Winter Maladies: Natural Approaches
June Russell's Health Facts
Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia
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[Risk Factors for Dementia] [Help for Alzheimer's Symptoms] [Related Links]
Experts on Alzheimer’s, a fatal disease that impairs memory, thinking and behavior, predict the number of cases could explode over the coming decades as the population ages. Failing memory may be a sign of other conditions, says Dr. Gunhild Waldemar, director of the Copenhagen Memory Clinic. About 12 million have Alzheimer’s, which includes four million Americans.
Risk Factors for Dementia
Alzheimer’s Disease nearly doubled in subjects with a high level of homocysteine (New England Journal of Medicine, 2002). Some researchers believe that dementia begins many years before the symptoms become apparent. Homocysteine levels can be reduced by taking a combination of “B” vitamins. Alzheimer’s patients found to be deficient in B12 and folate.
It is obvious that there is not one, but multiple causes of senile dementia and Alzheimer’s. One study at Case Western University in Cleveland showed that out of a control group of 373 older adults, those who had led the most sedentary lifestyle and had the least exercise were 3-1/2 times more likely to get Alzheimer’s. Susceptibility also depends on lifestyle and exposure to other stressors such as poor nutrition and environmental factors, says Abram Hoffer, MD, a pioneer of orthomolecular and nutritional medicine.
It is estimated that 20% of suspected Alzheimer’s patients are suffering the effects of multiple minor strokes; another 20% are reaping the effects of “lifestyle errors” and another 10% have clinical depression. Symptoms of cognitive impairment can also be produced by chronic food allergies, exposure to environmental chemicals (lead, arsenic, aluminum), and mercury toxicity (from dental amalgams). One factor that is gaining ever stronger emphasis is a lifetime of chronic unrelenting stress. This excess stress releases inordinate amounts of cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. In moderate amounts, it is not harmful. But the brain’s chronic exposure to toxic levels of cortisol injures and even kills brain cells “by the billions” says Saram Singh Khalsa, MD, author of the book “Brain Longevity.” Dr. Khalsa believes that cortisol toxicity is one of the primary causes of Alzheimer’s. Clinical studies show that cortisol damages the nerve cells of the hippocampus and blocks their ability to absorb blood sugar (glucose), the brain’s sole nutrient. Cortisol also blocks the delivery of glucose to the mitochondria, the “energy factories” of all cells. Cortisol also impedes the smooth functioning of the brain’s messenger chemicals called neurotransmitters. When information that is supposed to jump from one nerve cell to the next doesn’t, you start forgetting names, faces, and contexts. These chemical abnormalities lead the brain to being flooded with calcium and free radicals (toxic substances that damage cells) and the free radicals further damage the mitochondria. Memory is particularly damaged by cortisol during the aging process.
Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital say that it is not aluminum but possibly deposits of copper and zinc in the brain that cause the distinctive changes associated with Alzheimer’s. Young adults who suffer a moderate or severe head injury have more than double the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. {health central.com - October 2000} Help for Alzheimer's Symptoms--- Pharmaceuticals ---
Alzheimer’s shows loss of cells in the thinking part of the brain, particularly cells that release a chemical called acetylcholine. The medications, Cognex or Aricept, usually produce a modest improvement in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease by increasing the duration of action of acetylcholine. However, they can sometimes cause severe side effects due to the exaggeration of acetylcholine’s action on the other parts of the body. --- Natural Therapies ---
Aricept is the newest drug for dementia but help is minimal. Natural therapies hold more promise and are less toxic. Studies have shown that vitamin E can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. Inositol in high doses can be helpful (12 grams a day). We can make sure the toxic levels of any metals are lowered through chelation therapy. Utilize antioxidants and use ginkgo.
There are natural treatments for Alzheimer’s disease with significant scientific evidence behind them: ginkgo and phosphatidylserine (PS). Huperzine A and vinpocetine, while technically not natural substances, may also improve mental function in people with dementia.
To protect against Alzheimer’s disease: increase your intake of antioxidants such as A, C, and E, consume fish at least once a week, treat your high cholesterol and high blood pressure with natural remedies, and increase B vitamins (B vitamins decrease homocysteine) Add curcumin (found in the curry spice, turmeric) to your foods, take Ginkgo biloba supplements, exercise, and keep busy, busy, busy. Controlling these lifestyle factors has a large role in preventing or delaying Alzheimer’s. Related Links on this Site |