Alzheimer's affects over 5 million Americans.

Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease With Diet And Nutritional Supplements

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease that affects some 5.3 million Americans. Over the past 25 years, the number of patients who have Alzheimer’s disease has doubled and the incidence is expected to increase in coming decades as the US population ages. It has now become the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
The disease typically begins with moments of forgetfulness or memory lapses. People afflicted with Alzheimer’s gradually lose cognitive ability as their neurons (brain cells) are attacked and destroyed. Failing memory is often accompanied by a person’s declining sense of well-being, and is often described by symptoms such as a lack of mental clarity (brain fog), altered mood (as in depression), decreased mental abilities, worsening sleep patterns, and declining overall energy.
It’s normal for certain kinds of memory, such as the ability to remember lists of words, to decline with normal aging. In fact, normal individuals 50 years of age will recall only about 60% as many items on some kinds of memory tests as individuals 20 years of age. But with Alzheimer’s, as the disease advances, words are totally forgotten and the person’s mental abilities become severely compromised. In the final stages, the person may no longer be able to dress, eat, or perform simple tasks. Loss of judgment and reasoning occurs and delusions are common.

Risk Factors For Alzheimer’s Disease

Risk factors for Alzheimer's disease include high blood pressure (hypertension), coronary artery disease, and diabetes. Individuals who have completed less than eight years of education also have an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease. These factors increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, but by no means do they mean that Alzheimer's disease is inevitable in persons with these factors.

There are also genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. Most patients develop Alzheimer's disease after age 70. However, 2%-5% of patients develop the disease in the fourth or fifth decade of life (ie, in their 40's or 50's). At least half of these early-onset patients have inherited gene mutations associated with their Alzheimer's disease. The children of a patient with early-onset Alzheimer's disease who has one of these gene mutations has a 50% risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Unfortunately, Conventional Medicine Is Ineffective For Those Struggling With Alzheimer’s

Conventional medicine focuses on stimulating the brain chemical known as acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is an essential chemical messenger that helps brain cells communicate with one another.

Patients with Alzheimer's suffer from reduced acetylcholine activity in their brains. For this reason, most conventional drugs for Alzheimer's are aimed at improving acetylcholine activity in the brain by preventing its breakdown.

Drugs that support acetylcholine include cholinesterase inhibitors, which prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase. However, these drugs are expensive, largely ineffective, and may cause liver toxicity or damage.

Does an elderly loved one suffer from early stage Alzheimers or dementia? Chances are that proper supplementation could be beneficial!

Doodling Aids Memory

A study published in the 'Journal of Applied Cognitive Psychology' shows that doodling can actually increase short-term memory recall by 29 percent. The authors of the study report, “If someone is doing a task, they may start to daydream. Daydreaming distracts them from the task, resulting in poor performance. A simple task, like doodling, may be sufficient to stop daydreaming without affecting performance on the main task.”

Brain Fog Formula

For more details about BRAIN FOG FORMULA, click here!

Reducing inflammation and resultant free-radical formation is the key to reducing the risk of, and helping to reverse, the damage of Alzheimer’s disease. The Brain Fog Formula contains key nutrients for proper mental clarity along with potent antioxidants for preventing and eliminating inflammation.

DHA and Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Fish oils contain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), both of which are omega-3 oils. Deficiencies in DHA have been linked to cognitive decline, and human cell studies have shown that DHA reduces beta-amyloid secretion. DHA has been documented to increase phosphatidylserine, a naturally occurring component found in every cell membrane of the body. Low levels of DHA are now being linked to increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

Try to eat 1-2 servings of deep coldwater fish or take at least high quality (ie, with no impurities) fish oil supplements on a daily basis.

Antioxidant Nutrients

Oxidative stress is a very important factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Antioxidants in supplement form help to reduce inflammation, free radicals, and beta-amyloid plaques.

Grape Seed Extract

Grape Seed Extract has demonstrated remarkable success in blocking the formation of brain plaques. One of the most potent antioxidants available, grape seed extract, possesses 20 times more free radical–fighting power than vitamin E and 50 times more than vitamin C.

Ginkgo biloba

The standardized herbal extract of Ginkgo is a powerful antioxidant that also improves brain circulation, reduces inflammation, and helps boost mood and mental clarity. Research has found that Alzheimer’s patients who took Ginkgo biloba experienced a significant improvement in their quality of life.

Consume from 5 to 9 servings of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables each day. As the saying goes "Five is fine; Nine is divine!"

Inflammation Linked To Alzheimer’s Disease

Evidence linking inflammation and oxidative stress to Alzheimer’s disease continues to grow. Research shows that inflammatory chemicals known as cytokines attack the brain chemicals of those with Alzheimer's. Cytokines set off inflammatory reactions, generating high levels of free radicals. The free radicals lead to the formation of beta-amyloid plaques. This results in more inflammation, even more free radicals, and more destructive beta-amyloid plaques.

Mediterranean Diet Found Helpful In Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease

The Mediterranean diet is characterized by a high intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals; a high intake of unsaturated fatty acids (mostly olive oil), but a low intake of saturated fatty acids; a moderately high intake of fish; a low to moderate intake of dairy products (mostly cheese or yogurt); a low intake of meat and poultry; and a regular but moderate intake of alcohol, primarily wine, with meals.

Patients adhering to the Mediterranean diet reduced their risk of developing Alzheimer’s by approximately 40 percent.

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More helpful information:

BRAIN FUNCTION QUESTIONNAIRE - unabridged version
BRAIN FUNCTION QUESTIONNAIRE - abridged version

Please fill out a copy of our BRAIN FUNCTION QUESTIONNAIRE, which was developed by Dr. Rodger Murphree. It is just as accurate an indicator of neurotransmitter function as somewhat expensive lab analysis. The 'BFQ' allows both you and I to determine if you’re low in certain neurotransmitters (serotoninin, dopamine, norepinephrine, etc) and therefore gives an indication about which amino acids you'll need to take to solve your problems.

Austin Family Chiropractic is also a proud retailer of an excellent book by Dr. Rodger Murphree which explains this whole process in much greater detail. The book entitled "TREATING & BEATING ANXIETY & DEPRESSION with Orthomolecular Medicine" sells for $15.88 (which includes sales tax).

This book is an awesome resource for any individual who wants to take charge of her mood disorders
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