Posted on 10/22/2016 5:32:19 PM PDT by nickcarraway
A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, sadly, has become almost like a rite of passage in so-called developed countries. Alzheimer’s is considered the most common form of dementia, which is defined as a serious loss of cognitive function beyond what is expected from normal aging in previously unimpaired persons.
A 2006 study estimated that 26 million people throughout the world suffer from this condition, and that by 2050, the prevalence will quadruple, by which time one in 85 people worldwide will be afflicted with the disease.
Given the global extent of the problem, interest is growing in safe and effective preventive and therapeutic interventions within the conventional medical and alternative professions alike.
Try incorporating small, high-quality, culinary doses of spices like turmeric into your dietary pattern. Conventional, drug-based approaches unfortunately may amount to declaring chemical war on the problem, a mistake that may result in serious neurological harm, as evidenced by the fact that this drug class carries an alarmingly high risk of causing seizures, according to World Health Organization post-marketing surveillance statistics.
Rev Up Your Turmeric
The general public is therefore growing most responsive to using time-tested, safe, natural, and otherwise more effective therapies that rely on foods, spices, and other familiar culinary ingredients.
A remarkable study was published in the journal Ayu titiled “Effects of turmeric on Alzheimer’s disease with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.” Researchers described three patients with Alzheimer’s disease whose behavioral symptoms “improved remarkably” as a result of consuming dosages of turmeric for 12 weeks. According to the study:
“All three patients exhibited irritability, agitation, anxiety, and apathy, two patients suffer from urinary incontinence. … They were prescribed turmeric powder capsules and started recovering from these symptoms without any adverse reaction in the clinical symptom and laboratory data.”
After only three months of treatment, both the patients’ symptoms and the burden on their caregivers were significantly decreased.
The report describes the improvements :
“In one case, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score was up five points, from 12/30 to 17/30. In the other two cases, no significant change was seen in the MMSE; however, they came to recognize their family within 1 year treatment. All cases have been taking turmeric for more than 1 year, re-exacerbation of BPSD was not seen.”
This study illustrates just how powerful a simple natural intervention using a time-tested culinary herb can be. Given that turmeric has been used medicinally and as a culinary ingredient for over 5,000 years in Indian culture, we should not be surprised at this result. Indeed, epidemiological studies of Indian populations reveal that they have a remarkably lower prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease relative to Western nations, and this is true for both rural and more “Westernized” urban areas of India.
Could turmeric be a major reason for this?
Other Documented Anti-Alzheimer’s Mechanisms Include:
Anti-inflammatory: Curcumin has been found to play a protective role against β-amyloid protein associated inflammation. Anti-oxidative: Curcumin may reduce damage via antioxidant properties.
Anti-cytotoxic: Curcumin appears to protect against the cell-damaging effects of β-amyloid proteins.
Anti-amyloidogenic: Turmeric contains a variety of compounds (curcumin, tetrahydrocurcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin) which may strike to the root pathological cause of Alzheimer’s disease by preventing β-amyloid protein formation.
Neurorestorative: Curcuminoids appear to rescue long-term potentiation (an indication of functional memory) impaired by amyloid peptide, and may reverse physiological damage by restoring distorted neurites and disrupting existing plaques.
Metal-chelating properties: Curcumin has a higher binding affinity for iron and copper rather than zinc, which may contribute to its protective effect in Alzheimer’s disease, as iron-mediated damage may play a pathological role.
The modern kitchen pantry contains a broad range of anti-Alzheimer’s disease items, which plenty of science now confirms. Top on the list, of course, is curcumin. Others include:
Coconut Oil: This remarkable substance contains approximately 66% medium chain triglycerides by weight, and is capable of improving symptoms of cognitive decline in those suffering from dementia by increasing brain-boosing ketone bodies, and perhaps more remarkably, within only one dose, and within only two hours.
Cocoa: A 2009 study found that cocoa procyanidins may protect against lipid peroxidation associated with neuronal cell death in a manner relevant to Alzheimer’s disease. Sage: A 2003 study found that sage extract has therapeutic value in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
Folic acid: While most of the positive research on this B vitamin has been performed on the semi-synthetic version, which may have unintended, adverse health effects, the ideal source for this B vitamin is foliage, i.e. green leafy vegetables, as only foods provide folate. Also, the entire B group of vitamins, especially including the homocysteine-modulating B6 and B12, may have the most value in Alzheimer’s disease prevention and treatment.
Resveratrol: this compound is mainly found in the Western diet in grapes, wine, peanuts and chocolate. There are 16 articles on our website indicating it has anti-Alzheimer’s properties.
Other potent natural therapies include:
Gingko biloba: is one of the few herbs proven to be at least as effective as the pharmaceutical drug Aricept in treating and improving symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Melissa offinalis: this herb, also known as Lemon Balm, has been found to have therapeutic effect in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
Saffron: this herb compares favorably to the drug donepezil in the treatment of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
As always, the important thing to remember is that it is our diet and environmental exposures that largely determine our risk of accelerated brain aging and associated dementia. Prevention is an infinitely better strategy, especially considering many of the therapeutic items mentioned above can be used in foods as spices. Try incorporating small, high-quality culinary doses of spices like turmeric into your dietary pattern, remembering that ‘adding it to taste,’ in a way that is truly enjoyable, may be the ultimate standard for determining what a ‘healthy dose’ is for you.
I did not know Turmeric had a lethal dose.
I take it in heaping spoonfuls made into a paste, which I eat and then just wash down with water, because it is not humanly possible to make that big amount palatable.
My doctor said it is very very difficult to O.D. on it.
The runoff in those holding ponds doesn’t appear to have ever seen the inside of a hog. Those trees are not scrub pine and it sure doesn’t look like your typical windbreak.
Awfully fine house though. Amazing how much income you can realize from a good hog and grain operation.
I started off taking only 250 mg a day for probably a couple-three months as some folks who were reviewing the product said otherwise they’d have too much energy (if they took more). I then saw that people with strong dementia were taking 1500 mg a day, so I upped mine over time to 1000 mg a day and I pretty much keep it like that, however, sometimes I’ll take 1500 to see if there is any difference.
And I started noticing they were helping pretty quickly, like maybe two or three weeks in, however, it wasn’t real sudden-like; I wasn’t revved up or nervous, nothing like that.
But I really realized they were helpful when I stopped taking them for a few days. I felt absolutely horrible and couldn’t initially figure out why.
With the Meniere’s Syndrome, though, I think for me Lindberg brand Lemon Bioflavonoid Complex 700 mg (once or twice a day) is helpful with the lessening of the pressure in my head. Although I still have tinnitus (although I think that subsided slightly), and my deafness is severe, it’s a relief not to have that pressure. My attitude has definitely improved.
Here’s a link to a man’s protocol on help with Meniere’s. He’s not a doctor at all, so take it for what it is; just suggestions. He does say, though, that he recommends the Lindberg brand for the Lemon Bioflavonoid.
He suggests Vinopocetine, which I tried, but it made me very tired.
http://www.menieresfoundation.org/johnsregimen.htm
Another thing that has helped is NOW brand L-Glutamine Powder in 1/2 cup of Pharm-Aloe Aloe Vera Juice every day. It’s very good for Leaky Gut Syndrome, and the gut is considered the second brain.
Thanks B4Ranch.
I’m big on using supplements when I can. I use them for OP, wouldn’t touch the drugs for noting, horrid things that can kill you.
Wonder if upping the turmeric would reduce the OA inflammation as it is a big pain issue?
I’m lucky the Meniere’s is more an issue when traveling.
I’ve a lot of GI issues caused by their Estrogen, OA and other drugs, I do digestive enzymes and 40 B multi Strain Probiotics. It took the idiots 5 yrs to go from IBD, to Idiopathic Colitis, to my insistence it was Gastropresis, symptoms just didn’t fit. GP test and it fit to a T. I now have to do my blood sugar every morning. As the GP diet is high in breads, pastas and meat, no fiber like fruits or veggies. I’ve had to give up all sugary stuff, and that includes the 1,000 mg of C with Bioflavonoids. Runs the blood sugar to high.
She believes it protects the brain. She was also happy that I take omegas, Co-Q10 and curcumin.
Great! Thank you!
sorry wrong article :(
No problem. How was it?
Try to use a cocao powder that has not been processed with alkali (the processing destroys most of the beneficial polyphenols.) I generally use Natavis naturals cacao.
Almonds should be good. I’ve also used hazelnut and that’s pretty tasty as well. The crunchiness of the nuts really adds a lot to the experience.
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