is there hope for alzheimer’s reversal?
Growing at an exponential rate, Alzheimer’s Disease is projected to surpass 13 million Americans diagnosed with it by the year 2050. It was first diagnosed by German physician, Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and eventually named after him in 1910. Today, unfortunately, at least 1 in 3 older seniors dies from Alzheimer’s or dementia. This totals more deaths than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined.
what is alzheimer’s disease?
Alzheimer’s Disease is a neurodegenerative illness that destroys brain cells, and also debilitates cognitive function and deteriorates memory. It is the most common form of dementia. There are four stages of Alzheimer’s: early, middle, late, and end-of-life.
In a brain where Alzheimer’s occurs, the neurons of the brain start to lose functionality causing damage to the brain. As these neurons continue to lose functionality they also lose connectivity with one another and begin to die. These connections cause massive damage within the brain.
In the early stages of the disease, the memory part of the brain is the first to be affected. As the neurons continue to lose connectivity and die, more areas of the brain are affected. Eventually, the person will lose other language and motor functions that will ultimately lead to death.
A brain affected by Alzheimer’s has a build up of what is called Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The plaques and tau tangles (for a more detailed description click here) build up in the brain causing damage and inflammation. Throughout the disease the brain is shrinking in size and loses capacity to function.
functional medicine offers a hope to slow and reverse alzheimer’s
If you aren’t familiar with Dr. Dale Bredesen, you will want to look up his new book The End of Alzheimer’s. Over the past 30 years, Dr. Bredesen and his team have researched the molecular interactions that are associated with Alzheimer’s.
In 2020, Dr. Bredesen presented the first program that was designed to prevent and reverse Alzheimer’s Disease. His Functional Medicine approach looks to the root causes of Alzheimer’s. You can learn more about his PRECODE and RECODE program here. In his clinical trials, the individuals actually reversed their cognitive decline. His KetoFLEX 12/3 nutritional approach is one of the key elements to his program*.
tips to improve brain health you can do right now
Taking care of your body is one of the best ways to start improving your brain health. Things that will help you get started on making your brain healthier include:
Eating a healthy whole foods diet
Getting physical exercise
Keeping your mind sharp and introducing mental stimulation on a regular basis
Getting restful sleep
Abstaining from drinking alcohol
Maintaining healthy social relationships.
Your brain works every second of the day to keep you functioning and alive. Be sure to show it some love by taking care of it the best that you can.
(*Note: I have no affiliation with Dr. Bredesen, nor do I get any monetary compensation for promoting his programs or books.)