The book I read recently, called The End of Alzheimer’s, is the inspiration for this post. It is written by Dr. Dale Bredesen and can be purchased here.
Seven years ago I was struggling with various health issues including a terrible short-term memory. As I worked through the process of finding out what my problem was, I discovered that many common dietary habits are linked to poor short-term memory and the general fatigue I was experiencing.
More recently I heard about this book that claims to contain the solutions to preventing and even reversing the cognitive decline of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. I was intrigued since the causes of cognitive decline outlined in this book are eerily similar to what I discovered were the causes of my earlier health issues. That is my excuse for why there are so many internal links to my previous posts.
I will attempt to summarize these causes and their solutions but read the book for full details if you are seriously concerned about yourself or someone you care about. What I took away from reading this book is that the main cause of cognitive decline (dementia including Alzheimer’s) is an overproduction of sticky amyloid plaque that destroys the synapses of the brain.
This amyloid is produced naturally as a defense mechanism when our immune systems detect irritants or pathogens in our bodies. The problem becomes when our immune systems face a chronic (consistent) bombardment of irritants to fight and never shut off.
According to this book, the three culprits that cause our immune systems to be overworked resulting in the overproduction of amyloid are:
- inflammation including infections (viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic) poor hygiene (gum disease) and poor food choices (trans fats, omega 6 fats vs omega 3s, sugar, dairy, gluten)
- the shortage and decline of nutrients, hormones and molecules that are necessary to support our brains
- toxins (metals, chemicals, antibiotics, medication, alcohol) and biotoxins (mold)
So, how do we prevent or reverse the onset of cognitive decline and yes, even Alzheimer’s? The author uses the analogy of terrorists on an airplane. If you prevent the terrorists from getting on the plane, they cannot blow it up mid-air. Likewise, we can thwart these neuro terrorists (listed irritants) that are wreaking havoc on our immune systems by not ingesting them.
Note that the first two irritants on the list are diet-related, meaning they should be easier to control. Removing the toxins in your home and life may be more complicated, but can be done. Note too that this neglect or abuse of your immune system has (most likely) gone on for years. That means fixing it won’t happen overnight!
From my own personal experience, I can say that eliminating gluten, reducing sugar and trans fats, choosing omega 3s over 6s, and reducing my exposure to toxins for the past seven years has made an incredible difference in my overall health.
