This Journal entry picks up with more clinical science about brain health and revisits Alzheimer’s disease.

Clinical researchers have been investigating the biochemical mechanisms of this disorder and their investigations have led them to propose functional holistic lifestyle choices and practices as the therapeutic means to both prevent and reverse the disease process.

Of course, functional medicine practitioners have practiced from this perspective for decades. This is one of the first times that major research has come down from the conventional medical towers to grace us with holistic conclusions about how to treat dementia conditions.

I am posting links to 3 different recent interviews with Dr. Dale Bredesen in this Journal writing.

Dr. Dale Bredesen, M.D. is the foremost clinical researcher on the mechanisms of the degenerative brain disease that now affects more than 5 million Americans. More people will die from Alzheimer’s disease in this year than from breast and prostate cancer combined. The suffering and expense is immense in scope. It is commonly thought that Alzheimer’s disease is an incurable condition, but this assumption is not true.

Bredesen was recently interviewed by functional medicine practitioner Chris Kresser, whose interview I am posting in its entirety below. Kresser’s interview with Dr. Bredesen is entitled “New Hope that Alzheimer’s Can be Prevented–and Even Cured.” Here is a link to the original article.

This interview is timely and coincides with the release of Dr. Bredesen’s book The End of Alzheimer’s, The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline. Because we will all be affected by this particular degenerative disease in one way or another, either directly or indirectly, I recommend that everyone buy this book and become familiar with the solid science which leads right into functional medicine concepts…and then begin implementing these concepts into your lives.

Being the most comprehensive assessments of Alzheimer’s risk, Dr. Dale Bredesen’s ReCODE protocol evaluates 150 factors known to contribute to the disease. The acronym for this protocol stands for Reversal of Cognitive Decline. This protocol identifies one’s Alzheimer’s disease subtype, or combination of subtypes, so that an effective treatment protocol can be devised. These subtypes are explained in the interview below.

As I have explained in a prior Journal entitled “Brain Health and the Degenerative Disease Spectrum” (linked below), all of the degenerative chronic diseases have common pathological mechanisms as the foundational basis which leads to their expression.

Good diet, good exercise, good stress management, and good sleep hygiene will solve most of the common diseases in our culture. Building emotional and mental clarity and becoming spiritually aligned with one’s life passions and purpose rounds one’s life out into a life well lived.

Dr. Bredesen is an internationally recognized expert on neurodegenerative disease. He held faculty positions at UCSF and UCLA and directed the Program on Aging at the Burnham Institute. He joined the Buck Institute for research on aging in 1998 as its founding president and CEO, and is now on its Emeritus Faculty. Here is a summary of his curriculum vitae.

Here is the Kresser-Bredesen interview…

What’s wrong with the conventional approach to Alzheimer’s disease?

“The conventional approach to Alzheimer’s disease does not address the actual cause—the contributors to this complex chronic illness, which may be dozens and vary from person to person—and attempts to improve symptoms with a monotherapy, a single drug. This is something like trying to patch 36 holes in your roof by putting a patch over one hole and finding that water is still coming through the other 35 holes. In addition, the conventional approach is a one-size-fits-all approach, when a personalized, precision approach is needed, based on the different critical targets for each person.

Finally, the conventional approach is often backward—the surprise is that the very amyloid that is associated with Alzheimer’s disease is a protective response to insults such as microbes and toxins. Therefore, any attempt to remove the amyloid should be preceded by the removal of the insult(s) that are inducing this protective response.”

What led you to a functional/evolutionary perspective on AD?

“This came directly from the test tube, from years of basic laboratory research—we had no idea when we started that we would end up with a functional medicine approach. We were studying the molecular biology of APP, the amyloid precursor protein that gives rise to the amyloid-beta that collects in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Surprisingly, we found that APP functions like a molecular switch—when it is cleaved at the alpha site, two peptides are produced (sAPPalpha and alphaCTF) that support neurite outgrowth, neuronal survival, and synaptic maintenance—essentially, these support memory. Conversely, when APP is cleaved at the beta, gamma, and caspase sites, it yields four peptides (sAPPbeta, amyloid-beta, Jcasp, and C31) that mediate neurite retraction, synaptic reorganization, and ultimately, neuronal death—essentially, these support forgetting. In other words, the two supportive peptides are ‘synaptoblastic,’ whereas the four retractive peptides are ‘synaptoclastic.’

We then wanted to know what determines this critical balance—a plasticity balance—and it turned out that dozens of parameters affect this balance, many quite directly. For example, vitamin D, estradiol, testosterone, NF-kappa B (as part of the inflammatory response), BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which increases with exercise), sleep (which helps to clear the amyloid-beta, among many other effects), and dozens of others, all affect this critical balance.

Therefore, we realized that we needed to measure all of these parameters for each person in order to determine what is contributing to cognitive decline or risk for cognitive decline.  Then we need to address each contributor—to reduce the synaptoclastic signaling and increase the synaptoblastic signaling. This is a functional medicine approach, so we realized that the basic research had shown us that, for a complex chronic illness such as Alzheimer’s disease, a functional medicine approach makes mechanistic sense. This has been supported now by hundreds of patients who have shown positive responses to this approach to cognitive decline.”

Can AD be prevented and even reversed?

“Yes, contrary to the current dogma, Alzheimer’s disease can be prevented, and the cognitive decline associated with AD can be reversed, although in the late stages of the illness this becomes progressively more difficult and less common. However, there is a large window of opportunity—about a decade of SCI (subjective cognitive impairment), when people note cognitive changes yet still score normally on cognitive tests; then often several years of MCI (mild cognitive impairment), when cognitive testing shows abnormalities, yet people are still capable of doing ADLs (activities of daily living); then early in the course of full-blown Alzheimer’s disease.  Therefore, it is important to seek evaluation and treatment as early as possible.”

You’ve proposed 5 different types of AD. What are they and how are they distinct?

“Type 1 is inflammatory (“hot”), and the inflammation may be due to pathogens or other inflammatory factors such as trans fats. Type 2 is atrophic (“cold”) and is associated with reductions in trophic support such as nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, estradiol, vitamin D, and other trophic, hormonal, or nutritional support. Then there is a common combination of type 1 and type 2—type 1.5, or glycotoxic (“sweet”)—that combines the inflammation of high glucose (e.g., via AGEs, advanced glycation end products) with the trophic loss of insulin resistance. Type 3 is toxic (“vile”) and is associated with exposure to toxins such as mycotoxins (e.g., trichothecenes or ochratoxin A) or chemotoxins (e.g., mercury). Type 4 is vascular (“pale”) and is associated with reduced vascular support. Type 5 is traumatic (“dazed”) and is associated with previous head trauma.  The typical symptoms and signs of these types are described, and clinical cases are described, in the book.

Not surprisingly, many people have combinations of these types, so we have developed a computer-based algorithm that calculates the percent contribution from each type. This then helps to develop the optimal therapeutic program for each person, and again we use an algorithm to generate an initial program.”

Where have you seen the biggest impacts in terms of diet, lifestyle, and functional medicine treatments with AD?

“The key is that the whole program works together, so there is a threshold effect, just as is seen with cardiovascular disease treatment. There seem to be major effects of reversing insulin resistance, optimizing sleep, exercising regularly, eliminating toxic exposures (especially for Type 3 AD), optimizing hormonal support (including bioidentical hormone replacement), optimizing nutrition (e.g., avoiding high homocysteine, low vitamin D, low vitamin B12, low magnesium, etc.), addressing pathogens (e.g., Borrelia), reducing inflammation (but most importantly, removing the cause(s) of the inflammation), optimizing brain training, and reducing stress.”

What role does genetic testing play in the functional approach to AD?

“Genetic testing plays an important role, and although there are hundreds of SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) that are associated with AD, the most important genetic test for AD risk is ApoE: for those with zero copies of ApoE4 (e.g., those who are ApoE3/3), the lifetime risk of developing AD is about 9 percent; for the 75 million Americans with one copy (e.g., ApoE3/4), the lifetime risk is about 30 percent; and for the seven million Americans with two copies (ApoE4/4), the lifetime risk is well over 50 percent. This has led to a conventional approach of avoiding the determination of ApoE genotype, with the claim that there is “nothing” one can do about it. This is no longer the case, and therefore the goal is for everyone to know their ApoE status, to get on an active prevention program, and to make Alzheimer’s disease a rare disease.

In addition, for those with a strong family history of AD, especially for early onset AD (before 65 years of age), it is important to determine whether there are familial Alzheimer’s disease-associated mutations in APP, presenilin-1, or presenilin-2.”

What are the most important steps people can take to reduce their risk of AD?

“The most important thing to do is to get a “cognoscopy”—in other words, just as everyone knows that he or she should have a colonoscopy when turning 50, it is a good idea for everyone over 45 to have an analysis of biochemistry (what is your homocysteine, fasting insulin, hs-CRP, etc.?), genetics (ApoE4 positive?), and function (how are you scoring on a quick, simple test that can be done online). These tests will tell you where you stand, and from there, you can address the very items that are placing you at risk, such as inflammation, insulin resistance, poor nutrition, suboptimal hormone levels, toxin exposure, etc.”

Where can people find practitioners who have been trained in your approach?

“We have now trained more than 450 practitioners from seven different countries and all over the United States, and there will be more than 1,000 by the end of this year. We are training practitioners in our protocol (ReCODE, which is for reversal of cognitive decline) in collaboration with the Institute for Functional Medicine. You can find these practitioners at the website apollohealthco.com/dr-bredesen/.”

What are you most excited about in terms of future developments? What challenges are we facing?

“It is important to emphasize that we are just at the very beginning of all of this—literally the dawn of treatable and preventable Alzheimer’s disease. This is the same thing that is occurring with the use of functional medicine for other complex chronic illnesses—unprecedented improvements are being seen in type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and other illnesses.

There is a tremendous amount of development remaining to do—how do we optimize outcomes? For those who improve but then plateau at less than their normal cognition, how do we enhance improvement? How do we achieve better results for those who are late in the course of Alzheimer’s disease? Can we achieve similar results for the one million Americans with Lewy body dementia? How do we address other neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and Parkinson’s disease, optimally?

There are exciting developments that should help to address these questions: the analysis of neural exosomes by Prof. Ed Goetzl and his colleagues has offered the ability to evaluate brain chemistry with a blood sample. Prof. Milan Fiala has described the “phagocytosis index,” which also shows evidence of Alzheimer’s disease pathophysiology in a blood sample and offers real-time follow-up of metabolic improvement that associates with cognitive improvement.

More sensitive tests for chronic pathogens, for biotoxins and chemotoxins, for barrier breaches (gut, blood-brain, etc.), and for optimal microbiomes (especially gut, oral, and rhinosinal) should all play important roles in the evolution of functional medicine approaches to neurodegeneration, as well as improved, precision medicine programs that include optimization of immune responses, stem cells, and neurotrophin delivery—not a silver bullet, but silver buckshot.”

————————end of interview————————–

Blood testing studies which Dr. Bredesen recommends are as follows:

Ferritin	40 to 60 ng/mL
GGT	Less than 16 U/L for men and less than 9 U/L for women
25-hydroxy vitamin D	40 to 60 ng/mL
High-sensitivity CRP	Less than 0.9 mg/L (the lower the better)
Fasting Insulin	Less than 4.5 mg/dL (the lower the better)
Omega-3 index and omega 6:3 ratio	Omega-3 index should be above 8 percent and your omega 6-to-3 ratio between 0.5 and 3.0
TNF alpha	Less than 6.0
TSH	Less than 2.0 microunits/mL
Free T3	3.2-4.2 pg/mL
Reverse T3	Less than 20 ng/mL
Free T4	1.3-1.8 ng/mL
Serum copper and zinc ratio	0.8-1.2
Serum selenium	110-150 ng/mL
Glutathione	5.0-5.5 μm
Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol)	12-20 mcg/mL
Body mass index	18-25
ApoE4 (DNA test)	See how many alleles you have: 0, 1 or 2
Vitamin B12	500-1,500
Hemoglobin A1c	Less than 5.5 (the lower the better)
Homocysteine	4.4-10.8 mcmol/L

Crestone and Beyond

Dr. Bredesen’s work is now receiving immense attention, justly so, and this is a good thing because his functional and holistically based science approach will do the most good for those who embrace it. By following the principles he outlines, one can also expect to enjoy the prevention of a number of common degenerative disorders. Dr. Bredesen admits that his conventional science based research led him right into knowing that natural lifestyle choices and practices were foundational to prevention and healing of dementia conditions.

I attempted coverage of a broad scope of holistic functional considerations in brain health in 3 previous Journal entries:

• Brain Health
• Blood Sugar and Brain Health
• Brain Health and the Degenerative Disease Spectrum

All of the reading references listed at the end of those writings are appropriate for this Journal.

In a recent webinar entitled “Awakening from Alzheimer’s” I listened in as 11 M.D.s and 3 Ph.D.s described their clinical experience and research in treating Alzheimer’s dementia. This information has been gathered into a book by the same name.

One of the best interviews was of Dr. Bredesen, whose research and book I enthusiastically recommend. Another expert who was interviewed was Dr. Perlmutter. Please see reference #1 in the reading list below for a link to his nice website summary of how to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease.

Another person interviewed was Dr. Mary Newport, M.D., who explained her treatment and reversal of her husband’s advanced Alzheimer’s disease. Her book about this experience is Alzheimer’s Disease: What If There Was A Cure?

Some of the many important holistic principles which were consistently covered by all presenters in this webinar were the importance of:

• low carbohydrate, higher fat diet
• appropriate nutritional supplements
• sleep health
• stress management
• exercise

Alzheimer’s disease is a very important disease to understand in terms of how it can be prevented by practicing healthy common sense lifestyle choices, even if one carries an ApoE4 gene variant.

All degenerative diseases exist on a spectrum with common causal factors as is explained in my writing, linked above, entitled “Brain Health and the Degenerative Disease Spectrum.” Like all cells and tissues in our body, the central nervous system is able to heal itself. As always, the best cure for any of the common diseases which plague our society is prevention.

“The best time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.”….John F. Kennedy

Thank you for reading.

Signing off from Crestone and Beyond

Additional Reading and References:

1. Reversal of Cognitive Decline: 100 Patients…Dr. Bredesen’s 2018 report in the Journal of Alzheimer Disease and Parkinsonism. Here you can open the pdf to view the report.
2. ReCODE Program…here you can sign up as a participant in the ReCODE protocols.
3. Alzheimer’s–The Most Fundamental Principle…respected holistic neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter, M.D. reveals the simple lifestyle approaches which prevent and reverse Alzheimer’s disease…worth a look…many nice simple links are given for substantiation of the basic principles.
4. Two of Dr. Bredesen’s recently published papers include Reversal of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease and Inhalational Alzheimer’s disease: An unrecognized—and treatable—epidemic.
5. Lithium’s Billion Year Journey: A Cinderella Story for Brain Health…a very good article on lithium’s history, chemistry and benefits. This is the part I article of reference #3 below.
6. Nutritional Lithium: Orchestrating Our Genes & Optimizing Our Moods…how lithium works at the genetic level to increase BDNF and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.`
7. Has Ancestral Health Gone Mainstream?…interesting information about the APOE4 gene in the Tsimane people of Bolivia.
8. Digital Dementia…an important article about a growing toxicity. Note the comment about doctors and nurses spending more time looking at digital devices than interacting with patients.
9. Is There a Role for Ketones in Traumatic Brain Injury?…TBI is a significant caused of dementia. The value of ketones as a brain fuel is explored in this article.
10. Does Parkinson’s Disease Begin in the Gut?…very interesting and important recent findings are presented here.
11. There are 4 writings on this website about how the heart functions outside of its role of pumping blood. These considerations are very important for body-mind-emotion-spirit health, and are the most important considerations for living a happy and healthy life that I know of. There are many many people who live happy and healthy lives in our world who would never need to read such writings. They are the living examples of a glowing heart…1) The Pulse of Life, 2) The Spiral of Life, 3) The Prayer of Life, and 4) The Beginning of Life.
12. Recent research suggests that repeated hits, not concussions are to blame for CTE…the editor for a website devoted to the football program at the University of Alabama posts a nice summary article which has a look at some important new research findings about the pathogenesis of CTE.
13. Move More…a very nice little writing about the benefits of exercise and body movement.
14. New review demonstrates a role for branched chain amino acids (BCAA) in traumatic brain injury…the data and information about how to help TBI keeps coming in. I think the most important variable in TBI outcomes is the lifestyle of those who have been injured. If a TBI victim can maintain a wholesome lifestyle and add in the best brain nutrients which are appropriate for their genetics and other conditions, then a good outcome should ensue.
15. Brain Health Nutrients…an extensive writing on this website which explores good brain health nutrients per the all-encompassing mnemonic of BRIGHT MINDS from Daniel Amen, M.D., and the dementia categories from the clinical research of Dale Bredesen, M.D.
16. Insulin Resistance and Cognitive Decline…neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter discusses a recent publication entitled “Insulin resistance as a key link for the increased risk of cognitive impairment in the metabolic syndrome.” This article appeared in the journal Experimental and Molecular Medicine.
17. Sex is good for the brain! See here, here, and here.
18. Sleep Deprivation in Kids and Teens: A Real Cause for Concern…Chris Kresser explains the new data. Everyone of all ages needs more contact with and time in nature and less time being plugged into electronic devices. The health of our brains begins early in our lives. The electronic trends and pharmaceutical trends of the past 3 decades pose a serious threat to anyone’s brain health.
19. New study investigates the impact of low vitamin B12 and high homocysteine levels in Parkinson’s disease…vitamin B12 and homocysteine are important chemical levels to know for overall health, especially for blood vessels and brain.
20. Autophagy and Proteostasis: A Unifying Theory of Neurodegenerative Disease…is neuronal autophagy the missing key for treating neurodegenerative disease? This excellent technical article unfolds the known cellular and biochemical mechanisms which influence how cells undergo natural programmed cell death (apoptosis) and subsequent clearing of the deconstructed cell components (autophagy). Natural substances to assist normal apoptosis and autophagy are referenced. These 2 cellular processes are important for the health of the whole body, and not just the brain.
21. Dementia–Reducing Your Risk Starts Today…Dr. David Perlmutter comments on the exercise study which was explained in the prior reference, #29.
22. Seven Year Meditation Study Shows Improved Attention Span into Old Age…meditation is good for everything. You can start off just doing a 3 to 5 minute practice daily, and the benefits will begin to accrue.
23. New study demonstrates the impact of sleep disturbance on cognitive decline…the research data on sleep health continues to accumulate.
24. Taking Control of the “Alzheimer’s Gene”…Dr. David Perlmutter explains a new study from the March 27, 2018 edition of Neurology which considers the evidence about insulin resistance, the APOE4 gene, and the risk of Alzheimer’s.
25. Sleep Position May Influence Brain Health…sleep on your side is what this synopsis reveals. Sleeping on your side helps the brain glymphatic system clear waste from the brain more efficiently during the sleeping hours. The importance of insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) is explained.
26. New review demonstrates the role of melatonin in neurodegenerative disorders…low levels of melatonin may be an early predictor of Alzheimer’s disease. Mechanisms of melatonin’s action to prevent AD are presented.
27. Dr. David Perlmutter interviews Dr. Mellisa Schilling, Ph.D.…an interesting and excellent 2 year old interview about Dr. Schilling’s research into the relationship between insulin and Alzheimer’s disease.
28. Heavy Metals: A Risk For Alzheimer’s?…Dr. David Perlmutter summarizes a meta-analysis by Chinese and American authors of 52 studies about the risk association of high aluminum, cadmium, mercury, and lead with Alzheimer’s disease.
29. Energy Medicine–Fundamental in Alzheimer’s…a summary writing by neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter, M.D., from recent research which reveals that insulin resistance compromises the function of the mitochondria and that recovery of brain cell function occurs when fat derived fuel in the form of ketones becomes available. Posted here on July 22, 2018.
30. For Scientists Racing to Cure Alzheimer’s, the Math Is Getting Ugly…pharmaceutical companies are having a difficult time getting enough Alzheimer’s patients for their drug trials. The assumption that we’ll be able to “cure” Alzheimer’s with a single drug, or even a combination of drugs is flawed. Alzheimer’s disease is a complex, multifactorial condition that cannot be addressed with a “silver bullet” approach.
31. Examining the Roles of BDNF…brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a unique protein in the brain that stimulates the development, differentiation, and protection of neuronal survival in the central and peripheral nervous systems. I see mutations in this protein often in my clients’ genetic studies. The way to help this is by using Lithium Synergy. Mutations in BDNF are related to another common mutation event known as NTRK2, which also responds favorably to low dose lithium, such as in Lithium Synergy.
32. 6 Powerful Ways to Improve Brain Health…6 key lifestyle strategies are presented in this short article which engender brain health.
33. Yes–Alzheimer’s Can be Reversed!…Dr. Perlmutter presents evidence that pharmaceutical approaches to treat Alzheimer’s disease do not work, and lifestyle adjustments do work. He partners with Dr. Dale Bredesen with this information, posted here on 12-16-18.
34. Will We Ever Cure Alzheimer’s?…a fancy NYT article about the folly of the pharmaceutical approach to Alzheimer’s disease. Doctors should learn how to advise patients in a functional medicine approach to prevent the condition. Prevention is the best cure for this disease.
35. Alzheimer’s: A Biological Model of Prevention…posted here on 12-28-18, this article outlines the current science which shows that Alzheimer’s is preventable. The current pharmaceutical approach is useless. The role of lithium being a brain nourishing mineral nutrient is mentioned here, as it is in earlier writings on this website. The 4 minerals critical for brain health are lithium, magnesium, zinc, and iodine.
36. 9+ Foods to Improve Brain Health and Memory…Dr. David Perlmutter’s team present this article on good foods for the brain.
37. Alzheimer’s Drugs Worsen Cognitive Function…from the trustworthy Dr. David Perlmutter. The clinical science is clearing up on this subject…Alzheimer drugs are not good.
38. Everybody Who Eats Needs To Hear This Warning…Dr. David Perlmutter is interviewed by Tom Bilyeu on 1-24-19 about a variety of important topics which revolve around brain health. This is an excellent interview which is packed with current cutting edge information.
39. Mediterranean Diet Adherence Linked to Reduced Cerebral AB-Amyloid Accumulation…Spain has surpassed Italy and is now the healthiest country in the world. PET scanning was used in this study to assess the efficacy of one of the the world’s healthiest diets.
40. Vitamin D and Alzheimer’s Disease: Could Deficiency Increase Your Risk?…Dr. David Perlmutter covers conclusions presented in an article reported in a 2014 edition of the journal Neurology.
41. Deprescribing Commonly Used Drugs to Prevent Alzheimer’s Risk…an important update on the problems with using pharmaceuticals for Alzheimer’s disease, posted here on 8-25-19. None of the current AD drugs do any good, and some do harm. Other complicating drug classes like statins and PPI drugs are discussed.
42. I’m a Neurologist and These are the 5 Things I do to Keep My Brain Healthy…exercise your mind, eat brain food, exercise the body, live with purpose, and drink coffee says this neurologist.
43. How Fluoride (a toxin) got in our water, and how Iodine (a critical nutrient) disappeared from medical textbooks…the story of how a neurotoxin found its way into municipal water systems. Fluoride displaces iodine from iodine receptors in our cellular biochemistry.
44. Implications of the Alzheimer’s Gene in Children…in this important article, posted here on 11-9-19, Dr. David Perlmutter discusses new research published in the Neurobiology of Aging which states that children who carry the APOE4 gene have some degree of diminished cognitive processing. “Children and adolescents who carried the APOE4 allele, the so-called ‘Alzheimer’s gene,’ showed measurably lower scores on verbal, performance and full-scale IQ assessments in comparison to those not positive for this genetic marker.”
45. Coffee–Good for Your Brain!…Dr. Perlmutter describes research showing that coffee helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Posted here on 12-5-19.
46. Neuroimaging Study Reveals Habitual Tea Drinkers Have Improved Cognitive Function…tea drinking, especially green tea drinking, modulates brain function in positive ways. Posted here on 12-28-19.
47. Particulate matter and episodic memory decline mediated by early neuroanatomic biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease…a study in the journal Brain found that women who are exposed to greater amounts of air pollution have a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. More specifically, the researchers looked at exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) <2.5 μm (PM2.5). This refers to atmospheric PM that has a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers, which is about 3 percent of the diameter of a human hair. PM2.5 comes from a variety of sources, including power plants, motor vehicles, airplanes, residential wood burning, forest fires, agricultural burning, volcanic eruptions, and dust storms. If you’re in the United States, you can use AirNow to check levels of PM2.5 (and other measures of air quality) in your area.
48. Ending Parkinson’s Disease: A Prescription for Action…posted here on 7-21-20 is this link to a new book on the subject, written by neurologists M.D.s and Ph.D.s. Mainstream conventional medicine and media have recognized the link between toxic chemicals and Parkinson’s. Here is a NYT article on this book…The Link Between Parkinson’s Disease and Toxic Chemicals.
49. The End of Alzheimer’s Program: The First Protocol to Enhance Cognition and Reverse Decline at Any Age…this is Dr. Dale Bredesen’s new book. In this interview with Dr. David Perlmutter, Bredesen describes his new book and the program he has championed to reduce Alzheimer’s disease. These 2 physician’s are a couple of the major thought leaders in the field of neurological health. Both have continued to bring the best health strategies for brain health and healing…”As many of you know, Dr. Dale Bredesen has pioneered a novel approach to Alzheimer’s disease. Rather than offering up a single treatment, he has created a multi-pronged program that is proving successful in reversing this disease. Yes, I’ll repeat, this program has reversed Alzheimer’s disease.” In his first book, The End of Alzheimer’s, Dr. Bredesen defined three subtypes of the disease: 1) Inflammatory-caused by chronic inflammation, 2) Toxic-caused by exposure to environmental toxins, and 3) Atrophic-caused by inadequate hormones. In his new book, Dr. Bredesen has added three more distinct subtypes: 1) Glycotoxic—caused by insulin resistance and high blood sugar, 2) Vascular—caused by vascular injury or dysfunction, and 3) Traumatic—caused by traumatic injuries. This interview discloses new and valuable information on preventing and reversing cognitive decline.
50. 10 Things That Will Immediately Change Your Life…posted here on 7-10-21. A quick review of foods and practices that engender brain health.
51. Myth of ‘Moderation’: Is There No Safe Amount of Alcohol?…posted here on 7-24-22. The harms of alcohol consumption are reviewed here; especially harm to the brain. Studies conclude that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
52. 2 Fast-Approved Anti-Amyloid Alzheimer’s Drugs Raise Concerns…posted here on 1-16-23. “On Jan. 6, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb), a new monoclonal antibody that seems to slow cognitive decline in some Alzheimer’s patients. In June 2021, Aduhelm (aducanumab) was approved.” Concerns are raised about the drugs as well as the “modest” improvement in cognitive symptoms.
53. Eat your vegetables to protect your brain…posted here on 11-28-23 is this report of a study which appeared in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease last summer. Brain levels of dietary lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, and vitamin E in those with Alzheimer’s are half those in normal brains. Higher lutein and zeaxanthin has been strongly linked to better cognitive functions and lower risk for Alzheimer’s and dementia conditions. My favorite nutritional supplement to use in this regard is one which is formulated for eye health…OcuForce Blue.
54. Overnight olfactory enrichment using an odorant diffuser improves memory and modifies the uncinate fasciculus in older adults…posted here on 11-28-23. This is an article from July 24, 2023, reported in Frontiers in Neuroscience. When a fragrance wafted through bedrooms of adults aged 60-85 without memory impairment for 2 hours/night for 6 months, memories skyrocketed with a 226% increase in cognitive capacity.
55. The Relationship of Ketogenic Diet with Neurogenerative and Psychiatric Diseases: A Scoping Review from Basic Research to Clinical Practice…posted here on 11-28-23 is a study reported in Nutrients from May 11, 2023. A ketogenic diet may help neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders via neuroinflammation inhibition, decreased reactive oxygen species, decreased amyloid plaque and microglial activation, protection in dopaminergic neurons, tau hyper-phosphorylation suppression, stimulating mitochondrial biogenesis, enhancing gut microbial diversity, restoration of histone acetylation, and neuron repair promotion. Clinical evidence remains scarce. A trial of a ketogenic diet is reasonable for brain or psychiatric disorders.