Alzheimer's and Dementia
Dementia is almost a certainty if you live long
enough. Statistics tell us that as many as 2/3 of the population over
the age of 90 suffers from some form of dementia or depression.
Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly.
There is no known cure for Alzheimer's and dementia. There are certain
drugs on the market which offer some encouragement in that they slow the
progression of the disease. Alternative medicine, a good healthy
lifestyle and exercise also offer some benefit.
The medical approach to dementia should include an assessment of the
aspects of life style somewhat unique to the elderly. Therefore, we
should consider the following as possible contributory causes of
dementia: oxidative stress, lack of exercise, poor diet, nutritional
deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, and need for food supplements.
Seniors are notorious for getting little to no exercise. Yet, it has
been established that they live longer, healthier and happier if they
get regular exercise, even as little as a 20 minute walk a day.
Seniors are also known for their diet of tender roast beef, mashed
potatoes and gravy, some Jello and green beans or corn with a cup of
coffee or tea. This, of course, falls pathetically short of the
recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables, preferably raw, a
day. This is where the oxidative stress enters the picture. Oxidative
stress or the formation of free radical molecules in our bodies is a
chemical process that leads to aging. The antidote for this oxidative
process is consumption of "antioxidants". Antioxidants such as vitamins
and certain minerals are nutrients found in food, especially fruits and
vegetables.
Studies published in the June, 2002 issue of the "Journal of the
American Medical Association" have shown certain antioxidant supplements
to be of benefit in reducing the risk of Alzheimer's. The most commonly
recommended is folic acid at a dosage of 2.5 to 10 mg. per day. The
herb ginko biloba is also commonly used and is a good antioxidant for
the brain and entire body. Other supplements including vitamins B12, C,
E, zinc, beta-carotene and phosphatidyl choline are also beneficial.
Your approach to combating Alzheimer's and dementia involves three components:
A. Alteration of lifestyle as much as possible.
B. Good nutrition.
C. Dietary supplements.
NOTE: If you are dealing with a younger person with dementia,
pay close attention to the related pages of this report which are listed
below.
Since most dementia patients are elderly, there probably isn't too
much we can do to realistically alter the lifestyle. However, there is
one thing, albeit it controversial, that should be addressed. That is
the matter of aluminum which has been shown in some studies to be a
causative factor in Alzheimer's disease. The main sources of aluminum in
our environment are cookware, cigarette filters, and antiperspirants.
These sources of aluminum should definitely be eliminated from the
environment. If there has been excessive exposure to aluminum in the
patient's life, it would be a good idea to have a hair analysis for
toxic metals. If high in aluminum or other toxic metals, you can follow
protocols for their removal.
See
Metal Toxicity
Another lifestyle problem for seniors is the lack of exercise. Please study carefully the
Benefits of Exercising
The second concern for most senior citizens is good nutrition. The
Center for Disease Control says we all should eat 5 servings of fruits
and vegetables, preferably raw, a day. Very few of us do that, let alone
seniors. An excellent dietary supplement which is comparable to the
five servings is called
Juice Plus . It is fruits and vegetables
juiced, dried and condensed into a capsule. You may visit
www.juiceplus.com for more information on Juice Plus. Fruits and
vegetables are nature's source of antioxidants. Our antioxidant status
deteriorates with age and the need is compounded in patents with
Alzheimer's.
Your third concern is food supplements. The nutrients which have been
found deficient and helpful in Alzheimer's and dementia are listed
below.
Folic acid is a vitamin found commonly deficient in patients
with a variety of psychiatric illnesses. Your physician can test your
blood level. If deficient, a supplementation of 2-10 mg. daily or as
directed by your physician or nutritionist should help.
Vitamin B6 is commonly deficient in Alzheimer's patients.
There are little to no risks with B6 supplementation at a level of
100-200 mg. per day.
Vitamin B12 has been found to be helpful. You should have your
physician measure the blood B12 and supplement, probably with
injections or sublingual tablets accordingly.
Antioxidants including
Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol) at 400-800 i.u. per day,
Vitamin C at 1000-5000 mg. or bowel tolerance per day, and
zinc have been shown to be of benefit .
Phosphatidyl choline or
lecithin has been associated
with Alzheimer's and dementia and supplementation may be of benefit.
Choline is an important brain chemical and should be a part of every
patient's supplement regimen. You should be careful to read the label
because there is a great variation in the content of different products.
The usual dose of phosphatidyl choline in the studies was 20-25 grams
in divided doses per day.
Another promising supplement is
glycerylphosphorylcholine (GPC) .
GPC is a choline precursor which means it is involved in one of the
steps of choline metabolism. It has been found to be effective in
improving patients' clinical conditions in a number of studies. It is
sold as a prescription drug in Europe but as a food supplement in the
U.S.
In some studies estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) has been shown to
reduce the risk of Alzheimer's in women. A natural approach to ERT
without the risks of prescription estrogen replacement includes the use
of the herb
Black Cohosh, indole-3-carbinol extracted from broccoli and
natural progesterone crème made from the wild yam. All these products should be taken under the direction of a clinical nutritionist.
Listed
below are supplements we recommend for our patients Alzheimer's and
dimentia. Metagenics sells pharmaceutical-grade nutrition products not
available in stores. They are available only through healthcare
providers. Products we commonly recommend for this condition include:
Vessel CareMultigenics (Order without iron for men)
GlycogenicsGinko-RoseOxE-400 SeleniumUltra Potent-CPhyto CompleteThese statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
The September, 2002 issue of the "Life Extension" magazine published by the Life Extension Foundation
www.lef.org offers
a few articles on the subject of Alzheimer's and dementia. They also
offer products containing these and other nutrients.
Resources
Comprehensive Health Assessment
Alzheimer's and Dementia Related Pages of this Web Site
Benefits of ExercisingYeast and Candidiasis Adrenal Axis Stress and Cortisol ImbalanceHypoglycemia TreatmentWilson 's SyndromeHypothyroidism Treatment
Source: http://www.rxalternativemedicine.com/articles/dementia.html
