Medical Questions » Heart Questions » Question No. 1317
| Question: | My 78-year-old father is on warfarin, and since having a stroke is rapidly losing his memory and focus. I want to wean him off warfarin and wondered about supplements. |
| Answer: | Our brains are made largely out of phospholipids and essential fats. Phospholipids, combinations of fatty acids and phosphate groups, are one of the building blocks of membranes; essential fats are the beneficial fatty acids found in seeds, nuts and oily fish as well as grey matter. The evidence is mounting that a person' s intake of these has a direct effect on their mental health and emotional intelligence. So I would give your father phospholipids - particularly phosphatidyl serine and choline. You can find these in lecithin granules (available from healthfood shops); give him a dessertspoonful twice a day. Free-range organic eggs and organic organ meats such as kidneys are also excellent sources of phospholipids. I would also advise getting his homocysteine tested, as this amino acid can affect brain function as well as cardiovascular health.
Essential fatty acids such as the omega-3s are trickier, as these thin the blood as well as benefit the brain. So he can' t supplement significant amounts of them while he' s on warfarin. Ensure, however, that he' s eating oily fish, or flax or pumpkin seeds, as the omega-3s in these will boost his brain power safely. In terms of weaning him off warfarin, he' ll have to do this under the guidance of his doctor. Once he is safely off it, he can supplement with omega-3s and vitamin E as alternative blood thinners. A tablespoon of flax seed oil and 300mg (approximately 400iu) of vitamin E will probably do it, but you really need to do this under the guidance of an informed doctor or a nutritional therapist. |
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