Alzheimer disorders

DISORDERS

(Their description, characteristics or symptoms,

causes, and complementary or alternative treatments)

Disorder: ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Description: This disorder was first identified in 1907 by a German neurologist named Alois Alzheimer. It is characterized by progressive mental deterioration, to such a degree that it interferes with the ability to function normally. Memory and abstract thought processes are impaired. New memories cannot be formed, and memories formed earlier cannot be retrieved. Once considered a psychological phenomenon, Alzheimer’s disease is now known to be a degenerative disorder that is characterized by a specific set of physiological changes in the brain. Once-healthy brain cells surrounding the brain’s memory center become tangled, and information is no longer carried properly to or from the brain. Although it is not clear what damages the brain cells, research has focused on microscopic plaques, made of a protein-containing substance called amyloid, that build up in the area of the brain responsible for memory and mental functioning.

Symptoms: Symptoms include disoriented perceptions of space and time, inability to concentrate or communicate, memory loss, depression, personality changes, loss of bladder and bowel control, and severe mood swings. Functioning progressively deteriorates, until the individual is totally incapacitated. Death usually occurs within five to ten years.

Incidence: There are currently more than 4 million people in the United States who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. It afflicts 10 percent of Americans over the age of sixty-five and as many as 50 percent of those over eight-five. Dementia is the fourth leading cause of death in those over 60, while Alzheimer’s alone kills 100,000 people per year in the United States. Alzheimer’s disease does not affect elderly people only, but may also strike people in their forties.

Causes: The precise cause or causes of the disease are not known, but research has revealed a number of interesting clues. Many of them point to nutritional deficiencies. Malabsorption problems, which are common among the elderly, make them more prone than others to nutritional deficiencies, and alcohol and many medications further deplete crucial vitamins and minerals. For example, people with Alzheimer’s tend to have low levels of vitamin B12 and the antioxidant vitamins A and E and the carotenoids (including beta-carotene) in their bodies. It is well known that the processed foods that make up so much of the modern diet have been stripped of these essential nutrients. Antioxidants act as free radical scavengers; deficiencies may expose the brain cells to increased oxidative damage. In addition, deficiencies of boron, potassium and selenium have been found in people with Alzheimer’s. Research has also revealed a connection between Alzheimer’s disease and high concentrations of aluminum in the brain. It’s possible that exposure to excessive amounts of aluminum, especially if combined with a lack of essential vitamins and minerals, may directly or indirectly predispose one to developing Alzheimer’s disease. Research has also found that an increase in zinc caused amyloid to "curdle into gluelike clumps" within just two minutes. More information is needed on the role of dietary zinc in Alzheimer’s, but now there is evidence to warn against megadoses of elemental zinc.

Many researchers believe that beta-amyloid is a key player in this disease. Amyloid is not unique to the brain but is produced in virtually every cell in the body as a result of the degeneration of tissue. By itself, it is not highly toxic, but it is possible it may trigger dementia if a critical mass accumulates in the brain.

Treatments: Science does not yet know what can be done to arrest the mental deterioration of Alzheimer’s disease. Because dementia can be a symptom of many disorders, a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is usually made when all other possibilities have been eliminated. Some of the most promising treatments on the horizon now include the use of vitamins.

Nutrients:

Supplement Dosage Comments

Acetylcholine	500 mg. 3 times daily on an empty stomach.	Deficiency has been implicated as possibly causing dementia.
Coenzyme Q10	100 mg.-200 mg. daily	Increases oxygenation of cells and is involved in the generation of cellular activity.
Ginkgo biloba		See under Herbs, below
Lecithin granules of capsules	1 tbsp 3 times daily, before meals. 1200 mg. 3 times daily, before meals.	Needed for improved memory. Contains choline.
Multivitamin and mineral complex with potassium		All nutrients are necessary in balance. Use a high-potency formula. Needed for proper electrolyte balance.
Grape seed extract	As directed on label.	Protects brain cells from free radical damage.
Selenium	200 mcg. daily	Powerful antioxidant for brain cell protection.
Vitamin B complex injections plus extra B6 and B12, or Vitamin B complex plus extra B6 (pyridoxine) and B12 plus B5 (pantothenic acid)	As prescribed by physician. 100 mg. 3 times daily.	Needed for brain function; aids in the digestion of food. Deficiency can cause depression and mental difficulties. Important for brain function. Deficient in people with Alzheimer’s. Injections (under a doctor’s supervision) are fast and Give good results. If injections are not available, preferably use a sublingual form.
Apple pectin	As directed on label.	Aids in removing toxic metals such as mercury, which can contribute to dementia.
Calcium and magnesium	1600 mg. daily at bedtime. 800 mg. daily.	Has a calming effect and works with magnesium. Acts as a natural calcium channel blocker.
Free-form amino acid complex	1000-2500 mg. daily before meals. Take with 8 oz fluid.	Needed for improved brain function and tissue repair. Use free-form amino acids for best absorption.
Kelp	1000-1500 mg. daily	Supplies needed minerals.
Melatonin	2-3 mg. daily, taken 2 hours or less before bedtime.	Improves brain function and aids sleep.
Vitamin C with bioflavonoids	6000-10,000 mg. daily, in divided doses.	Enhances immune function and increases energy level; a powerful antioxidant.
Vitamin E	Start at 400 IU daily and increase slowly to 800 IU daily.	An antioxidant that helps transport oxygen to the brain cells and protects them from free radical damage.

Herbs:

Ginkgo biloba extract, taken in liquid or capsule form, acts as an antioxidant and increases blood flow to the brain. Studies have shown that it can improve brain function. Take 100 to 200 mg. of ginkgo biloba extract three times daily.

Recommendations:

	Eat a well balanced diet of natural foods and follow the supplementation program recommended above.
	Drink steam-distilled water only.
	Avoid alcohol, cigarette smoke, processed foods, and environmental toxins, especially metals such as aluminum and mercury.
	Have a hair analysis to rule out the possibility of heavy metal intoxication as the cause of symptoms.
	Have allergy testing performed to rule out environmental and/or food allergies.

Considerations:

	Autopsies performed on persons who have died of Alzheimer’s disease have revealed accumulations of up to four times the normal amount of aluminum in the nerve cells in the brain. While there is still much controversy as to whether the accumulation of aluminum in the neurons is the cause or a result of neuronal dysfunction, it is best to avoid aluminum as much as possible.
	The signs of alcohol abuse and the symptoms of Alzheimer’s can be very similar. The actress, Rita Hayworth, who had Alzheimer’s disease, was at first thought to be an alcoholic.
	No one should accept a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease without first undergoing a trial of intensive nutritional therapy, particularly vitamin B12 injections. Vitamin B12 functions in numerous metabolic processes that affect nerve tissue, and it may have a role to play in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Strange prickly or tingling sensations, loss of coordination, and dementia can be caused by B12 deficiency even if the person does not have pernicious anemia, the classic sign of that deficiency. If an individual responds to B12 treatment, Alzheimer’s can be ruled out.
	A decline in the ability to smell often occurs as much as two years prior to the beginning of mental decline in people with Alzheimer’s. The rate at which the ability to distinguish smells is lost is a useful predictor of how rapidly an individual will lose cognitive functioning. Smoking, however, can damage the sense of smell, making this less useful as an indicator of disease in smokers.
	In his book Beating Alzheimer’s (Avery Publishing Group, 1991), Tom Warren cites evidence that diet and chemical allergies may play an important role in Alzheimer’s disease. Reactions to allergens can cause swelling in the brain. Recurring headaches are a common symptom of brain-related allergies.
	Research at the University of Kentucky found that the brains of a group of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease contained higher levels of mercury than the brains of a comparable control group, particularly in areas of the brain responsible for cognitive functioning, movement, and expression.
	Women with Alzheimer’s disease have been found to have lower estrogen levels than their healthy counterparts.

Vitamin For Life Recommended Regimen and cost:

Product No 59618-	Description	Comments	Cost
949-11	Coenzyme Q10 Tabs.	1 or 2 tablets daily.	$19.95/30
950-12	Ginkgo Biloba Extract 60 mg. Caps.	1 capsule 3 times daily	$9.95/60
921-15	Lecithin 1200 mg. Softgels	Take 1 softgel 3 times daily before meals	$4.50/100
968-15	Multivitamin w/Minerals Tabs.	As directed on label	$6.95/100
222-12	Grape seed extract	As directed on label	$32.95/60
233-151	Selenium 200 mcg.	1 tab. daily	$5.99/100
910-15	Sea-Kelp Natural Tabs.	As directed on label	$2.95/100
890-15	B Complex 100 mg. Tabs.	1 tab. 3 times daily	$8.95/100
247-151	Apple Pectin Tabs.	As directed on label	$5.95/100
140-17	Super Cal/Mag Tabs.	Take at bedtime.	$5.25/180
NS00004	Free Form Amino Acid Tabs.	3 tablets daily before meals. Take with 8 oz. liquid	$18.00/100
927-12	Melatonin Tabs.	Take 1 tab. 2 hours or less before bedtime.	$5.50/60
970-12	C 1000 mg. w/Rose Hips	3 tablets daily in divided doses	$5.75/60
234-15	Vitamin E 400 IU (D Alpha Tocopheryl)	1 tablet daily	$7.99/100

Sources:

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 2^nd Edition

By James F. Balch, M.D. & Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.

Prevention’s Healing with Vitamins, by the Editors of

Prevention Magazine Health Books

Alternative Medicine, The Definitive Guide

Compiled by Burton Goldberg

Brave New Cures, by Julian Whitaker, M.D.

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