alzheimer’s and dementia

The Vitamin Deficiency that Mimics Dementia

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difference between alzheimer's and dementia, alzheimer's and dementia, dementia, lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, dementia stages, dementia symptoms, what is dementia, early signs of dementia, signs of dementia, frontotemporal dementia

You may be noticing that you or someone you know is having difficulty remembering things, or feeling confused, perhaps having difficulty solving problems.  But did you know that these signs and symptoms of dementia may be due to a vitamin deficiency?

Vitamin B12

The most important vitamin for the brain that if you’re deficient in can create all sorts of cognitive problems is vitamin B12. The best source of B12 is from animal products so if you’re not consuming animal products you will likely be deficient unless you take it as a supplement. However, B12 is also made by microbes in your stomach. But if your stomach is lacking hydrochloric acid it (which happens as we age) then this will affect the microbes in the stomach which then will cause a B12 deficiency.  Taking an antacid can also decrease the hydrochloric acid in the stomach.  But you need strong hydrochloric acid to be able to absorb B12. One symptom of low hydrochloric acid is acid reflux.  This may seem counterintuitive because a lot of people reach for the antacid tablets if they have acid reflux when in fact, they should be working towards increasing the acidity in the stomach.  The reason for this is because when the stomach is low in its natural acidity it responds by overproducing it which leads to acid reflux.  But by taking an antacid to get rid of the acidity the body responds by trying to correct this problem and produces more.

B12 deficiency can also be caused by taking metformin which also causes a vitamin B1 deficiency. Studies show that when they gave participants B12 who are already deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, the B12 didn’t seem to work. But when they had enough omega-3 fatty acids then B12 worked very well. So, in other words, you need omega-3 fatty acids to allow B12 to work.

Medications

Another common cause of dementia are the side effects from medications.  Here is a list of some medications that are commonly linked to dementia:

  • antacids
  • bladder medications
  • sleep aids
  • antidepressants
  • medication for anxiety
  • cholesterol medication
  • blood pressure medications
  • corticosteroids
  • alcohol

If you’re starting to get dementia symptoms, and you’re on some of these medications, consult with your healthcare professional about the side effects. There are many instances where people are on one medication, but they have side effects from it, so they are put on another medication just to deal with the side effects of the original medication.  Eventually some people can be on multiple medications just to deal with the side effects of the other medications they are on.

Vitamin B1

There are several other important vitamin and mineral deficiencies that are related to dementia that you should be aware of. Vitamin B1 is a very common one especially with the area of the brain that’s involved with memory loss which is the hippocampus. Its not known exactly what it does, but they do know that when the hippocampus shrinks and has neurodegeneration or atrophy then you get Alzheimer’s. A vitamin B1 deficiency can cause damage to the hippocampus, and it can cause the same damage as a lack of oxygen. Vitamin B1 is also important as a cofactor in the metabolism of the mitochondria that generates energy for the brain. So, without vitamin B1 the nerves cannot work, and you literally starve off the fuel for the brain. The number one cause of a B1 deficiency is consuming too much sugar or carbohydrates. The more carbohydrates that you give the brain to run on then the more vitamin B1 you need.  Therefore, the high carb diets increase the demand for more B1 which creates more of a deficiency. As a result, the hippocampus starts to suffer and then you’re having problems with memory, locating things, confusion, or coming up with solutions to problems.

Zinc

Zinc is another key nutrient involved with hippocampus. If there is a zinc deficiency you tend to develop amyloid plaques in the brain which you see in Alzheimer’s. How do you become zinc deficient? Probably because you’re consuming too much sugar or carbs but also because of something called Phytic acid, which is found in the grains, breads, pastas, crackers etc.  Phytic acid blocks zinc which can then cause the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Vitamin D

If you’re deficient vitamin D which most the population is, you can go from a mild form of dementia to a severe form of dementia a lot faster. So, vitamin D slows the process of developing damage in your brain.  Of course, vitamin D comes from the sun, it’s very difficult to get if from food but it’s found in fatty fish, dairy, cod liver oil, and mushrooms but not to a large degree.

Recommendations

So, if you have symptoms of dementia then getting on a Keto diet with fasting is one of the healthiest things you can do because running the brain on ketones will bypass the damage in the hippocampus and feed the neurons directly in a different way. This will slow down the degeneration of the brain.  Also, eating fatty fish will give you the zinc and omega-3 fatty acids that the brain needs. Eating red meat will give you the B12 that you need. As for your stomach, if it’s low in the acids it requires, then a very good remedy is betaine hydrochloride. Taking 5 right before a meal will slowly start building up the acids in the stomach as well as allow the absorption of B12.

The End Of Alzheimer’s

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the end of Alzheimer's

Could the end of Alzheimer’s be within reach? In my last article you discovered just how prevalent the risk of Alzheimer’s is to everyone and what a deadly disease it is where “you die before you die”. You also discovered that the time to deal with it is now. Long before even the thought of having it crosses most people’s minds. If you’re still naïve enough to think that modern medicine will have the cure for you, you’re sadly mistaken.

The 7 Stages Of Alzheimer’s

The most common classification from a timeline perspective is to place the progression of Alzheimer’s into seven stages as follows;

Stage 1: No Impairment

There are absolutely no symptoms of Alzheimer’s even though the disease process has started. In all likelihood, the disease process started at least 20 years earlier.

Stage 2: Very Mild Decline

Minor memory problems are noted. These are almost always attributed to age or stress, often even joked about. The person will still do well on standard memory tests and neither family nor doctor is likely to suspect that anything is wrong.

Stage 3: Mild Decline

Family members may begin to notice cognitive problems. This may include finding the right word during conversations, difficulty with remembering names of new acquaintances and losing personal possessions.

Stage 4: Moderate Decline

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s are now apparent including having difficulty with;

  • Simple arithmetic
  • Poor short-term memory
  • An inability to manage finances
  • Forgetting details about your/their life

Sadly, this is usually the stage when Alzheimer’s is first diagnosed. On average people live between four and eight years following diagnosis.

Stage 5: Moderately Severe Decline

At this stage people will begin to need help with many day-to-day activities including getting dressed. The inability to recall simple details about themselves and significant confusion are prevalent. They can still maintain functionality such as bathing and using the toilet. Also, they usually still know their family members.

Stage 6: Severe Decline

Constant supervision is necessary, usually of a professional nature. Symptoms include;

  • Confusion
  • Unawareness of their surroundings
  • An inability to recognize faces except for maybe their closest friends and family
  • Loss of bladder and bowel control
  • Major personality changes and behavioral problems
  • Wandering
  • The need for assistance with toileting and bathing

Stages 7: Very Severe Decline

This is the final stage of Alzheimer’s and you are near death. People lose the ability to communicate and may eventually lose their ability to swallow.

For a progressive disease that begins 20 years before stage 1 and isn’t diagnosed until stage 4, where most people die 4 to 8 years later. The problems are obvious. To make matters worse, current medical treatment involves drug use and failed vaccine trials. None of which have ever been shown to cure, prevent, stop or even slow the progression of Alzheimer’s to any appreciable degree. The toll to both the Alzheimer’s patient as well as the caregiver is almost unimaginable.

There is currently no drug or medical treatment of any kind that is able to cure, prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer’s to any appreciable degree.

The End Of Alzheimer’s?

With all the best of intentions, obviously the current approach to Alzheimer’s is dead wrong because it simply doesn’t work. The bigger question is why? Here’s why: there are three main theories accepted by the vast majority of the medical community as to the mechanism of Alzheimer’s, dementia and age-related memory loss.

1. The Cholinergic Hypothesis – Alzheimer’s is caused by the reduced synthesis of the
neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
2. Beta-amyloid protein plaque build-up
3. Tau Hypothesis – Tau protein forms neurofibrillary tangles inside the nerve cell bodies.

It’s not necessarily that these three theories are wrong. In fact they do happen, but rather they’re not the cause of Alzheimer’s. This explains why all the drugs that have been developed over the years have failed miserably. Yet modern medicine refuses to change its approach.

It was over 100 years ago that Dr. Alzheimer autopsied the brain of his dementia patient. Found plaques and decided that the plaques must be the cause of the disease. However, it was just last week that Dr. Oz perpetuated this idea with the announcement that new blood tests may be able to discover this plaque earlier. Sadly, that won’t help.

Plaque build-up is not the cause of Alzheimer’s
but rather the body’s response to protect brain cells from infection, toxins and inflammation

Alzheimer’s Treatment – What Is The Answer?

The answer as discussed in detail in my new book as well as my free masterclass is this. Understand that based on the latest science Alzheimer’s has 6 major causes and 36 subsets thereof. As such, the appropriate testing specific to your cause (unlike the testing currently done by most doctors and most hospitals) is required if we are ever to prevent this dreaded disease.

However, there’s good news! By taking this approach Alzheimer’s is preventable. In fact there are a growing amount of documented case studies in the scientific literature that Alzheimer’s is even reversible as late as stage 3.

The nightmare of Alzheimer’s is preventable
and in some cases even reversible

So What’s Next?

In my next article I’ll talk about early-onset Alzheimer’s and the role that genetics play in this dreaded disease. If you’d like you can skip ahead and read my book “The Science of Brain Health – The Simple 7 Step Solution to Prevent the Nightmare of Alzheimer’s”.

Also, you can watch my masterclass “Brain Health for Life – The New Science-based Approach to Maintain Razor Sharp Memory, Laser Focused Learning and Prevent Brain Decline without Drugs Even if Your Genetics and Age Say Otherwise”.

Please visit my website or subscribe to my podcast for more information.

Alzheimer’s Awareness – Crucial For Your Health

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Alzheimer's Awareness

If I were to ask you to name any of the top deadly diseases you would likely include cancer and heart disease at the top of your list. But did you know the fastest rising deadly disease, yes deadly; is Alzheimer’s disease. With a new case diagnosed every 65 seconds it’s no wonder there is so much emphasis needed on Alzheimer’s awareness.

In addition, on our quest to live longer and longer, succumbing to it may be inevitable. Especially if we’re not prepared to change our ways and take an entirely different and new approach to living.

Alzheimer’s Disease – Flip A Coin

Let’s make this as straightforward as possible. Please pull out a coin and flip it. Now if you plan on living to 85 years of age;

  • Heads – you’ll get Alzheimer’s
  • Tails – you won’t

If you have a spouse, on average that means there’s a 100% chance that either you’ll have it or you’ll be taking care of your spouse who does. Do you really want to cross your fingers and leave your health and your life to the flip of a coin?

If you plan to live to 85 years of age and beyond,

you have a 1 in 2 chance that you will suffer from Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia

“But I’m young and invincible. I’m not really worried about what happens to me when I’m 85.” Well, when it comes to Alzheimer’s awareness, there’s 2 things to consider;

1) If you’ve ever been close to someone suffering from Alzheimer’s you might change that thought.

2) You need to appreciate that Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease. It starts at least 20 to 30 years before it’s diagnosed. Combine that with the fact that many are diagnosed in their 60’s. Not to mention those with early-onset Alzheimer’s (to be discussed in a future article). The time to take action is in your 20’s and 30’s. In fact, believe it or not, experts believe Alzheimer’s prevention should begin in utero.

Click here to read, “5 Ways To Keep Your Brain Healthy!”

Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s Dementia – You Die Before You Die

Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurological disease affecting memory and thought. It is the most common form of dementia and leaves its victims with significant loss of memory to the point where they can;

  • Fail to recognize their closest friends and loved ones
  • Forget how to perform everyday tasks
  • Suffer severe mental confusion and anxiety

Sadly, this can result in extreme loneliness. It is a terrible way to spend the last years of your life for both the person afflicted and those who care for them. In reality, Alzheimer’s is such a dreaded disease that you die before you die. Your memories, life experiences, and remembering how to do the most basic of activities are all gone. All and sometimes long before your eventual death.

What Exactly Is Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s disease is currently the 6th leading and fastest rising cause of death in the United States. Affecting over 5.8 million Americans and over 50 million worldwide. Furthermore, it is the only cause of death among the top 10 in the United States where medical treatments are unable to cure, prevent or slow the progression of the disease to any appreciable degree.

signs of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer’s Awareness

The following hallmark features include;

  1. Decreased production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine
  2. Free radical damage to brain cells
  3. Beta-amyloid protein plaque build-up
  4. Neurofibrillary tangles
  5. Loss of insulin (and IGF-1) receptor and signaling on neuron membranes
  6. Shrinkage of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus as well as enlarged ventricles

There is no medical cure to prevent or slow Alzheimer’s

Why Do People Die From Alzheimer’s?

Although Alzheimer’s disease shortens people’s life spans, it is usually not the direct cause of a person’s death. Rather, people die from complications from the illness. The actual death of a person with Alzheimer’s may be caused by another condition due to their frailness as the disease progresses.

Their ability to cope with infection and other physical problems will be impaired due to the progression of the dementia. Furthermore, one forgets the most basic of activities, including self-care. Sadly the body eventually shuts down as the condition progresses.

Click here to read “Diabetes – The Hidden Cause Of Alzheimer’s?”

So What Do We Do?

In my next article I’ll talk about the different stages of Alzheimer’s. I’ll also discuss current Alzheimer’s treatment. Why it’s so sadly ineffective and what we should be doing instead if we are ever going to prevent the nightmare from ever occurring in the first place.

Furthermore, as I stated earlier, if you think that this is a disease that you only need to worry about once you become a senior citizen, you’ll discover how sadly mistaken you are and why Alzheimer’s awareness is so important.