Natural Health Alternative Blog

While emerging research has taught us much about the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias on the brain, what causes Alzheimer’s is an altogether different story. In a nutshell, the brain cells aren’t getting enough oxygen. But why is this happening?

Alzheimer’s and dementia are often used interchangeably but Alzheimer’s disease is actually a progressive disease who’s effects lead to dementia.

Dementia is a syndrome whose symptoms include, memory problems, difficulty speaking, orientation disturbances and problems with judgment.

While Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia, dementia can also be caused by Parkinson’s disease, head trauma, and strokes. Most of the time, like Alzheimer’s, dementia is permanent.

While an exact cause isn’t known for Alzheimer’s, emerging evidence suggests that there are triggers for the disease. One of these triggers is toxins in food and in the environment.

Lead toxicity has been linked to both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. This is not just in lead based paint in older homes but can also be found in some household’s drinking water.

Pesticides are also known to be linked to Parkinson’s. In one study, those whose job required them to use pesticides had a 50% higher chance of developing Alzheimer’s.

Air pollution is bad for more than just the lungs. Studies have shown that those who live in highly polluted cities versus cleaner cities have a higher rate of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Diet is also a factor. Diets high in saturated fat increase one’s chances for developing dementia.

While we can’t control everything about the environment, there are ways to help reduce your chances of developing Alzheimer’s. For starters, a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids , nuts, vegetables, legumes, fruits and whole grains has shown to reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s. Foods to avoid are the aforementioned high saturated fats, sugar and alcohol.

Avoiding harsh chemicals and pesticides is also key. Look for cleaning products that are marked “green.”

In addition to diet, exercise has shown great promise in delaying or preventing Alzheimer’s and other dementia’s. In fact, studies have shown that exercising regularly while approaching midlife can decrease Alzheimer’s onset by 50%.

Last but not least, “Use it or lose it.” Performing memory exercises such as crosswords keeps the brain active and helps to ward off Alzheimer’s.

I am also very excited about my new Alzheimer’s program (coming soon!). It’s an all natural way to deliver necessary oxygen to the brain to keep it healthy and high functioning!

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I recently had a client tell me that her mother had been diagnosed with high blood pressure. She encouraged her to try my High Blood Pressure program. Other treatment methods were difficult as they involved daily medication or other complicated steps and her mother suffered from dementia.

While her blood pressure did go down, that wasn’t the major point of her communication to me. It turns out that her mother’s dementia symptoms greatly subsided once she started my program!

Dementia literally means, “deprived of mind.” It is a progressive decline in cognitive function which affects memory, attention, orientation, judgment language, motor and problem solving skills. Like vertigo is basically dizziness due to a myriad of causes, dementia is not a disease in and of itself but rather caused by damage or disease.

Once thought of as part of the aging process, dementia is now thought to be a deterioration due to damage (stroke or other vascular damage, head trauma, alcoholism – due to lack of thiamine and certain other vitamin deficiencies), or disease (Alzheimer’s – the most common type of dementia,

Syphilis, Lewy bodies, brain tumors, Pick’s disease, HIV and/or AIDs, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Huntington’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis).

Common symptoms include moodiness, memory loss, and communication difficulties (including the ability to read and write). Due to the progressive nature of most forms of dementia, the sufferer eventually finds it difficult to perform everyday tasks and can eventually become unable to care for his/herself.

While no longer considered a normal part of aging, studies do reflect that dementia affects 1% of the population over the age of 60, that number doubling every five years after. Interestingly enough, those who are bi or multi-lingual have tend to experience symptoms an average of 4 years later. “Use it or lose it,” definitely figures in.

Blood tests, CT, PET and MRI scans can rule out dementia due to certain diseases or injuries (stroke), however, for many, mental and cognitive tests are required.

A doctor must, however, take into account one’s socio-economic, cultural and educational background when administering the test. Just as many claim IQ tests are biased, it can sometimes be difficult to know what “normal” is for a patient.

Risk factors include smoking and drinking (alcohol), due to the fact that it puts one at an increased risk for vascular diseases, which in turn puts one at risk for dementia. Additionally, high cholesterol and diabetes can contribute.

Regardless of how the dementia occurs, whether it is through brain trauma such as stroke or Alzheimer’s disease, the reason for the dementia is LACK of OXYGEN to vital parts of the brain. Some types of dementia can be reversed while others can’t.

Do not, however, consider your or your loved one’s dementia a death sentence, even if your doctor claims otherwise. New research is emerging on the effects of oxygen on already damaged tissues in the brain. Worst case, you don’t want the dementia to progress. The key is delivering the oxygen to the necessary areas of the brain.

I highly recommend my programs due to the fact that they are completely natural, relaxation and breathing exercises specifically designed to get blood/oxygen to your major organs, including the brain. I highly recommend my Alzheimer’s program (coming soon!).

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Alzheimer’s is a type of progressive dementia. Key nerve cells in the brain die off which results in severe memory problems as well as other vital brain function. It is degenerative, so it gets worse as time goes on.

Because of the adverse affects on the brain, the ability to complete formerly basic day to day activities declines.

There are a number of possible symptoms, but these should not be confused with regular signs of aging. One might forget such things as the names of people who he or she doesn’t see very often. Hobbies or mood can change based on specific causes. These are things that normally occur as we get older.

The inability though to recall the name of a near and dear loved one, or unexplainable mood changes could be indicative of Alzheimer’s symptoms. I stress could be here as this is not something that should be self diagnosed. These are simply hints that a visit to your physician may be in order.

While a cure is not yet in place, there is very good research indicating issues that relate directly to the condition (as well as others.) Oxygen deprivation affects the brain and body in many adverse ways. If certain parts of the brain in particular are starved for oxygen, it stands to reason that health issues will arise.

Since our brains use 30 to 40 percent of the blood in our bodies, it is critical that the blood flow to this area is not inhibited.

The good news is that there are ways to greatly improve the blood flow - hence oxygen supply.

As I stress in general and specifically in regard to Alzheimer’s, deep breathing over shallow breathing is critical in delivering oxygen to the brain. Most of us use only the upper part of the lungs which is simply not capable of taking in an adequate air supply.

Physical exercise does wonders for getting blood pumped up to the brain. It can happen through walking or jogging or more strenuous exercises for those who are able.

The brain itself will benefit from regular work outs too. I know of a retired couple who take advantage of various trivia game shows on television. With the advent of digital recording devices, they actively engage in trying to come up with the answers by placing the program on pause.

This kind of mental stimulation can lead to happiness too. As with the couple mentioned, they are not only practicing regular brain stimulation, but enjoying each other’s company. Laughter also increases the oxygen level by pumping blood up to the head. What a fun way to help improve the blood flow!

I am delighted to let you know that I will be introducing my Alzheimer’s Exercise Program shortly. Whether you have in fact been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or want to improve mental acuity and help prevent the disease, this program can change your life.

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