having memory lapses." That comment can be found in an HSI Forum thread titled "Memory Loss" that I first told you about last December. Since then, several members have added postings with follow up information and recommendations. When a member named Albert said that he was having a hard time remembering names, a member named Jim responded: "That is the exact problem that I did have. Now I can place a name with most of the faces that I knew before. It almost has to be a result of 2000 milligrams of NOW fish oil I started taking every day, because that is all that I am doing different." But not just any fish oil will do, according to a member named Sandie: "Fish oil is vital and important to a healthy brain function. HOWEVER, you have to know that you are getting pharmaceutical grade fish oil. The cheap fish oil available at discount stores as well as 'Food grade' fish oil still contains high levels of mercury, PCB's and DDT. To test the quality of your fish oil product, pour a few teaspoonfuls of liquid into a cup and place it in your freezer for five hours. (If you have capsules, cut a few of them open and squeeze the liquid out). If the oil remains liquid after that time, it may be pharmaceutical grade. If the oil is frozen solid, it's definitely not. If the level of PCBs is not stated to be less than 10 parts per billion (ppb), the fish oil probably contains significant PCBs." Last December I also told you about a member named Leppert who had her dentist remove several silver amalgam fillings. She followed this with chelation therapy and in a few months she noticed her memory had improved. A member named Mike responded to Leppert's posting with a word of caution: "Removal of amalgam must be done by a competent dentist who knows how to protect the patient from mercury vapor and particles. This has to be combined with medical treatment including supplements specifically designed to help the body eliminate the accumulated mercury burden. This is poisoning requiring skilled detoxification. Otherwise those who just go to an ordinary dentist could finish up worse off." Leppert also recommends using fish oils and ginkgo biloba, and a member named William responds with this take on ginkgo: "Around eight years ago I noticed my short memory was not as good as it should be. My thoughts were if my short memory is going maybe my long time memory is next. My studies brought forth this. Ginkgo is for short memory, Gota Kola is for long. I took these for 2 or 3 years. Essential oils like frankincense helps." And finally, a member named Janine reminds us of the dangers of artificial sweeteners: "I have an Aunt who lost her memory (couldn't find her way home a block away) and was diagnosed with aspartame poisoning, by an enlightened MD, she is off the diet soda and very slowly doing better. Eliminating any obvious neuro toxins is a first step." Check this thread for additional suggestions about treatments to address age-related memory loss. Other topics on the HSI Forum this week include: - Cure pancreatic cancer?
- Rebounding
- Diabetes 2
- Colonoscopy
- Lemon cucumbers
- Weight loss & health
To join in with any of these discussions, just go to our web site at www.hsibaltimore.com, find your way to the Forum, and share your own insights about health care and nutrition. | 
