As we get older, we start to worry about our cognitive abilities and the decline in our memories. Dementia is normally the general term we give for loss of memory and also other mental abilities which decline enough to interfere with everyday life. Alzheimer's disease, is just one of these many forms of memory loss that fall into the general term dementia. This form affects around 60% to 80% of all dementia patients. These figures are unfortunately expected to grow in the coming years. The most daunting thing about a diagnosis is that there is no effective treatment for Alzheimer's. One of the leading causes of death is aspiration pneumonia when food or liquid goes down the windpipe instead of the oesophagus and this leads to a lung infection leading to pneumonia.
The reason there is no treatment for Alzheimer’s is that the drugs that are on the market only target one part of the disease. Alzheimer's disease is unfortunately more complex than this.
Factors involved in Dementia
There
are a number of factors that influence the development of dementia and
Alzheimer's. One small study by Dr. Bredensen at UCLA found that, using personalised
and comprehensive protocols helped to reverse memory loss in some patients.
These patients’ memories improved within 6 months.
The study consisted of a number of changes in their diet, use of brain stimulation, doing exercise, getting enough sleep, and some specific pharmaceuticals and vitamins. A therapeutic program was developed and extensive testing done on each patient to find out what is affecting the signalling network in their brain. This led to a personalised program for each person.
Changes needed for Prevention and Reversal
Some
changes that a patient can make includes eliminating simple carbohydrates,
gluten, and processed food from their diet while increasing vegetables, fruits,
and non-farmed fish. They also need tools to reduce their stress levels such as
yoga and meditation. It is also important to get a good night’s sleep, up to 8
hours a night. If you have trouble sleeping you can try taking melatonin or a
natural supplement consisting of lavender oil. Supplements that may help
include vitamin B12, vitamin D, CoQ10, and fish oil. Other things that can be
helpful include optimising oral hygiene, finding natural ways to regulate your
hormonal balance and intermittent fasting. Fasting for a minimum of 12 hours
between dinner and breakfast and fasting for a minimum of three hours between
dinner and bedtime can be helpful. Also make sure you are getting regular exercise
even if you don’t move very fast every little bit of mobility helps. Of course
all this needs to be monitored by a trained natural therapist or naturopath to
ensure it is administered properly.
It is important that you remember that dementia can have many causes and some of those causes are often reversible. If you or a loved one suffers from memory loss or dementia contact us today to develop a program to help you to have a better, healthier lifestyle.
