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Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease afflicts five to ten percent of people over the age of 85. A smaller percentage of those under 65 are affected
with it. Aluminum is strongly implicated in this disease. Aluminum is found in tap water, antacids, antiperspirants, and many other places.
Aluminum is the most common metal on the earth's crust and, after oxygen and selenium, the most abundant element
on earth. Fifty years ago, the widespread use of this metal became common. And for many more years, aluminum salts were
used for pickling vegetables. Aluminum attaches itself to blood proteins and gains easy entry to the brain.
22 milligrams of aluminum is consumed on average per day. Only 12 to 25% of aluminum consumed seems to be absorbed.
Excess aluminum is excreted in the urine.
Aluminum contributes to the formation of plaques and tangles in neurons (nerve cells). In Alzheimer's disease, the tangles and
plaques usually develop in critical areas of the brain. Cats injected with aluminum directly into the brain have shown behavioral
changes similar to Alzheimer's.
Mechanism :
There are two mechanisms postulated for the increase in aluminum in certain individuals. An increased uptake, possibly due to
genetic influences, or an increased storage of aluminum is a possible reason. A viral cause has also been considered. A virus
that may induce aluminum storage, or may be associated with aluminum storage, has been postulated in assisting the
inflammatory process in some way.
Symptoms :
This affliction often begins with an inability to bring-up words from memory. Three-second pauses occurring twice during
a one-minute conversation may indicate the beginning of Alzheimer's disease. As fatigue and distractions can also cause
pauses in conversation, the diagnosis is made with caution.
Many other afflictions cause dementia. Thus, extensive testing is necessary to determine the cause of poor mental functioning.
The amount of attention a person pays to an event or thought, the degree of stress the person is experiencing, and the
general health of the body, which also includes the health of the brain, can determine to a large degree the ability to recall.
Persons who are preoccupied with their own thoughts, rather than with what is happening around them, will often feel they
have poor memory, when it may merely be poor attention.
Treatment
1. |
Bringing Alzheimer's patients out-of-doors into nature for eight to ten hours a day has been shown to be helpful.
Carrying out exercises, if capable, or other useful labor out-of-doors may be of added benefit.
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2. |
Exercise is important in working with persons with Alzheimer's, both to delay the progression of the disease and to
bring about some recovery of functioning. Exercise should be done everyday and out-of-doors, if possible. Exercising indoors
in a gymnasium or with certain exercise equipment kept in one's own home is also helpful.
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3. |
Helpful herbal remedies include ginkgo, hawthorn berry tea, ginseng, and mistletoe.
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4. |
Following a totally vegetarian diet, free from fats and refined sugars, and avoiding all irritating spices, vinegar, or
caffeinated beverages, even if decaffeinated, is recommended.
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5. |
Taking a supplement of vitamin B-3 (nicotinamide), vitamin E, or evening primrose oil may also help.
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6. |
Folic acid eases restless leg syndrome associated with Alzheimer's disease. Good sources of folates are
dark green, leafy vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, and asparagus. Beans, potatoes, kidney beans, lima beans,
and whole wheat bread are also good sources of folate. It has been suggested that folate improves reflexes and IQ. Folic
acid is particularly beneficial for pregnant women, those with low blood sugar, the elderly, and women who take the birth control pill.
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