Politics and Alzheimer's Disease

Watch actor David Hyde Pierce share his story about how Alzheimer's disease affected his family (after a 30 second commercial). His father and grandfather suffered from the disease.




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A politician running for state senate knocked on my door yesterday. She told me she was running for the office and wondered if there were any issues that were important to me. I invited her in to meet my 90 year old father who has Parkinson's disease and showed her pictures of my mother who died last year from Alzheimer's disease. I told her that I believed that these diseases will grow to epidemic proportions unless someone steps into the ring to fight it with an act of PREVENTION! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In this election year, I am looking for a politician that will fix health care. One of the big elements of that will be a plan to prevent disease before it happens.


It starts by teaching our children how to eat better and to be more physically and mentally active. There is a strong link between obesity and dementia. Obesity is a huge risk factor for Alzheimer's. Get the pop machines and the junk food out of our schools. This is a message that will not get much support from the medical community and the pharmaceutical industry. Preventing people from getting sick in the first place will cut their income and profits dramatically.


Studies had shown, that exercise - even in the form of everyday activity - could stave off dementia, reducing the risk by 30% to 40%.


Diets rich in vitamin C cut the risk by about 15% and a very good study had shown that sticking closely to a Mediterranean diet could cut the chances of developing dementia by up to 40%.


Just as with heart disease and stroke, reducing blood pressure is also protective - yet less than one in three people who need it have their blood pressure properly managed.


Scientists think that as many as 4.5 million Americans (26 million people worldwide) suffer from AD. But in the next few decades, that number is expected to skyrocket by 350% as America's baby-boomers age. According to a recent study from John Hopkins University, by 2050, Asia will have 62.8 million of the world's 106 million Alzheimer's patients. The disease usually begins after age 60, and risk goes up with age. While younger people also may get AD, it is much less common. About 10 percent of men and women ages 65 to 74 have AD, and nearly half of those age 85 and older may have the disease. It is important to note, however, that AD is not a normal part of aging.


This year Alzheimer’s is costing Medicare $91 billion and Medicaid $21 billion. By 2015, the two programs will be spending $210 billion just on individuals with Alzheimer’s. Finding a "cure" would be beneficial. Prevention is something we could do now. Prevention will cost us a lot less in the long run. Prevention is the best cure that we have right now. There are no bad side effects to prevention.

Which Is Better? Eating Fish Or Taking Fish Oil Capsules?

There is nothing like a day out on the water, FISHING! The only thing better than a fish dinner is eating fish that you have caught by yourself. Somehow, it seems to taste better! You can always guarantee the freshness and handling that way. My favorites are walleye, northern pike, bass and trout. I live near the Chicago area and this is some of what is available in my local waters. If I lived on the coast, I'm sure you would find me surf casting on the beach in most of my my spare time. I usually catch just enough to eat and I let the rest go until another day.

What is so great about fish? Other than it tastes good, it is good for you! It is a great source of protein and the Omega 3 Fatty Acids are good for your brain and your eyesight as well as your heart. Fish and fish oil contain two important omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA). We do not get enough of these in our western diet.

HEALTHY FATS
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are the biosynthetic precursors of a family of compounds called eicosanoids (prostaglandins, thromboxins, and leucotriens). These compounds are hormone-like substances that help retain normal health processes in our bodies. It is important to maintain an appropriate balance of omega-3 and omega-6 in the diet as these two substances work together to promote health. Yet despite the clear health benefits associated with omega-3 fatty acids, dietary surveys indicate that most of us do not obtain enough omega-3 fatty acids from our diets.

Here is a list of some of the benefits of eating fish and their Omega 3 Fatty Acids:

• They make your platelets less sticky and lower fibrinogen levels (fibrinogen is a blood-clotting factor). This means they decrease the chance of forming blood clots throughout your body, thus reducing the likelihood of a heart attack, stroke, or embolism (clot)
  



• They make your red blood cells more flexible so your blood flows more easily, lowering your blood pressure and improving delivery of nutrients and oxygen to your cells
  



• They lower blood fats (especially triglycerides) and increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels
  



• They stabilise your heartbeat, preventing heartbeat abnormalities (arrhythmia) that can lead to cardiac arrest
  



• They may reduce microalbuminuria (an abnormally high amount of protein in the urine) and thus help patients on dialysis (a machine to filter the kidneys)
  



• They may elevate your mood, lift depression and improve your ability to deal with stress
  



• They reduce inflammation and can relieve symptoms of arthritis, and
  



• They may reduce the output of the stress hormone adrenaline.’

If you think this is a bunch of nonsense and wishful thinking, think again. The FDA does not allow health claims on most supplements unless there is overwhelming evidence to back up that claim. Next time you pick up a bottle of fish oil capsules, read the label. I think you will find several different claims as to the effects on heart health. One of them is "consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease." The American Heart Association says, "Omega-3 fatty acids benefit the heart of healthy people, and those at high risk of —or who have — cardiovascular disease."

To reap the benefits of eating fish or taking fish oil capsules, it will depend on what kind of fish it is and where it comes from.

The FDA put out a warning a few years back about the risks of mercury in fish. They warned pregnant women that they should not eat more than 12 ounces of fish per week. It is the larger fish like the list below that seem to contain the highest amounts of methylmercury. Smaller fish have a little bit of mercury in them and these larger predators eat them and develop higher concentrations that can be dangerous to the nervous system and the brain.

Shark
Swordfish
King mackerel
Tilefish

Man has "polluted the nest" by emitting toxins into the air we breathe and the water that our fish swim in. If you test fish for contaminants, you will find other things like heavy metals, PCBs, pesticides, and organic residues. Unless your fish comes from the pristine waters off the coast of Alaska or Iceland, they probably contain some of these contaminants.

So, is there another way to get these Omega 3 Fatty Acids without ingesting the dangerous contaminants? How about fish oil capsules?

Unfortunately, the fish oil capsules that you buy at the grocery store or pharmacy could possibly contain whatever you are trying to stay away from. Many of them contain algae and other things that could cause stomach bloat and gas. A bad experience here could keep you from benefiting and having a positive experience from taking fish oil. Results from a study published in 1998 indicate that tests of 44 different fish oil supplement brands sold in 15 countries between 1994 and 1995 revealed appreciable quantities of organochlorines including PCBs and pesticide residues.

The difference comes in the quality of the fish oil. How can you tell the difference? A quality fish oil product has gone through a molecular distillation process. This removes the dangerous contaminants and concentrates the amounts of eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA). Some people call this a "pharmaceutical-grade" fish oil. Actually, there is not such thing as pharmaceutical-grade fish oil just as there is no such thing as pharmaceutical-grade apple juice. At the crux of the issue is the fact that there simply is no agreed-upon set of standards (in technical terms, a monograph) for fish oil supplements to date. These official monographs are set by the US Pharmacopoeia Convention (USPC) to provide standards for the active ingredients in drugs, biologics, dietary supplements, and devices, defining their 'strength, quality, and purity' for human use. Simply put, nothing can truthfully be deemed ‘pharmaceutical grade' until it has been officially defined by an approved USPC monograph.High quality fish oil is a natural product that is obtained from fish but is highly filtered and concentrated for purity and safety. If you look at the grocery store brands, they usually contain a lot less of the Omega 3 fatty acids compared to a quality "pharmaceutical-grade" brand. Here is an example of what is contained in the Costco brand of fish oil capsules:

Fish Oil Concentrate 1000 mg
EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) 180 mg,
DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) 120 mg

Here is an example of a brand that has gone through a molecular distillation process:

Fish Oil Concentrate 1000 mg
EPA (EICOSAPENTAENOIC ACID) 290 mg
DHA (DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID) 235 mg

The higher quality pill has the toxins filtered out and is more concentrated. It should also contain some vitamin E. This is an antioxidant that will keep the pill from going rancid while it sits on your shelf at home. Look at the vitamin E as a natural preservative. You could also keep it in your refrigerator after you open the bottle, if you wish.

VITAMIN D
Most purification processes for fish oil remove any vitamin D from the product. Yet, experts now widely believe that a majority of people are not getting enough vitamin D, which has been shown to have many health benefits, such as supporting bone health and healthy lung function. If you can find a high quality fish oil that contains vitamin D, that is a plus. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil and vitamin D are also important structural components of retinal and neural tissues and may help retain eye health.

I take four pills (4 x 1000 mg.) spread throughout the day. My 90 year old father takes the same amount. He used to have arthritis pains in his shoulder that would wake him up at night. Those pains have been gone for the last three years now. He sleeps like a baby. His cholesterol levels (as well as mine) are perfectly normal without the use of statin drugs that have dangerous side effects.


If you are a vegetarian or have any problems with eating fish or taking fish oil, here is an alternative for you.

I take a fish oil capsule called Biomega by Usana Health Sciences. It goes through a double molecular distillation process and contains vitamin D and E. It does not get any purer than that. Other good brands are made by Carlson and Icelandic.

Here are some links to articles about the benefits of taking fish oil capsules:

If you are trying to keep from getting Alzheimer's Disease, read these articles.

Brain health dramatically improved by intake of omega-3 fatty acids and fish oils

Staving Off Alzheimer's Disease With The Right Diet, Prescriptions

If you are pregnant, read this article

Babies should get fish oil in the womb

If you have arthritis

Research: Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acid in Fish Oil

Alzheimer's Prevention

Walking and Moderate Exercise Help Prevent Dementia

Seniors who regularly walk and get other forms of moderate exercise appear to significantly lower their risk of developing vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, according to a newly published study.

The four-year study involved 749 men and women in Italy who were over age 65 and did not have memory problems at the beginning of the study. Researchers measured the amount of energy exerted in the participants’ weekly physical activities, including walking, climbing stairs, and moderate activities, such as house and yard work, gardening, and light carpentry. By the end of the study, 54 people developed Alzheimer’s disease and 27 developed vascular dementia.

The study found the top one-third of participants who exerted the most energy walking were 27 percent less likely to develop vascular dementia than those people in the bottom one-third of the group. Participants who scored in the top one-third for the most energy exerted in moderate activities lowered their risk of vascular dementia by 29% and people who scored in the top one-third for total physical activity lowered their risk by 24% compared to those in the bottom one-third.

“Our findings show moderate physical activity, such as walking, and all physical activities combined lowered the risk of vascular dementia in the elderly independent of several socio-demographic, genetic and medical factors,” said study author Dr. Giovanni Ravaglia, with University Hospital S. Orsola Malpighi, in Bologna, Italy. “It’s important to note that an easy-to-perform moderate activity like walking provided the same cognitive benefits as other, more demanding activities.”

Ravaglia says it’s possible that physical activity may improve cerebral blood flow and lower the risk of cerebrovascular disease, which is a risk factor for vascular dementia, but further research is needed about the mechanisms operating between physical activity and a person’s memory.

Contrary to some reports, the study found that physical activity was not associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease, but Ravaglia says more research is needed before concluding that Alzheimer’s disease is not preventable through exercise.

The study, published in the online issue of the medical journal Neurology, was supported by grants from the Italian Ministry of University and Scientific Research.

Key vitamin deficiency linked to tripled risk of dementia: study

Tue Feb 5, 9:25 AM ET
PARIS (AFP) - Lack of folate, also called vitamin B-9, may triple the risk of developing dementia in old age, according to a study published Tuesday.

Researchers in South Korea measured naturally occurring folate levels in 518 elderly persons, none of whom showed any signs of dementia, and then tracked their development over 2.4 years.
At the end of the period, 45 of the patients had developed dementia, including 34 diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, said the study, published by the British Medical Association's Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

When the researchers, led by Jin-Sang Yoon of Chonnam National University in Kwangju, South Korea, remeasured folate levels, they uncovered a strong link with the dementia.

Even after other factors were taken into account -- including age, disability, alcohol consumption, weight change -- "the onset of dementia was significantly associated with an exaggerated decline in folate," the researchers concluded.

Folate and folic acid, another form of the compound, are essential for the creation of new cells in the body.

The compound occurs naturally in leafy vegetables such as spinach, turnip greens, lettuces, dried beans and peas and in certain fruits.

An study published last year in The Lancet showed an improvement in short-term memory, mental agility and verbal fluency among persons over 50 who took a daily dose of 800 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid. The US recommended daily dose is 400 mcg.

Taking folic acid before conception and throughout the first trimester helps a mother ensure that her child will not develop certain brain and spinal cord defects, including spina bifida, according to previous research.

Alzheimer's and Dental Amalgam Fillings

The controversy regarding amalgam fillings has been raging for over 100 years. Yet one thing is clear: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have both declared the mercury in amalgam fillings as a toxic, dangerous substance that should not be touched or released into the environment. OSHA requires that dental amalgam materials be stored in unbreakable, hazardous waste containers, away from heat and no one should handle amalgam material without protection.

If OSHA has determined that the mercury released from amalgam is so dangerous that it can’t be touched, then why in heaven’s name are we putting this stuff in our mouths?”

-- Dr. Myron Wentz, Founder of Sanoviv Medical Institute and author of "Mouthful of Poison"

A Mouth Full of Poison: The Truth about Mercury Amalgam Fillings

How Mercury Causes Brain Neuron Degeneration
Watch a movie from the University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology & Biophysics.

IAOMT: The Smoking Tooth
Watch a movie or download a PDF file that illustrates the scientific evidence of toxic mercury vapors that can leak from an amalgam filling.

Mercury-Free Dentistry at Sanoviv Medical Institute

Click here to see the chairman of the department of chemistry from the University of Kentucky talk about his findings and his ten year fight to expose some of the causes of Alzheimer's. Mercury in amalgam fillings is again the major culprit.

High folate intake may reduce risk of Alzheimer's disease

Study findings have suggested an association between Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk and several vitamins when used as preventive agents. In a recent study published in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia, researchers examined whether total intake of antioxidant vitamins (E, C, carotenoids) and B vitamins (folate, B6, and B12) is associated with a reduced risk of AD.

Participants were 579 nondemented elderly volunteers from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging who completed dietary diaries and recorded supplement intake. After more than 9 nine years of follow-up, AD developed in 57 participants. Higher intake of folate, vitamin E, and vitamin B6 were associated individually with a decreased risk of AD after adjusting for age, gender, education, and caloric intake. When these 3 vitamins were analyzed together, only total intake of folate at or above the RDA was associated with a significant decreased risk of AD.

The findings of this study suggest that total intake of folate at or above the RDA may be associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's and Dementia 2005 Jul:1 (1):11-18.

Both of my parents have Alzheimer's. It is a devastating disease that steals someone away form you a little at a time. Some people call it the "long goodbye." Currently there is no cure but there seem to be some things that one can do to protect themselves.

Resveratrol may help protect against Alzheimer's

A study published in the November 11 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry has shown that resveratrol, a compound found in grapes, red wine, peanuts and berries, lowers the levels of the amyloid-beta peptides, which cause much of the neurological damage associated with Alzheimer's disease. Researchers administered resveratrol to cells which produce human amyloid-beta and tested the compound's effectiveness by analyzing amyloid-beta levels inside and outside the cells. They found that amyloid-beta levels in the treated cells were much lower than those in untreated cells. It is thought that resveratrol acts by stimulating the degradation of these amyloid-beta peptides.

Although more research is needed, researchers suggest that this natural compound may have a therapeutic potential in Alzheimer's disease. Resveratrol is currently being researched for a potential role in fighting other human amyloid-related diseases such as Huntington's, Parkinson's and prion diseases.

J. Biol. Chem. Vol. 280; Issue 45: 37377-37382, November 11 2005.