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Alzheimer's Disease
Originally published in Natural Living Magazine Volume 2 - Issue 4Alzheimer's Disease was first recorded by the German Neurologist Dr. Alois Alzheimer at the turn of the century and was recorded in medical literature in the early 1900's. At that time it was an obscure neurological disease which did not affect many people because of the lack of environmental toxins and the decreased life expectancy of individuals who lived around 100 years ago. Most diseases of the aging brain start to increase between 65 years and 85 years of age. With today's increase in life expectancy, increase in environmental toxins and increased sophistication in medical diagnosis, Alzheimer's Disease has been brought to the fore front of the public's knowledge.
We really do not have a good understanding of how the brain actually works. We do know that the brain is a very specialized organ and that the tissues of the brain require a specialized environment to function properly. If there are even very small changes in its environment, such as decreased oxygen or glucose, this can cause significant changes in the brain function. Early signs of decreased oxygen or glucose include fatigue, feeling light headed, headaches, irritability, depression, anxiety, confusion, mental disturbances and insomnia. We know that small changes in oxygen or glucose cause the cells of the brain to die quite rapidly and that regeneration of these cells is remote if not impossible. Our goal therefore, is to decrease the damage to the brain. We also know that if the brain is healthy and not exposed to brain toxins, that there are no actual decreases in the number of brain cells after 30 years of age. Although we can not actually increase the number of brain cells with work, like we can with muscle cells, we can increase the number of nerve cell connections. Increases in the number of nerve cell connections does increase the strength of the brain and memory. The increased strength of the brain would be related to increased memory, increased cognitive function and clarity of thought. This increased strength of the brain is caused by mental exercise that would enrich the brain's activities such as learning a new language, hobbies and games, help promote better brain function. Converse high stress levels and negative thoughts such as worry and anxiety would cause a decrease in brain function.
Materials which are toxic to the brain include; organic solvents such as paint thinners, gasoline fumes, lighter fluid, and n-hexane which is used in aerosol propellants, some medications and aluminum. These toxins increase free radical damage to the brain and can be prevented by avoiding contact with the above mentioned toxins, and taking a daily dose of antioxidants.
The brain works like a computer, but the human brain is immensely more complicated than a computer. If you allowed your computer to be covered with dust, or not protect it against power surges, or if you poured a cup of coffee on it, it would not work or not work well. The brain is similar and requires a good blood supply that provides plenty of oxygen and essential nutrients. The following are Nutraceuticals which improve blood flow to the brain, provide essential nutrients and protect the brain from damage. You must, for your part, adopt a healthier lifestyle which would include physical and mental exercise.
Ginkgo Biloba is one of the most studied herbal remedies having had 40 double blind studies done on its effectiveness. Ginkgo Biloba extract is a registered drug in Germany and France, specifically for the treatment of cerebrovascular disease. Cerebrovascular disease causes the vascular supply to the brain to restrict blood flow and restricted blood flow causes cerebral deterioration and the resulting loss of memory. The medical studies show that Ginkgo Biloba was specific for increasing cerebrovascular circulation and that with improved circulation reversal in brain deterioration resulted. Studies showed that increased vascular flow improved with in 6 to 8 weeks and that improvement continued for up to 24 weeks. With the increased vascular flow, previous problems of short term memory loss, lack of concentration and headaches improved.
Lecithin is best known as a phosphatide and is essential for normal brain function. Lecithin contains choline which is used by the body to produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, one of the chemicals which allows for neural synapses. The neural synapses between nerve cells are used by the brain to communicate information. The failure of nerve cells to produce acetylcholine will result in poor memory. Another function of choline is to increase the strength of the neural cell membranes and thus the health of the brain and nerve cells. Lecithin is also known as a lipotropic factor, this means it is used for the transport of fatty material through the blood stream and liver. Without lipotropic factors the blood vessels and liver would become clogged with fat and prevent the formation of choline while decreasing the circulation of blood to the brain.
Phosphatidylserine is another very important nutrient for maintaining healthy brain cells, because it also helps the production of choline. The body can produce choline from either phosphatidylserine or phosphatydymethionine, but phosphatidylserine is a more available source. Phosphatidylserine is also responsible for maintaining a healthy brain, nerve cells and the chemicals that maintain neural synapses.
As well as adopting the above recommendations to improve the brain and thus our memory, there are certain things you should avoid. The first thing to avoid is heavy consumption of alcohol as the brain's deterioration is well documented in alcoholics. Avoid contact with aluminum and lead products such as those found in paints and aluminum cook ware. Although the cause of Alzheimer's is not known, an unusually high level of aluminum is found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Low blood sugar levels found in hypoglycemia cause starvatin of the brain, which requires large amounts of energy derived from glucose to work at its optimum level, this glucose starvation leads to decreased brain function. Additionally, use of barbiturates and psychotrophic drugs cause brain deterioration. People suffering from either Diabetes Mellitus or Hypothyroidism should also take extra precautions to prevent deterioration of memory.
By Dr. Daryl Bourke
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