ALZHEIMER’S

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE IS a progressive degenerative disease of the brain. We used to regard older people who were showing signs of memory loss as senile; today we know they may be suffering from Alzheimer’s.

But Alzheimer’s is far more than simple memory loss; it’s the gradual, permanent tangling of the nerve fibers that surround the memory center of the brain. Alzheimer’s begins with simple repeated memory loss, particularlv for reagent events, develops into obvious confusion, and ultimately causes troubling personality changes and a complete inability to communicate or survive independently.

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is usually made by process of elimination -only an autopsy of the brain will reveal the definitive evidence-and it is important when suspecting Alzheimer’s to eliminate other factors that can cause memory loss or behavior that mimics Alzheimer’s. Here are some of the possibilities that should be investigated.

DRUG INTERACTION:

Many people, particularly older people, take various medications-prescription and nonprescription-that could be having an effect on their memory, either alone or due to an interaction with another drug

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE:

Uncontrolled high blood pressure, often caused by hardening of the arteries, can cause strokes that destroy brain tissue and result in memory loss

INFECTIONS:

Various kinds of infections, can cause symptoms that resemble Alzheimer’s. Lyme disease has recently been recognized as a cause of symptoms that have been mistaken for Alzheimer’s.

POOR THYROID FUNCTION:

A thyroid that is not functioning properly can also cause Alzheimer’s like symptoms.

BRAIN TUMOR:

The pressure from a brain tumor can disrupt the normal functioning of the brain and can cause symptoms that involve the memory.

It’s important to eliminate all these possibilities before deciding that someone is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. A recent fascinating study has suggested a diagnostic tool by which simple forgetfulness can be distinguished from Alzheimer’s. Patients were asked to draw the face of a clock with the time showing 2:45. People who were able to do so, despite other symptoms, were found to be normal; those with Alzheimer’s disease could not draw the clock.

While no one has yet been able to pinpoint the precise cause of Alzheimer’s disease, some very interesting recent research has shown that hardened buildups of a protein called be beta-amyloid is instrumental. These buildups used to be recognized as a result of the disease, but now there’s mounting evidence that they’re part of the cause. Recent findings suggest that low levels of a chemical that carries messages between nerve cells-acetylcholine-contributes to the formation of these deposits that in effect clog brain tissue. It’s encouraging to note that researchers have found that there’s a natural hormone called substance P that’s effective in disabling the beta-amyloid. Research on this front has just begun, but it bodes well for one day developing a real prevention and/or cure for Alzheimer’s.

What can you do for someone who does have Alzheimer’s disease? Unfortunately there is no cure, either natural or otherwise, for Alzheimer’s. The one drug approved by the government for treating Alzheimer’s has recently been found to be ineffective. Hydergine (the eleventh most prescribed drug in the world) was found to “cause cognitive dysfunction, perhaps through a direct toxic effect or by accelerating the progression of Alzheimer’s disease,” according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

But there are many steps that can be taken to help Alzheimer’s victims retard the progression of the disease, and, perhaps more important, to help people who are suffering from the very beginning stages of Alzheimer’s delay the development of symptoms. All these steps relate to the various causes of Alzheimer’s and are an effort to improve weakened functions or stave off the degeneration of other functions.

Many Alzheimer’s victims have significantly low levels of vitamin B12. Since typical blood tests often do not reveal this deficiency, there has been some skepticism about B12 supplementation for Alzheimer’s sufferers. But the fact is, a deficiency need not be severe enough to reveal itself in a blood test in order to cause symptoms, and sometimes changes in the blood never occur even though there are severe deficiencies in other tissues. B12 deficiency is associated with depression, memory lapses, confusion, and degeneration-all symptoms shared by Alzheimer’s victims.

Though the role of aluminum toxicity in promoting Alzheimer’s disease has been debated, there is a great deal of evidence that there is a connection. Autopsies of the brains of people with Alzheimer’s have revealed increased levels of aluminum as well as silicon. An extremely convincing argument for the role of aluminum in Alzheimer’s is that patients who are undergoing kidney dialysis develop “dialysis dementia” as a combined result of using antacids containing aluminum and aluminum levels in the water used for dialysis. Every one of us is consuming a great deal of aluminum: acid rain draws aluminum out of the soil and into drinking water; aluminum is a common food additive; everythine: from beer stored in aluminum cans to dandruff shamgoos contain certain amounts of aluminum salts. While you can’t completely eliminate aluminum from your diet, it’s prudent for everyone to make an effort to avoid as many sources of aluminum as possible including:

Aluminum cookware.
Antacids: Many antacids contain aluminum hydroxide, which is an aluminum salt. Di-Gel, Gelusil, Maalox, Mylanta, Riopan, and Rolaids are among those that do contain aluminum. I recommend that you do not take antacids containing aluminum for calcium supplementation. Read the label when you buy antacids: There are at least twenty antacids that don’t contain aluminum.
Buffered aspirin can contain up to 88 mg. of aluminum per dose. Again, read the label before you buy.
Douches can contain aluminum salts, and we don’t really know how much of these salts the body absorbs.
Medicines for diarrhea, including Kaopectate and Donnagel, can contain up to 600 g. of aluminum salts. Check the label before you buy.

Free radicals are unstable chemical compounds that react with other, stable compounds, thus causing a chain reaction that repairs and ultimately damages cells and then tissues of the body. Damage from free radicals has been implicated in many diseases including Alzheimer’s. Of course the body has a natural system to deactivate free radicals; if it didn’t it would become crippled and destroyed. Certain vitamins, minerals, and enzymes link with the free radicals and stabilize them so they are rendered safe. These vitamins, minerals, and enzymes comprise the body’s antioxidant system.

But many people may be deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, and it is believed that these deficiencies can ultimately allow free radicals to severely damage the body and result in diseases including atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis cancer, premature aging, and Alzheimer’s disease. More than one study has demonstrated that the brains of People with Alzheimer’s are low in antioxidant vitamins, possibly exposing brain neurons to increased oxidative damage. Many researchers believe that supplements of antioxidants offer a measure of protection against Alzheimers. The antioxidants that I recommend in connection with Alzheimer’s include the antioxidant vitamin/mineral formula that contains 50 mg. of the B vitamins along with vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and selenium.

Extract of Gingko Biloba plant, has been shown to facilitate the rate at which the nerve cells can transmit information-a system that becomes impaired in the course of Alzheimer’s disease. A number of studies have demonstrated that taking supplements of Gingko biloba can help patients with Alzheimer’s reach near-normal levels of vigilance and performance. You can get ginkgo extract at health food stores.

There has also been promising research that’s shown that choline, a nutrient essential for the formation of one of the crucial neurotransmitters in the brain, can he helpful in increasing memory.

Zinc, a mineral that plays a role in preventing the degeneration of the nerve system, can be useful in fighting Alzheimer’s.

NATURAL PRESCRIPTION FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Investigate ail possible causes of Alzheimer’s like symptoms as described to be sure that the problem is not being caused by drug interaction, high blood pressure, Infections, poor thyroid functions for a brain tumor.
Aluminum elimination: Avoid all potential sources of aluminum including any cookware, antacids, buffered aspirin, douches, or diarrhea medicines.

IN ADDITION TO YOUR DAILY SUPPLEMENTS, TAKE:

Vitamin C: 1,000 mg. daily,
Vitamin E: 400 I.U. daily.
Beta-Carotene: 10,000 I.U. daily
Selenium: 50 mcg. daily.
Vitamin B12: 1,000 mcg. daily dissolved under the tongue.
Ginkgo biloba: 40 mg. three to four times daily.
Choline: 650 mg. three times daily.
Zinc: 50 mg. daily.

IN ADDITION: In one recent study, thirty patients with Alzheimer’s took the following supplements daily: 6 g. of evening primrose oil, 90 mg. of zinc sulfate, and 2 mg. of selenium. These patients had significant improvements in performance tests.

Another study found that patients who received supplements of L-carnitine had less deterioration in attention span and performance of tasks. They received 2.5 g. of carnitine daily for three months followed by 3 g. daily for three months.