ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE AND DEMENTIA

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It is a neurological brain disorder named after a German physician, Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in 1906. Though there is no way to eliminate Alzheimer's disease, there are several home remedies that can prevent its onset and help to prevent infections and improve the sufferer's health.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, a group of disorders that impairs mental functioning. Dementia literally means loss of mentation, or thinking. At the moment, Alzheimer's is progressive and irreversible. Abnormal changes in the brain worsen over time, eventually interfering with many aspects of brain function.

Symptoms

Memory loss is one of the earliest symptoms, along with a gradual decline of other intellectual and thinking abilities, called cognitive functions, and changes in personality or behaviour.

Alzheimer's disease advances in stages. It progresses from mild forgetfulness and cognitive impairment to widespread loss of mental abilities.

In advanced Alzheimer's, people become dependent on others for every aspect of their care. The time course of the disease varies by individual, ranging from five to 20 years. The most common cause of death is infection.

Causes

Scientists generally agree that there is unlikely to be a single clear "cause" of Alzheimer's. It is more likely the result of a combination of inter-related factors, including genetic factors, which are passed along family lines of inheritance, and environmental influences, which range from previous head trauma to educational level to one's experiences early in life.

Each of these "risk factors" is currently the subject of a great deal of research. A growing body of research is also helping to identify various "lifestyle factors," such as dietary habits, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, which may influence one's risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease and dementia has recently been linked with certain medications such as paracetemol, sleeping pills, tranquilizers, painkillers, anti-psychotics, drugs for incontinence, antacids and blood pressure medications.

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Dementia

Dementia is the word for a group of symptoms caused by disorders that affect the brain. It is not a specific disease. People with dementia may not be able to think well enough to do normal activities, such as getting dressed or eating. They may lose their ability to solve problems or control their emotions. Their personalities may change. They may become agitated or see things that are not there. Though Alzheimer’s disease is the most common, many different diseases can cause dementia.

Some other conditions causing Dementia:

-Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)

-Dementia with Lewy Bodies

-Frontotemporal Dementia

-Huntington’s Disease

-Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

-Parkinson’s Disease

-Vascular Dementia

-Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome

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NATURE CURES REMEDIES FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

The malvidin found in black rice, blueberries, cranberries and red grapes are a powerful antioxidant that can slow down age-related motor changes, such as those seen in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.

Natural organic alfalfa, almonds, aloe vera juice, apple cider vinegar, basil, berries, brine pickles, citrus fruits and peel, coconut (flesh and juice), dried fruits, grapes (black), green tea, honey, lemon juice, mushrooms, papaya, parsley, peppercorns, pomegranate juice, pumpkin seeds, radishes, rapeseed oil, sea salt (pure unrefined), sesame oil, shellfish, sunflower seeds and walnuts should also become a staple part of the diet.

Eat a diet rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre in the form of psyllium husks, brown rice, oats, rye, citrus peel, coconut flesh.

Eat foods rich in the vitamin A precursor beta carotene with fatty foods like avocado, nuts and virgin cold pressed vegetable oils. Vitamin A is thought to increase tissue resistance to penetration by microbes.

Foods rich in vitamin C and zinc also help to support the immune system. Zinc is lost by drinking alcohol and through many medications.

Consume foods rich in all the B vitamins especially vitamin B12.

Vitamin D is also essential therefore 20 minutes skin exposure to midday sunshine as often as possible is vital. Sunscreens and windows block the skins ability to utilise the suns rays to make vitamin D.

Adding probiotic rich foods helps to restore beneficial intestinal flora.

Drink plentiful supplies of bottled mineral water to ensure the addition of essential minerals in the diet.

Try Raw Juicing, Micro Diet Sprouting and Brine Pickling to add high concentrations of vital nutrients to the diet.

The common stinging nettle is a good remedy to prevent and relieve the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease

Recently, a compound was found in grape seeds which activates a protein called JNK, which regulates apoptosis. To assure that the cell cycle - the cell's process of duplicating itself to make more cells - goes smoothly, a large network of proteins tells other proteins what to do and when to do it. When any of these layers of protein regulation fail, cell growth can get out of hand.

On the molecular level, JNK influences cellular functions by tagging other proteins with a phosphate chemical group (a process known as phosphorylation), a common mechanism cells use to turn enzymes on and off. Phosphorylation is so important that when JNK goes awry, a number of different disorders can result, such as cancer, diabetes or neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease..

This JNK activating compound cannot be found in seedless grapes (obviously) or grape seed oil as the process to make the oil removes it. Grape seed extract can be found as a supplement but if you can find grapes with the seeds intact it is perfectly safe to  chew and swallow the seeds and may help in the fight against cancer. Why not try grinding the seeds (which do taste bitter) into a powder and adding to meals and drinks daily to take advantage of this healthy and nutritious food?

Avoid 

coffee, drugs, alcohol, all refined and processed foods, sugar, white flour, white bread, table salt, white rice, animal fats, beef, cow's milk, margarine and any premade meals and snacks. Eliminate the use of chemicals in the home and avoid toxin containing cosmetics to reduce toxins in the system. See the Health and Hygiene page for natural alternatives.

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NATURE CURES DIET FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Consume a wide variety of the foods below in the daily diet to benefit from their powerful properties. Eating a multitude (not just 5) of fruits, vegetables of all colours, herbs and spices per day will provide alll the necessary minerals and phytonutrients the body needs for it's processes. If nothing else but the natural foods listed here are consumed for two weeks an immediate beneficial affect will be noticed.

Try steaming a wide selection of the vegetables listed with the herbs and spices listed and a tablespoon or two of bottled or filtered water (fastest in the in the microwave 8 minutes approx.) then place in a blender for a deliciously healthy potage soup and eat a small bowl before each meal.

Similarly blend a wide selection of the fruits together with nutmeg, cinnamon and honey to provide a tasty nutritious 'smoothie'. Add live probiotic organic yoghurt to make the 'smoothie' or soup creamy.

Meat (3 times a week)

lean organic beef, calf's liver, organ meats, rabbit, venison

Fish (4 times a week)

all oily fish, anchovies, bloater fish, carp, cod, eel, herring, halibut, kipper, mackerel, octopus, pilchards, salmon, sardines, shellfish, swordfish, hilsa fish, sprats, trout, tuna (fresh only), whitebait

Dairy (yoghurt & kefir milk daily, eggs and cheese 3 or 4 times a week)

live yoghurt, blue cheese, eggs, goat's milk, kefir milk

Whole grains (at least 1 whole grain everyday)

amaranth, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, oats, quinoa, rye, soya flour, teff

Vegetables (a selection of at least 3 colours per day meaning all have been eaten at least once a week)

alfalfa, ashitaba, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots, chicory, courgettes, cucumber, daikon, garlic, kelp, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, parsnips, radish, red cabbage, seaweed, spinach and all other green leafed vegetables, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, watercress

Legumes (3 times a week)

black beans, black-eyed peas, broad beans, chickpeas, legumes, lentils, lima bean, mung beans, navy beans, peanuts (unsalted), peas, pinto bean, red kidney beans, soya beans, winged beans

Fruit (a selection of at least 3 colours per day meaning all have been eaten at least once a week)

apples, bananas, cherries, red grapes, peaches, pears, melon, watermelon, all berries especially red berries, blueberries and blackberries, all citrus fruits especially lemons, limes, oranges, tangerines

Juices (only pure unsweetened additive free to be drunk as often as possible)

beetroot, blueberry, cranberry, grape, pineapple, pomegranate

Dried Fruit (as snacks or added to meals daily)

dates, figs, goji berries, prunes, raisins, sultanas

Seeds (as snacks or added to meals daily)

pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, butternut squash

Nuts (as snacks or added to meals daily)

almonds, peanuts, walnuts (5 walnuts eaten before bedtime can aid restful sleep)

Common Herbs (nutritious herbs to be used as often as possible daily)

basil, cardamom, coriander, cloves, dill, drumstick, lemongrass, oregano, parsley, rosemary, safflower, sage, tarragon, thyme

Medicinal Herbs (consume as teas or add to meals as required)

ashitaba, drumstick, false unicorn, gingko, gotu kola, Japanese knotweed, lavender, lobelia, motherwort, passion flower, periwinkle, pine needle tea, rock-rose flowers, schizandra, skull cap, valerian

Spices (nutritious spices to be used as often as possible daily)

black pepper, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, paprika, turmeric

Derivatives (to be consumed and used as desired on a daily basis)

anise seed tea, apple cider vinegar, bergamot tea, black strap molasses, brewer's yeast, brine pickles, chamomile tea, green tea, honey, miso, olive oil, royal jelly, sesame oil, tea

Drink plenty of bottled or filtered water to avoid the impurities of chorine and fluoride added to tap water

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Avoid

cabbage, kale, plums and prunes if suffering from thyroid gland problems, kidney stones or gallstones, joint problems or osteoporosis

ginger and turmeric if taking anticoagulants (blood thinning medication) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory such as aspirin and ibuprofen or in the first trimester of pregnancy

seeds and nuts if suffering from diverticulitis

rosemary if pregnant or breastfeeding or suffering from high blood pressure

Japanese knotweed & motherwort if taking anticoagulants (blood thinning medication) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen, have heart problems and during the first trimester of pregnancy

Note: motherwort may be habit forming

CUT OUT 

white flour, coffee, animal fats (use rice bran oil, olive oil or rapeseed instead) and sugar (use honey instead). Only eat the following fruit and vegetables if they are organic because of the risk of pesticides: Apples, Bell Peppers, Celery, Cocoa beans, Coffee beans, Cherries, Grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Red Raspberries, Spinach, Strawberries.

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Conclusion

In general, people with Alzheimer's have about one-half the life expectancy, after diagnosis, than people who do not have Alzheimer's. People in their 80s and 90s who have recently developed Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia live, on average, about four and a half years after their condition is diagnosed.

Posted in: Alzheimer's Disease