May 21, 2015 general

Surely we all want to keep our brains intact because without them nothing else really matters. Sadly, it doesn’t appear promising that medical science will ever find a “cure” for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The drugs so far do not seem to make any meaningful improvement and some, like those aimed at removing plaque from the brain, can even hasten the patient’s demise. Our best hope lies in finding and avoiding its cause(s).

Is the reason for the dramatically increasing rates of this tragic malady really some big mystery? Or is it likely that it results from one or more things that we are now doing that are different from what our ancestors did? According to Stephanie Seneff, PhD who is a Senior Research Scientist at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), at least part of the AD increase stems from unintended consequences of actions that we unwittingly take supposedly to protect ourselves from other health problems. She contends that statin drugs, fructose use, sunscreen and flu shots are major ingredients in a virtual recipe for Alzheimer’s. With gratitude to Bill Sardi for calling this to my attention and admiration for Dr. Seneff’s work, I summarize here from an article that contains more of her technical details and citations:

• Statin drugs. Dr. Seneff points to studies that show an association of low LDL cholesterol with increased incidence of AD people and that the lower the LDL, the worse the dementia. In other research those who had taken statins had over 2 ½ times the risk of Alzheimer’s compared to people who never took statins. One hallmark of AD is the inability of brain cells to use blood sugar normally. In fact, Alzheimer’s is being referred to as diabetes type 3. (A nickname also given to cancer.) Seneff believes that insufficient cholesterol in the brain contributes to AD because cholesterol in the cell membrane plays an important role in regulating blood sugar uptake. When sugar gets where it doesn’t belong, cell parts are basically caramelized (Glycation) and no longer can work. Given that a large portion of the healthy brain is composed of cholesterol, hers does not seem to be a wacky idea. She also explains in the article why our efforts to reduce cholesterol were misguided to begin with.
• Fructose. Our intake of this sugar has greatly increased, mostly in the form of high-fructose corn syrup in soft drinks and processed foods. We have been led to believe that fructose is a “fruit sugar” and is healthier than table sugar. In fact, it is more damaging, especially in combination with statin drugs which inhibit our brain’s ability to deal with it.
• Sunscreen. In an effort to reduce the risk of skin cancer, we avoid the sun and increasingly use of sunscreens. However, an unintended consequence has been the reduction of vitamin D levels and production of another substance (cholesterol sulfate) which both help protect brain cells against bacterial invasion and the resulting damage from immune response. Sunscreens can also contain aluminum which is suspect in AD.
• Flu shots. These contain neurotoxins such as mercury and aluminum. The brilliant Dr. Blaylock explained in one of our radio interviews how vaccines overstimulate brain immune cells, leaving behind long term damage. (Check the immune section of our library for articles on natural approaches to colds and flu.)

Dr. Seneff didn’t have these two on her list but I think perhaps they should be:

• Sleep drugs. We know that restful sleep is good for the brain, but the drugs used to put us out appear not to be. Both the over-the-counter medicines with PM in their names and those of the prescription class like Xanax lead to cognitive troubles and increased risk of dementia. (A natural melatonin supplement is a safe choice.)
• Artificial sweeteners. In an effort to avoid sugar and its calories, people have turned to chemical sweeteners, especially in soft drinks. Unfortunately, it turns out that they might actually make us gain weight instead and increase the risk of diabetes. That should set off alarm bells since as noted above blood sugar issues are closely related to Alzheimer’s. Beyond that, research increasingly highlights ways that our good gut bacteria (probiotics) are important for brain health…artificial sweeteners damage probiotics.

A pinch of this and a dash of that continually over the years can start a process that is much harder to reverse than to avoid. It is not surprising that the diet, supplements and reduction of toxins that we discuss on the show for building general health also apply to protecting our brains…which hopefully are firmly attached to the body. There are many nutrients and botanicals that benefit brain health. Read about tumeric.