The mind is a many splendid thing, and slowly losing it — can be devastating beyond belief.

Alzheimer’s is a very scary disease.

There is no cure and the signs that you are on the road to developing the disease are often not very clear.

Until recently, people with signs of dementia were diagnosed as having either Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia.

Experts used the term “vascular” in relation to dementia when they found signs of a stroke, mini-strokes, or clogged arteries.  All three of these factors can kill the brain’s nerve cells (neurons) by cutting off their oxygen supply.

Autopsy studies show that many people have both types of dementia.

“When you look at pathology in the brain, it’s the rare person who doesn’t have both Alzheimer’s and vascular disease, “says professor of epidemiology, Mary Haan, at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health.

Those studies led researchers to ask whether people who were diagnosed with either Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia had other things—-like high blood pressure, diabetes, or clogged arteries—-in common.

“As we started to look at risk factors for vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, lo and behold, we found that they overlap,” says David Knopman, professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota.

“We realized that vascular risk factors contribute to Alzheimer’s disease pathology,” says Mary Haan.

Researchers say it looks as though Alzheimer’s may somehow be triggered or sped up by high insulin levels, high blood pressure, inflammation, and clogged arteries—some of the same risk factors that cause heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes.  (Lancet 363: 1139, 2004).

“Diabetes is a strong risk factor for dementia,” says David Knopman.

Five years ago, the Rotterdam Study in the Netherlands found that people with diabetes had nearly double the risk of dementia.  (Neurology 62: 66. 2004.)

Two years prior to those studies, this study was reported: HOMOCYSTEINE IS A STRONG RISK FACTOR FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE New England Journal of Medicine. 2002 Feb 14; 346:476-483 .

SUMMARY: Subjects from the “Framingham Study“, were examined over an eight-year period to determine whether the amount of homocysteine in the blood is a cause of dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease, or is the homocysteine the result of vitamin deficiencies that occur in people with dementia-related illnesses.

TEST: A total of 1092 adults, who did not have dementia, were measured to find out whether the amount of homocysteine in a person’s blood could predict who would develop dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Eight years later 111 of those tested were diagnosed with dementia including 83 with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s Disease nearly doubled in subjects with a high level of homocysteine.

CONCLUSION: The study concluded that an increased homocysteine level is a strong, independent risk factor for the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

What other risk is high homocysteine level known for?

Arterial wall damage and the formation of arterial clogging plaque that block blood flow and reduce the amount of oxygen that reaches the heart and brain, which we now know can put you at severe risk of getting Alzheimer’s as well as a heart attack or stroke.

Inflammation is another causative which also damages arterial walls causing the formation of arterial clogging plaque that can lead to dementia, a heart attack or stroke.

Researchers and the medical profession tell us they have no cure for Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia.

Drugs have been developed to slow the progress of dementia, but the best are effective, according to research findings, for no longer than 18 months when they no longer exhibit any beneficial affect for the patient.

As with all major diseases, researchers concentrate on drug cures.

That’s where the money is.

Researchers and the medical profession have totally ignored the results from the above research studies.

The results demonstrate if you keep your arteries clear of arterial clogging plaque, keep your homocysetine and C-reactive protein (inflammation) at normal levels, plus increase the release of your own natural growth hormone from your pituitary, (growth hormone helps reverse cognitive decline which, regrettably, the researchers have not addressed), your chances of getting Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, as well as losing you cognitive capabilities, are slim to non-existent.

There are no miracles here.

Take care of your vascular system and you take care of your brain.

It’s all done with natural nutritional supplements, healthy eating, and some exercise.  No mirrors, no voodoo, no drugs!

Contrary to what the researchers and the medical profession believe, there is a cure for Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia.  It’s called Prevention!

Dementia sneaks up on you, and then it’s too late, so practice prevention and prevent such a horrible fate.

To your good heath & longevity.

Ira Marxe
“The Good Health & Wellness Guy”

Copyrighted © 2009 – All Rights Reserved

There is a direct connection between Omega-3 essential fatty acids and the health of the brain.

Why? Because research is increasingly showing that emotional, mental and psychiatric disorders like depression, bipolar disorder and possibly schizophrenia may more likely be the result of dietary deficiencies than genetic predispositions.

The research also shows that the lack of Omega-3 fatty acids increases memory loss, makes learning new tasks more difficult, increases blue moods and probably promotes the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

The omega-3 fatty acid known as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a fatty acid that is found in high concentration in the gray matter of the brain and is an important ingredient for optimal brain function.

DHA is instrumental in the function of brain cell membranes, which are important for the transmission of brain signals.

By making cell membranes more fluid, omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, improves the communication between the brain cells. Lack of omega-3 in the body can cause a communication breakdown in the brain.

Low levels of DHA have been linked to memory loss, depression, bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia, autism and general learning difficulties or bad moods.

“If you don’t feed brain cell membranes enough of the right type of fat, the messages can be short-circuited and garbled. That may mean a disturbance in mood, concentration, memory, attention, and behavior,” writes Miracle Cures author Jean Carper.

Depression in particular has been frequently linked to low levels of DHA, since omega-3 fatty acids help regulate mood by increasing levels of serotonin, the hormone that relieves depression.

Additional evidence of the vital importance of ingesting sufficient Omega-3 fatty acids was reported by Dr. Michael A. Schmidt who reports in Smart Fats that, according to data collected in the long-term Framingham Heart Study, adults with low levels of DHA have a greater likelihood of developing dementia in their later years.

Other studies have indicated these adults are twice as likely to develop dementia as those with high levels of DHA. And a 1997 study demonstrated that low DHA blood levels are an important risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.

Your body cannot make Omega-3 fatty acids nor can it make Omega 6 which is another essential fatty acid that the body must have to function properly. You can only get these essential fatty acids from food.

Omega-3 fatty acids are the long-chain fatty acids found in fish such as salmon, sardines, and herring. They are also found in flax, walnuts and chia seeds. Unfortunately the western diet does not include an abundance of these foods.

Omega-6, however, is found in abundance in the western diet in such foods as meat, vegetable oils, soy bean oil, vegetable oil based products such as margarine, shortening, and canola oil.

Whereas Omega-3 fatty acids will build brain cells and improve communication between neurons, excess Omega-6 will cause interference in this process and can lead to impairment of the brain and other illnesses.

The ideal balance for good health between Omega-6 to Omega-3 is 1:1 with a tolerable balance of 5:1. The average western diet runs in the unhealthy range of 20:1 6:3 or higher.

To be brain healthy, westerners need to change their eating habits to eat more fish, take pure fish oil supplements, and cutting back on Omega-6 by eliminating refined vegetable oils, canola and soy bean oils from their diets.

DHA Omega-3 remains the most important brain fat throughout life.

It is a proven fact that in aging, the loss of omega-3 fatty acids in the brain may result in a higher risk of stroke, memory problems, or dementia.

Individuals of any age without adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in the brain and body may also be at higher risk for depression, bipolar disorder, and possibly other psychiatric problems.

It is no wonder Omega-3 fatty acid is called essential…especially to your brain health!

To your good heath & longevity.

Ira Marxe
“The Good Health & Wellness Guy”

Copyrighted © 2009 – All Rights Reserved