After considerable research it is interesting to bring you up to speed on documented evidence of things which answer the question, "Why is the human brain deteriorating faster than the rest of the body?”
There are a multitude of factors regarding cognitive decline and today's article will touch on a few and also provide some solutions.
For starters I find it disturbing and somewhat criminal that a common class of blood pressure medications called calcium channel blockers have been proven radiologically on MRI to cause brain shrinking. Research has shown that these drugs cause deterioration of the I.Q. within 5 years' use.
Rather than waiting for your memory to be erased, you can take action steps now to optimize your brain health
Another medication used to lower cholesterol called Lipitor causes a decline in brain function. It is important to know that statin cholesterol-lowering drugs like Lipitor poison the liver's synthesis of cholesterol. This in turn will starve the brain of cholesterol needed to repair the brain, renew worn out membranes, and stave off Alzheimer's.
In fact, an excellent book, “Lipitor Thief of Memory” written by the respected medical doctor, former astronaut, aerospace medical research scientist, flight surgeon, and family doctor, Dr. Duane Graveline, shares his rapid mental decline after taking the drug Lipitor. This book is worth reading.
I recently consulted with a patient whose cholesterol was 116 on his blood panel. Besides his multitude of health challenges, his brain map (qEEG) was showing severe imbalance and dysfunction.
Even with all this hard evidence can you believe the pharmaceutical industry has created a potent drug which combines both the calcium channel blocker and a statin called Atorvastatin/Amlodipine (Caduet). Talk about a double punch to optimal brain function!
Over 100 million people in the US are prescribed benzodiazepenes for anxiety and insomnia - this class of drugs has been linked to a 50% greater chance of developing dementia.
Moving on to another documented contributor of Alzheimer's, we can't forget the unavoidable heavy metals. We all have them in us and they poison brain repair enzymes, leading to Alzheimer's.
For example, there is no one who doesn't have aluminum in their body. Where does the aluminum come from? Eating food made in aluminum cookware, aluminum flocculation agents in municipal drinking waters, aluminum in baking powders used in breads, processed and restaurant foods cooked in aluminum vats, industrial and vehicular exhausts, deodorants, antacids, and many other sources.
Aluminum causes the nerves in the brain to actually get tangled up (neurofibrillary tangles) as well as make a glue-like substance (called amyloid) to gum up the normal workings of the delicate brain electricity.
You can be proactive and minimize your intake of aluminum. For starters, stop cooking in aluminum and don't buy products packaged in aluminum. Choose glass containers instead and use stainless steel to cook with. I use a deodorant stone that is free from aluminum and by all accounts, it works well. I bought mine from Amazon.com for about four dollars. They last at least one year! Get your drinking water purified with a reverse osmosis system to get rid of the chemical soup that comes out of the tap. Your body will thank you! I recommend you contact PureAirPureWater.com for their assistance. I've known the owner for over three decades and he is extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Foods and cooking aids are available without aluminum as well. Just get good at reading the labels and asking the store manager to carry aluminum-free items.
Gluten can contribute to dementia as well. The Mayo Clinic in the Archives of Neurology in 2006 found celiac disease was associated with cognitive impairment.
These days it is super easy to find gluten free substitutes for your common gluten containing counterparts. Better yet, skip the grains altogether and go for a more paleo-approach to diet for a lesser impact on your blood sugar. Did you know that Alzheimer's disease is now known as diabetes type 3?
Exercise is linked to reduced risk of brain decline research shows
One of the absolute most important thing you can you to reduce your risk of dementia and Alzheimer's is to exercise. As was pointed out in a recent Wall Street Journal article, "But the activity with the biggest impact on risk was walking at least 2 miles a day, biking 10 miles a day or engaging in some other regular, vigorous physical exercise. All five of these factors have been found in other studies to promote the general health of two types of cells in the brain: neurons and glial cells (which interact with and protect neurons). Imagine if there were a drug that could reduce the risk of dementia by 60%. It would be the most talked-about drug in history, but this astonishing finding has been fairly quietly received."
Obviously the logical recommendation is to get active and start or resume regular physical exercise in order to keep your brain healthy or retrain your brain to be healthier. A very efficient and effective exercise is whole body vibration exercse, otherwise known as WAVE. I have several active seniors come into my office and use the equipment to improve muscle strength, improve brain function and bolster bone health.
Now to provide some nutritional answers to reduce amyloid production we need to look no further than Phosphatidylserine (PS). This nutritional powerhouse has shown to perk up memory, and stave off Alzheimer's. One interesting case revealed PS use over three months was able to return the memory back to where it was 12 years earlier.
Most recently there has been evidence how DHA is an amyloid eater.
Since I am aware of the importance of DHA, I take it every day along with Krill oil infused with extra astaxanthins (12 mg per 2 softgels), which have also been shown to be neuroprotective.
If you perform a quick search on Google, you will find there are more than ten studies associating increased fish consumption with reduced risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's Disease.
One study found that vitamins C and E might protect against some forms of dementia - vascular dementia, which is related to stroke, as well as so-called mixed/other dementia, which includes dementia caused by Parkinson’s disease. In this study, which included 3,385 Japanese American men ages 71-93, those who reported taking vitamin C and E supplements had an 88% lower incidence of vascular dementia compared with those who didn’t take the supplements.
Well here is something even easier: green tea. Real organic green tea has over 3 catechins or polyphenols. They have been found to be potent preventers of amyloid deposition in the brain. Sencha Premium Organic Green Tea is by far the best I have found.
EEG biofeedback, otherwise known as neurofeedback has also shown to be very helpful in reducing cognitive decline and improving memory
There is literally a plethora of articles showing neurofeedback can help "brighten the brain". Neurofeedback, also called EEG biofeedback, brainwave biofeedback, neurotherapy and neurofeedback, is a research proven way to help you improve your brain function through intensive brain training exercises. Although the technology is quite sophisticated, the process is simple, painless, and non-invasive. It is just learning. You learn to alter your brain activity the same way you learn every other skill – through feedback and practice.
One woman patient that recently came to my office with the diagnosis of Alzheimer's couldn't write her name, zip a zipper or latch her own seat belt. After just 10 sessions she was able to zip her own coat zipper and latch her own seat belt! In addition, those close to her noticed an improved ability to carry on simple conversations. For more information about neurofeedback you can visit my neurofeedback website at www.MichiganBrainHealth.com
COME IN FOR YOUR EVALUATION AND SEE FOR YOURSELF HOW BENEFICIAL THE CLEAR MIND NEUROFEEDBACK CAN BE FOR YOUR HEALTH CHALLENGES.
This short article is simply a glimpse of the research you won't see promoted on CNN or Fox News. Of course this is sad. There is another side of the clinical management of many diseases that the public will rarely if ever be shown unless you are a reader of my weekly health reports or other alternative or functionally oriented heath professional reports or journals. The take away from today's article is to “NOT” be your own doctor but seek out the assistance and help from someone trained and skilled in functional medicine who can properly evaluate you and outline a personalized program to help you get well. A great place to start is with a case review.
For more details about the natural approach I take with my patients, take a look a the book I wrote entitled: Reclaim Your Life; Your Guide To Revealing Your Body's Life-Changing Secrets For Renewed Health. It is available in my office or at Amazon and many other book outlets. If you found value in this article, please use the social sharing icons at the top of this post and please share with those you know who are still suffering with cognitive issues or other chronic health challenges, despite receiving medical management. Help me reach more people so they may regain their zest for living! Thank you!
ALL THE BEST – DR. KARL R.O.S. JOHNSON, DC – DIGGING DEEPER TO FIND SOLUTIONS
Special thanks to Functional Medicine University and Dr. Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., D.A.C.B.N., M.S. for some of the content of this post.
References:
Kiyotaka Nakagawa, et al, Antioxidant effect of astaxanthin on phospholipid peroxidation in human erythrocytes, British Journal of Nutrition / Volume 105 / Issue 11 / June 2011, pp 1563-1571
Haque A, et al, Green tea catechins prevent cognitive deficits caused by AB1-40 in rats, J Nutr Biochem, 19:619-26, 2008
Behl C, et al, Vitamin E protects nerve cells from amyloid B protein toxicity, Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 186:944-52, 1992
Hashimoto M, et al, Docosahexaenoic acid provides protection from impairment of learning ability in Alzheimer's disease model rats, J Neurochem, 81:1084-91, 2002
Rezai-Zadeh K, et al, Green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) modulates amyloid precursor protein cleavage and reduces cerebral amyloidosis in Alzheimer transgenic mice, J Neurosci, 25:8807-14, 2005
Crook T1, Petrie W, Wells C, Massari DC.Effects of phosphatidylserine in Alzheimer's disease.Psychopharmacol Bull. 1992;28(1):61-6.
Albert, A. O., Andrasik, F., Moore, J. L., & Dunn, B. R. (1998). Theta/beta training for attention, concentration and memory improvement in the geriatric population. Applied Psychophysiology & Biofeedback, 23(2), 109.
Abstra Angelakis, E., Stathopoulou, S., Frymiare, J. L., Green, D. L., Lubar, J. F., & Kounios, J. (2007). EEG neurofeedback: A brief overview and an example of peak alpha frequency training for cognitive enhancement in the elderly. Clinical Neuropsychology, 21(1), 110-129.
Boynton, T. (2001). Applied research using alpha/theta training for enhancing creativity and well-being. Journal of Neurotherapy, 5(1-2), 5-18. Budzynski, T.,
Budzynski, H. K., &l Tang, H-Y. (2007). Brain brightening: restoring the aging mind. Chapter in J. R. Evans (Ed.), Handbook of Neurofeedback. Binghampton, NY: Haworth Medical Press, pp. 231-265.
Budzynski, T. H. (1996). Brain brightening: Can neurofeedback improve cognitive process? Biofeedback, 24(2), 14-17.
De la Monte, S. M. (2008), Alzheimer's Disease Is Type 3 Diabetes–Evidence Reviewed, J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2008 Nov; 2(6): 1101–1113.
