by
Lawrence Wilson, MD
© November 2010, The Center For
Development
AlzheimerÕs
disease and other dementias are very costly and very debilitating conditions
affecting literally millions worldwide. This condition is also very depressing
and frustrating for the family of the one so affected and other loved
ones. The incidence of dementias
is also expected to increase drastically in the next 10-20 years. Therefore, anything that can be done to
limit it is worth doing.
The
medical profession often does not know the cause for dementia. Biochemical causes include nutrient
deficiencies, especially magnesium and zinc, impaired circulation to the brain
due to arteriosclerosis in most cases, toxic metals such as aluminum, mercury
and others, and perhaps the use of certain pharmaceutical drugs.
Simple
steps can often reduce the progression of dementias and, in many cases, prevent
the condition completely. For
those already affected, nutritional balancing programs may be very helpful in
some cases. Let us begin by examining
common causes of dementias, including AlzheimerÕs disease.
1.
A common cause of brain fog and dementia, especially in older people, but at
all ages, is the buildup of yeast in the brain. Not only is the yeast toxic, but it
secretes alcohol, which is also toxic for the brain. Normally, the brain is protected from the ravages of alcohol
to some extent by the so-called blood-brain barrier.
While this barrier does not prevent one
from becoming inebriated, it does protect the brain to a degree from other
toxins in alcohol and other effects of alcohol. However, there is no protection when the alcohol is actually
made in the brain by yeast organisms.
To correct this type of dementia and
brain fog, the first order of business is always to reduce all sugars and in
fact all simple and complex carbohydrates to an absolute minimum. Eliminating all sugars or simple
carbohydrates, including all fruit and all juices, is most essential. Then, slowly, the body chemistry can be
balanced and this can stop this horrendous problem.
2.
Pharmaceutical (or recreational) drug usage. Toxicity from
medications of all sorts, even over-the-counter remedies, can have important
effects on the nervous system.
For example, drugs can reduce vitamin
levels. Others interfere with
digestion and elimination. Others
damage the liver or kidneys, impairing general health. Others slow the circulation of the
blood and this can affect circulation to the brain.
High blood pressure drugs, for example,
reduce the force of the heart.
This successfully reduces blood pressure and may prevent a stroke.
However, it can reduce blood flow to the brain as well. Some heart medications, glaucoma drugs
and others may do the same as high blood pressure medication. Any drug that reduces blood flow or
heart stress may reduce circulation to the brain. This affects memory and other cognitive functions in most
cases, to some degree.
Anesthesia used in many operations and
other procedures is another type of drug that may affect the brain over a
longer period of time. For
example, bypass surgery often causes some degree of memory loss or cognitive
loss because it is a long surgery requiring a lot of anesthesia. Many other classes of drugs may have side
subtle side effects that alter brain function to a degree. Contrary to popular
opinion, all drugs remain in the body and the brain to some degree for years,
and perhaps forever unless one makes a definite effort to remove them.
Here are some steps to help reduce your
drug usage.
a) Stop any drug that you really donÕt
have to take. Surprisingly, many
doctors prescribe drugs just for ÒcomfortÓ or other reasons that are not too
important. Yet they all have side
effects, one of which may be dementia.
b) Reduce your dosages as much as
possible.
c) Read the side effects of all drugs
you use, even over-the-counter drugs.
Note if dementia, memory loss or some other brain abnormality is one of
the side effects. If so, talk with
your doctor about changing drugs to one that does not have this side effect.
Note that if you are taking
combinations of drugs, the side effects cannot even be predicted, as there are
so many possible combinations. I
think it would be rare that anyone really needs to be taking more than several
drugs, even though many people are taking half a dozen or more. Many times, natural products will work
as well or even better, and are often less costly as well.
3.
Other malnutrition.
This is another very common cause of some dementias. Often it is a very subtle and insidious
form of malnutrition in which one is eating regularly, but not digesting or
absorbing food adequately. This is
extremely common in older people today.
Here is more information about this type of malnutrition of the older
population:
á
Slow and insidious (hidden).
á
Causes no obvious visible signs and
symptoms.
á
Symptoms are usually confused with
other diseases, since malnutrition can cause almost any symptom imaginable.
á
Far more common than imagined. Indeed, it affects most people as they
age.
á
Does not matter where one lives or how
much money one has.
á
Often it does not matter much if one
eats well.
Deficiency
of B-complex vitamins, for example, can lead to dementia. This is well-known in the medical
literature. However, most doctors
do not insist on tests or B-vitamin shots, though they are very inexpensive and
simple to give. These alone can
cure an early case of dementia if this is the cause.
Vitamin
B-12, in particular, is required for proper mental function. Deficiency symptoms include confusion,
memory loss and other brain-related symptoms. It is a crime that this is not recognized more in the
medical field, now totally dominated by drug use.
Prevention
with B-12. I recommend a
vitamin B-12 shot for everyone over the age of about 65 or 70, at least one per
year or preferably more. This
might prevent the worst type of dementia from lack of B-12, which is often
irreversible.
All
seniors should also take extra vitamin B-12 in tablets or better, in sublingual
lozenges, to offset the normal decline in the ability to absorb this vital
vitamin. This would actually
prevent most early cases of dementia completely.
Why
are most seniors malnourished? There
are several reasons why this is virtually an epidemic.
a)
Most eat less food. This, alone,
leads to malnutrition, of course.
b)
Most do not want to cook as much as previously. This means they eat out more frequently or eat more
packaged, prepared meals. Both of
these tend to be less nutritious than home-cooked meals.
c)
Many do not digest food as well.
This is due to age, use of pharmaceuticals, low enzymes or other
conditions that affect digestion or the energy level. Poorer digestion means one will be less well nourished by
oneÕs food.
d)
Many do not even like eating any more.
It is normal for appetite to decrease with age. One reason is a zinc deficiency in
relation to copper. As explained
above, many nutritional deficiencies become worse with age. This leads many seniors and even
middle-aged people to reduce their eating quantity and quality.
e)
More stress. Seniors are more open
to stress because they are not as strong and resilient as when they were
young. Stress from any source
reduces digestive ability, while at the same time increases the need for vital
nutrients.
f)
TodayÕs food supply. Even if one
eats enough of excellent food and can digest and absorb nutrients, todayÕs food
is not as healthful as that of 50 or 100 years ago, in general. Thus one can become malnourished over
time even if one is eating well and the body can digest and absorb food
correctly.
4.
Toxic metals and toxic chemicals. This is another common cause of
dementias. EveryoneÕs body
accumulates more toxic substances as they age. This is due to:
a) Much more sluggish metabolism, and
with age most peopleÕs kidneys, liver and bowel do not work as well. This causes toxins to back up into the
blood stream and be deposited throughout the body, including in the brain. Often some toxins are produced in the
digestive tract due to impaired digestion.
One type of chemical buildup is called
glycation, in which sugars infiltrate and change the structures of certain
cells and cell membranes of the body.
A deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids
also speeds up aging to a degree.
This deficiency contributes to hardening of the cell membranes and other
structures.
b)
Impaired nutrition. When one eats
fewer essential minerals, the body absorbs more toxic metals from the
environment.
c)
Drug use. Many pharmaceutical
items contain a little toxic metals such as mercury in flu shots and blood
pressure drugs, aluminum in antiacids and so forth.
F)
Food and other environmental exposure.
The worst offender here is aluminum, which is directly associated in
some studies with memory loss and perhaps other dementia symptoms.
Aluminum
is added to drinking water. In
addition to drinking it, it is found in all prepared foods made with water such
as beverages, breads, and cooked items of all types. Aluminum is also added to table salt and is found in anti-perspirants,
anti-acids (except Tums) and other common products we touch or ingest. For example, it is added to buffered
Aspirin and other over-the-counter products.
5.
Impaired circulation to the brain. This is a very important cause of dementias of all
kinds. It cannot be
overestimated. Reasons for this
include inactivity, which reduces general circulation to some degree. However, the most important reason is
some degree of arteriosclerosis affecting the arteries leading to the brain.
This,
in turn, is due to many factors such as slow oxidation, the accumulation of
toxic metals that affect the lining of the arteries, inflammation of the
arteries for various reasons, and others.
Nutrient deficiencies, of course, also contribute to arteriosclerosis and
atherosclerosis. For example,
copper deficiency is high correlated with atherosclerosis.
6.
Inactivity, both mental and physical at times. As mentioned above, less exercise
reduces circulation to the brain to some degree. Reduced mental activity also impairs circulation to the
brain, strange as it sounds. If
oneÕs activity is mental, the brain requires more calories and must have better
circulation to keep functioning properly.
So even mental activity, such as doing
crossword puzzles or even watching television, improves brain circulation to
some degree. Problems tend to be
worse in seniors who just sit all day staring out the window, however.
We
recommend the following for all cases of early dementia. (For late cases, see
the recommendations below.)
1) Follow instructions above regarding
prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
2) Use your mind and exercise daily.
3) Begin a nutritional balancing
program based on a properly performed and properly interpreted tissue mineral
analysis.
4) Sauna therapy is inexpensive and
easy for seniors and others with limited resources and limited mobility.
5) In addition to your regular
supplement program on a nutritional balancing program, add the following:
á
Vitamin E, about 800-1200 iu daily of
natural source vitamin E.
á
Gingko biloba, an herb sold in most
health stores. Quality varies, so
ask for an excellent brand and perhaps try a few if you are not sure.
á
Coenzyme Q-10, about 100 mg or more
daily, preferably in a lozenge for best absorption. This is also sold in most health food stores.
á
Selenium, preferably food-based, about
100 mcg/day or more.
á
Omega-3 fatty acids, about 6 capsules
or 1 tablespoon daily of fish oil, preferably.
á
Kelp, about 3 capsules or 15 tablets
daily.
á
Vitamin D, about 4000 iu daily or more.
á
Carrot juice – about 10-15 ounces
daily.
For
more advanced cases, following a nutritional balancing
program may be difficult or impossible unless you have excellent care. If someone is caring for you, then this
is the best course.
If
not, do whatever you can with quality food and vitamins to enhance your
nutrition. If possible, include
supplements, vegetable juices and other nutritional aids to supplement your
diet. Chew thoroughly, eat slowly
and sit quietly during meals.
Some
people, as they age, decide they just do not want to be on planet earth any
more. This is understandable, as
their bodies are not working well and life is just not much fun or productive
as it once was. Many are confined
to the house or worse, in bed, and must be cared for by others, though the
person wishes it were not so.
Dementia
can be a way that a person Òtunes outÓ the world. This is not ideal, but it is common as people age. It is even more common today,
complicated by all the nutritional imbalances and toxic exposures discussed
above.
As
a result, in some cases, one must not only overcome the physical causes of
dementia in order to restore normal functioning, but also the emotional or
spiritual reasons for the condition.
This can make correction slow and less effective, and is a common
problem in dealing with dementias.
BRAIN FOG, MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT (MCI) AND DEMENTIA
Many
people complain today of brain fog.
In fact, brain fog can be considered an early form of dementia. Most of the time it is reversible,
however, quite easily using a nutritional balancing program. Its causes are the same as those listed
above in most cases. Mild
cognitive impairment is a newer term that medical doctors are using to describe
mild or early forms of dementia.
References
An
excellent longer article on AlzheimerÕs with more references is available at:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/19/vitamin-b12-helps-ward-off-alzheimers.aspx
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