Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia
FIRST AND POSSIBLY THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION
Can Alzheimer’s Disease be cured? If nothing can be done for the problem of dementia, whatever the cause, why even speak of it?
The current medications that are suggested for people with dementia may only slow down the progression of the disease. Even that is not clear. But what is clear is that conventionally (via standard medicine), there is no cure.
But, there is some light on the horizon - actually, quite a lot of light.
Let me tell you a bit about Dale Bredesen, a professor and researcher at UCLA.
Dale Bredesen, MD and his work with Alzheimer’s disease. You can find the articles online and read them if you wish.
In 2014 he published a paper in a peer reviewed journal Aging (Albany NY). 2014 Sep; 6(9): 707–717. Title of Article: Reversal of cognitive decline: A novel therapeutic program, by Dale E. Bredesen
In June of 2016, in the same journal, Aging, he published another article entitled: Reversal of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease
In August of 2017, he published a book entitled “The End of Alzheimer’s”
In his 2014 paper, Dr Bredesen described his work with 10 people living in the Silicon Valley area. These people had all been diagnosed as having mild or moderate dementia. They were generally without hope. Some had been forced to quit their jobs due to loss of mental function. Others were facing the same prospect in the near future.
Dr Bredesen evaluated many different factors that he believed would impact the function of the brain. His theory was that if he corrected a potential of 30-some dysfunctions in the body, the brain would be able to be healed and begin working well again.
The results were very impressive in the first study. 9 out of 10 people studied had a full reversal of their dementia.
The second study showed equally impressive results. In fact most of the people in the second study were ApoE4 people. These are genetics that increase significantly the likelihood of developing dementia. Very good news indeed.
The book then builds on the work done in these studies and explains in more detail what the potential is to help those with mild to moderate dementia. A very encouraging book!!
CAUSES OF DEMENTIA
Dr Bredesen compares the onset of Alzheimer’s to a roof of a home that has been damaged. The drug companies are called to come in and help, but there are 36 holes in the roof and they only fix one. Let me say it in his words:
“It (his work) also explained why single drugs - approved and experimental - have failed repeatedly to stop, let alone reverse, the cognitive decline of Alzheimer’s. The reason is that the drug companies have been like roofers called to a home that had been pummeled with baseball-sized hail. The storm left dozens of holes in the roof, which the homeowners would like fixed. Yet the roofers fixated on a single hole. They may have done a bang-up job of slathering that hole with roofing tar, keeping the rain from pouring in. Unfortunately, they did nothing about the other thirty-five holes, and the home is filling up with so much rainwater the owners are looking up specs for an ark.
“I give the example of thirty-six different contributors to whether (body functions move toward Alzheimer’s-causing or Alzheimer’s-preventing pathways). These (36 factors) explain all of the risks of Alzheimer’s, at least as far as it has been measured in studies of large populations.”
So what are the 36 factors (holes in the roof) that need to be fixed? I’ll give you a list of some of them. To get the whole list, you’ll have to read the book.
Optimize diet - meaning, low sugar, low glycemic, low inflammatory, low grain diets.
Enhance autophagy. Autophagy is the cell “eating up” or destroying the junk that might have taken residence in the cell. We can enhance our autophagy in the brain by doing some fasting - even as little as a full 12 hour fast every night.
Reduce stress: meditation, prayer, yoga, music, etc
Optimize sleep. If not great, there are many things that can be done to help: be sure no sleep apnea, melatonin, not eating late in the evening, sleep in a dark room, etc.
Exercise for 30-60 minutes per day, 4-6 days per week
Keep homocysteine levels low, less than 7
Vitamin B12 needs to be in a good range
hsCRP needs to be low, less than 1
Fasting insulin should be less than 7
Hemoglobin A1C (a number that represents a person’s average blood sugar over some 3 months) needs to be kept under 5.5
Vitamin D levels should be between 50 and 100
Be sure heavy metals are not an issue. Chelate if indicated.
And we could continue to enumerate all 36 factors. But this gives you a good idea of the types of things that need to be done if one is serious about restoring their brain function.
CAUSE
As I have outlined above, dementia is a many factored disease process. And the factors that contribute include the 36 we just referred to.
TREATMENT
As with so many diseases, some are easier and some are much more challenging.
Literally, some people will do far better by simply normalizing their thyroid status and their other hormones.
But for many, it is going to require serious work. One cannot cure an “incurable” disease by modest, half hearted efforts. But if you are willing to do the work required including supplements, change in diet, changing habits, and generally working to get healthier, your chances of regaining full mental power is very good.
We can assist you on this journey.