Alzheimer’s Disease

Can the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease be Reduced by Taking a Vitamin?

In a recent study, the researchers looked at the relationship of Alzheimer's Disease and intake of folate, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.

The neuronal sortillin-related receptor SORL1 is genetically associated with Alzheimer Disease

One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s Disease is a sticky substance known as amyloid which clumps brain cells together and causes cellular death. Therefore, it is of particular interest that a gene has been discovered, SORL1 which seems to be a key component in the patient’s who develop this substance. Of course, Alzheimer’s is not just a genetic illness, but a combination of potential genes, lifestyle and diet.

Alzheimer's Disease is the most common form of dementia. Initially, this disease affects thought processes, memory and language, but then progresses to the motor centers of the brain.
As many as 4.5 million Americans may suffer from AD. Generally, it appears to be a disease of aging, although not a part of the normal aging process. About 5 percent of people age 65 to 74 have AD, and hearly half of those age 85 and older. (NOTE: The number of people with AD doubles every 5 years after the age of 65).

Although most people are aware that mental exercises may slow down the progression or forestall dementia symptoms, they do not completely eliminate the risk of Alzheimer's Disease. Another study, which looked at rats who smoked pot, indicated that the decreased inflammation as a result of the pot smoking, eliminated the risk of inflammation which leads to AD (however, whoever heard of rats who smoked pot, and rats don't get AD). So, is there anything which might prevent AD?

Editor's Note:

"Race" is sometimes mentioned as a risk factor in the development of certain cancers and a number of other diseases. When you read this in a discussion about an illness, note that the explanation seldom refers to anything biological. Instead, it usually refers to behavior, such as eating habits. The kinds of behavior usually mentioned as risk factors are culturally determined. They are not genetic or biological.

The USDA's top 10 antioxidant list includes:

• small red beans
• wild blueberries
• red kidney beans
• pinto beans
• blueberries
• cranberries

A new study has found that curry, the common and popular cooking additive, could be an effective enhancer of an enzyme that protects the brain against oxidative conditions.

This research is an important first step in determining whether curry could be used as a dietary supplement to help prevent acute neurodegenerative conditions, or to help reduce the progression of chronic and age-associated neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease.

A recent study directed by Mount Sinai School of Medicine suggests that experimental dietary regimens might calm or even reverse symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The study, which appears in the July 2006 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, is the first to show that restricting caloric intake, specifically carbohydrates, may prevent AD by triggering activity in the brain associated with longevity.

Investigative journalist Randall Fitzgerald, author of "The Hundred-Year Lie: How Food and Medicine Are Destroying Your Health" believes that "There's a chemical bomb in your body - and it's about to explode."