Alzheimer’s disease prevention

[Guest guest]

_http://salonesoterica.wordpress.com/2008/04/01/10-million-baby-boomers-face-a

lzheimers-epidemic/_

(http://salonesoterica.wordpress.com/2008/04/01/10-million-baby-boomers-face-alz\

heimers-epidemic/)

 

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

In last year’s Alzheimer’s Facts and Figures Report, the number of

Americans stricken with the disease was 5.1 million. This year’s report

brings us up

to 5.2 million, including some 200,000 to 250,000 people under the age 65 who

are inexplicably stricken with so-called “early-onset Alzheimer’s.â€

By 2050, the report estimates that a full 10 million U.S. “baby boomersâ€

will have come down with Alzheimer’s, which translates to 1 out of 8!

The strain this will place on the already faltering U.S. federal _Medicare

program_ (http://v.mercola.com/blogs

/public_blog/Trillion-Dollar-Health-Scam-19438.aspx) boggles the mind, as most

people with Alzheimer’s are eligible for

Medicare. More than three times as much money is spent on people with

Alzheimer’s and other dementias than the average Medicare recipient.

Currently, Medicare spends over $148 billion per year on Alzheimer’s patient

care. A mere two years from now, that number is expected to reach $160

billion annually.

Alzheimer’s is just as much a threat to the future of American adults as the

rampant rise in autism is to our children. Clearly something is wrong, but

what? Because Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging, any more than autism

is a “stage†that children commonly go through.

What is Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic form of dementia that results in severe

memory loss and eventually death. The average lifespan of someone with

Alzheimer’

s is about eight years, although many can survive up to 20 years with proper

care.

It’s not entirely clear what causes Alzheimer’s disease, but it (as well as

autism) are related to thyroid hormone dysfunction, intracellular T3 (immune

system cells) deficiency, and diabetes.

One type of Alzheimer’s, called frontotemporal dementia, is characterized by

cellular damage in the front and side regions of your brain. Researchers

still have no idea what causes it—only that excess production of a tiny

protein

fragment called beta-amyloid starts jamming the signals between your brain

synapses, blocking information flow, leading to a cascade of damaging events

that end in cell death.

Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease

The risk factors for AD include genetic, environmental and dietary factors.

Certain diseases also heighten your risk. People with _diabetes_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/05/31/diabetes-disease.\

aspx) , for

example, have up to 65 percent higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s

disease.

The primary genetic risk factor is the presence of the Apo lipoprotein E

epsilon4 (APOE e4) allele, which is more common among Africans, Inuits,

Amerindians, Northern Europeans than southern Europeans.

Primary dietary risk factors include trans-fatty acids that are found in so

many processed foods (labeled as partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils). One

prospective study also found that elevated homocysteine levels were

associated with an increased risk for Alzheimer’s. Homocysteine levels are

elevated

when you are deficient in vitamin B6, folate, and vitamin B12.

Primary environmental factors include: smoking, obesity, and exposure to

fluoride, _aluminum_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/01/02/aluminum-and-alzh\

eimer-prevention.aspx) and mercury.

How to Prevent Alzheimer’s

Fortunately, there are ways to reduce your chances of getting Alzheimer’s.

These simple lifestyle changes can help keep your brain in optimal working

order well past your 60’s.

* Eat a nutritious diet with plenty of vegetables based on _your

nutritional type_ (http://products.mercola.com/nutritional-typing/) , and pay

special attention to avoiding sugar

* Eat plenty of high-quality omega-3 krill oil or fish oil. Avoid most

fish (high in omega-3, but often contaminated with mercury)

* Avoid and remove mercury from your body. Dental amalgam fillings are

one of the major sources of mercury, however you should be healthy prior to

having them removed. Once you have adjusted to following the diet described

in my Total Health Program, you can follow the _mercury detox protocol_

(http://www.mercola.com/article/mercury/detox_protocol.htm) and then find a

biological dentist to have your amalgams removed.Be careful as you could be

jumping

from the frying pan into the fire like I did if you see a conventional

dentist to do the exchange. ONLY see a high quality biologically trained

dentist or

your health could get ruined.

* Avoid aluminum, such as in antiperspirants, cookware, etc.

* Exercise for three to five hours per week. According to one study,

the _odds of developing Alzheimer’s were nearly quadrupled in people who were

less active during their leisure time_

(http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/03/21/alzheimers-part-o\

ne.aspx) , between the ages of 20

and 60, compared with their peers.

* Avoid flu vaccinations as they contain both mercury and aluminum!

* Wild blueberries, which have high anthocyanin and antioxidant

content are known to guard against Alzheimer’s and other neurological

diseases.

* Challenge your mind daily. Mental stimulation, such as traveling,

learning to play an instrument or doing crossword puzzles, is associated with a

decreased risk of Alzheimer’s. Researchers suspect that mental challenge

helps to build up your brain, making it less susceptible to the lesions

associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

 

 

 

 

**************Planning your summer road trip? Check out AOL Travel Guides.

(http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states?ncid=aoltrv00030000000016)