ALZHEIMER
The World Health Organization predicts that by the year 2050, the number of people over 80 years of age will almost double in the world. quadruple to 395 million - and 1 in 6 will live with dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
In 2015, an estimated 5.3 million people in most industrialized countries were diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. This number is expected to increase year on year as the proportion of the population over 65 years of age continues to rise. The global cost of Alzheimer's now amounts to €600 billion per year and is expected to rise further.
Families suffer the most from Alzheimer's disease
«In general, family members tend to feel the pain of this disease the most because they still have memories, unlike the patients who have lost them.
The most difficult part of considering admitting a loved one to a care facility far from home is often for the family, leaving them in a place not knowing if they will notice what is happening or if they will feel abandoned. Undoubtedly, this is a decision on a very personal level with multiple factors whose relevance varies in each situation, and each patient is different.
Experts report that, while many patients with early dementia may find it difficult to adjust to life in a strange place and without their families, many in advanced stages adapt surprisingly well to a place with good care, because they «live in a world of memories.»
Continuous efforts must be made to improve the quality of life and care for people living with dementia, and this requires awareness of prevention. Studies show that loneliness is related to the onset of Alzheimer's disease, as well as the emotional stress.
How to reduce your risk of dementia or Alzheimer's through nutrition
Since there is no conventional cure for dementia, the issue of prevention is paramount. As Dr. Perlmutter points out, evidence points to several lifestyle factors as underlying causes of dementia, and in parallel, fat avoidance and excessive carbohydrate consumption are at the epicenter of the disease.
The following list of basic nutritional strategies will help you keep your brain healthy as you age:
1.Avoid refined sugar and fructose. - Ideally, you should keep your sugar levels to a minimum, where your sugar intake should be kept to a minimum. fructose total is less than 25 grams per day, or up to 15 grams per day in case you suffer from insulin or leptin resistance.
Avoid all artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame, which studies have linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease.
2.Avoid gluten and casein (especially wheat and pasteurized dairy products, but do not grease dairy, such as butter) - Research has shown that gluten negatively affects your blood-brain barrier and makes your gut more permeable, which promotes inflammation and immune dysfunction, and both of these factors are believed to play a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Optimize your intestinal flora through the consumption of fermented foods.
4.Increase consumption of healthy fats, such as omega-3 fats from animal sources. - Obtain sufficient omega-3 fats, such as those found in wild Alaskan salmon, sardines and krill oil, which helps protect your brain.
5.Reduce your total caloric intake or practice intermittent fasting. - The intermittent fasting is a powerful tool that stimulates your body to remember how to burn fat and repair insulin or leptin resistance, which is a major factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease.
6.Improve your magnesium level. - Preliminary research suggests that the increase in the magnesium levels in the brain can lead to a decrease in the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
Unfortunately, most magnesium supplements do not cross the blood-brain barrier, however, all indications are that magnesium threonate can cross it, so it may be superior to other forms.
7.Eat a nutritious diet, rich in folate and zinc. - Fresh vegetables are the best form of folate. Avoid taking a folic acid supplement, which is the inferior, synthetic version of folate.
Research suggests that zinc deficiency may contribute to Alzheimer's disease by promoting the accumulation of defective proteins in the brain, which is one of the hallmarks of this disease.
8.Avoid environmental toxins and chemicals as much as possible. - The increase in Alzheimer's disease may be related to genetically modified foods and the way they are grown; herbicides such as glyphosate are chelators.
Other lifestyle guidelines that help protect your brain
In addition to diet, there are several lifestyle factors that affect your neurological health. To minimize your risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's, address the following:
| Exercise regularly AND avoid sitting - The exercise helps the brain in the production of new neurons, which helps prevent neuronal degeneration.
Prolonged sitting is associated with an increased risk of developing a number of diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and neurological diseases. Stand and walk as often as possible, aiming for about 7,000 to 10,000 steps a day. |
| Get enough restful sleep - Recent studies indicate that poor sleep habits cause brain damage and may accelerate the onset of Alzheimer's disease. |
| Manage your stress level - The researchers found that nearly 3 out of 4 Alzheimer's patients experienced severe emotional stress during the 2 years prior to their diagnosis. |
| Optimize your vitamin D levels with prudent exposure to the sun - Keep your vitamin D level between 50-70 ng/ml, as there is a close relationship between vitamin D insufficiency and Alzheimer's disease.
Vitamin D can enhance important chemicals in your brain, which protects your neurons by increasing the effectiveness of glial cells in the recovery of damaged neurons. Vitamin D may also benefit in the prevention of dementia because of its anti-inflammatory and immunostimulant properties. |
| Eliminate mercury from your body - Dental amalgam fillings, which have 50 % of mercury by weight, are a major source of heavy metal toxicity.
Once you have optimized your diet, consider implementing a mercury detoxification protocol. |
| Eliminate aluminum from your body - Many people with Alzheimer's have high levels of aluminum in the brain. Some of the sources of aluminum are antiperspirants, non-stick cookware, vaccine adjuvants, etc. |
| Avoid flu vaccines as most contain mercury and aluminum, which are well known neurotoxic and immunotoxic agents. |
| Avoid medications - especially anticholinergics, statins and benzodiazepines. - Drugs that block acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter in the nervous system, have been shown to increase the risk of dementia.
These medications include certain nighttime pain relievers, antihistamines, sleeping pills, certain antidepressants, medications to control incontinence and certain narcotic pain relievers. The statins are also particularly problematic because they suppress cholesterol synthesis, deplete your brain of coenzyme Q10 and prevent the brain from receiving essential fatty acids and fat-soluble antioxidants. Studies show that adults who use benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax, Ativan, etc.) to treat their anxiety or insomnia have an approximately 50 % greater chance of developing dementia, especially if they take them chronically. Try Chiropractic, it will help you to solve it in a natural way. |
| Challenge your mind every day - Mental stimulation - learning something new, such as playing an instrument or speaking a new language - was associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. |
Sources and References
- Alzheimer's Association
- Alzheimer's Association September 21, 2010
- BBC News January 5, 2014
- Alzheimer Thailand Baan Kamlanchay Facebook page
- Denver Post December 30, 2013
- Care Resort Chiang Mai
- Hogeweyk
- CNN December 27, 2013
