Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease was named after Alois Alzheimer, who in 1901, treated a woman in an asylum. After her death, the autopsy showed the tangled neurofibers that characterize the disease.  Alzheimer reported this case a medical meeting in 1906.  It was the first case on record.
 

How does a disease, which is not infectious, spread so rapidly?  It must be due to environmental factors.  And that is just what the research is showing.  The neurological damage is caused by free radicals that cause oxidative damage to individual cells in the brain.

It appears that the deficiencies of antioxidants (such as vitamins C and E) are the primary cause, with significant deficiencies of vitamins B-6 and B-12 being the next most important factors.  Recent research also shows that high levels of homocysteine contribute to the problem.  To combat the rise in homocysteine, additional folic acid is effective.  There is also recent research showing that taking significant amounts of melatonin can also reduce the plaque formation.

Eating raw or slightly steamed vegetables is an effective way of getting antioxidants.  However, using a microwave to cook the vegetables destroys almost all of the antioxidants. Boiling and pressure-cooking also had a major damaging effect on nutrients. (1)  Another study showed that blanching and freezing also lowered antioxidant levels significantly. (2)  Yet another showed that standard commercial storage and vending methods also significantly reduced antioxidants. (3) 

Since Alzheimer's was relatively rare even in 1970, perhaps it is the wide use of microwave ovens that is partially the cause of the radical increase in the occurrence of the disease.

There is also the issue of proper diagnosis.  There are a number of dementias that may be mistaken for Alzheimer's.  The most common one, and a reversible one, is senile dementia.  This is caused by a B-12 deficiency and can be corrected if treated soon enough by injections of B-12.  The deficiency usually develops because the stomach is no longer producing something called intrinsic factor, which is required to extract the vitamin from food.

If the problem is caused by lack of intrinsic factor, most B-12 supplements will not be  absorbed either.  As a preventative measure, one can take a sublingual B-12 that is absorbed through the mucous membrane in the mouth.  Or your doctor can give B-12 injections.
 

(2)  Puupponen-Pimiä R, Häkkinen ST, Aarni M., Suortti T, et al.  Blanching and long-term freezing affect various bioactive compounds of vegetables in different ways.  Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture    Nov 2003, vol. 83,#14,   pp. 1389-1402(14)   Abstract

(3) Vallejo F, Tomas-Barberan F, Garcia-Viguera C.  Health-promoting compounds in broccoli as influenced by refrigerated transport and retail sale period.  J Agric Food Chem. 2003 May 7; 51(10): 3029-34. Abstract
 

For medical references that support the statements made about oxidative damage and the use of antioxidants to prevent or even reverse Alzheimer's, click here.
 

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