How can Alzheimer's be prevented?

Veröffentlicht am: September 10, 2024

General practitioner

"My parents are getting older," writes one reader, "and I want to do everything I can to help them avoid getting Alzheimer's - both my grandmothers had it and I'm worried about getting it too. So what can we do to prevent dementia?"

The truth is: dementia is a huge problem that is getting bigger every day.

The statistics paint a bleak picture: 10 percent of 65-year-olds, 25 percent of 75-year-olds and 85 percent of 85-year-olds will develop dementia or Alzheimer's disease. And 85-year-olds are the fastest growing segment of the population. Researchers predict that 106 million people will suffer from Alzheimer's by 2050.

➤ A lzheimer's is already the 7th most common cause of death!

How can Alzheimer's be stopped? What causes Alzheimer's in the first place and how can you minimize your own risk of developing Alzheimer's? You can find out this and more here.

Nutrition is the cornerstone of a good memory!

Studies have shown that certain lifestyle factors, such as diet, are the driving forces behind dementia and Alzheimer's disease. There are links between Alzheimer's and other diet-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes or heart disease. It becomes clear that all these diseases have a common origin and can also be combated together.

Over the past 60 years, medical authorities have warned intensively that saturated fats cause heart disease. The result? All fats were restricted - even the good ones. Instead, the consumption of carbohydrates increased.

The consequence of a low-fat diet

Scientists have found that a diet rich in carbohydrates but low in fats is devastating for the brain. The fat phobia of recent years is therefore responsible, among other things, for the sharp rise in Alzheimer's disease!

!! What you absolutely need to know !!

A poor diet is the first step towards Alzheimer's! The brain cannot work properly without fats.
The avoidance of fat and the overconsumption of carbohydrates together form the heart of Alzheimer's!
A high-carbohydrate diet increases the risk of dementia by 89%, while a high-fat diet reduces the risk by 44%!

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Scientists have recently started referring to Alzheimer's as "type 3 diabetes"

What is the link between Alzheimer's and diabetes?

New research shows that insulin resistance (which stems from people eating too much carbohydrate or sugar and too little fat) is one of the main factors in triggering the cascading brain damage that wipes out the memory of more than half of people over 80 and ultimately leads to a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

However, it is not thought that too much insulin impairs memory in older people. This is because this impairment does not just happen suddenly when you are older. Dementia actually starts much earlier, at a comparatively young age, and takes decades to develop.

So, the bad news: eating sugar and refined carbohydrates can cause predementia and dementia.

The good news is that reducing sugar and refined carbohydrates in favor of fat can prevent and even reverse early-stage predementia and dementia.

New studies show that diabetics have a four-fold higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. People with pre-diabetes or a metabolic syndrome also have an increased risk of pre-dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). They therefore do not have to have full-blown type 2 diabetes to suffer brain damage or memory loss due to high insulin levels or insulin resistance.

➤ Diabetics have a 4x higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease!

We have all heard of the "mind-body effect" and how the mind can influence physical health; but there is also a "body-mind effect", for example the positive influence of healthy eating on the brain. Because in reality, the body and mind are not two separate systems, but one continuous ecosystem of great elegance. What you do with your body influences your brain and vice versa.

Cognitive decline and memory loss can be prevented and even reversed. We simply need to optimize brain function and then miracles happen. When patients are put on a specific diet, they often show dramatic improvements in memory, mood and well-being. The real causes of Alzheimer's start with too much sugar in the brain. The cycle is triggered by eating too much sugar and too little fat, which leads to a combination of diabetes and obesity. Both in turn trigger inflammation, and this ends in a vicious cycle that has catastrophic effects on the brain.

If you were to look at the autopsied brain of an Alzheimer's patient, you would see a brain that looks as if it has been burnt. The reason for this is inflammation, which, as with any chronic disease, occurs again and again, the more dramatically the older you (and your brain) get.

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How can Alzheimer's be prevented or reversed?

Alzheimer's can be reversed if the disease is recognized early enough. Changing your diet is particularly important here. Make sure you combine very little sugar and carbohydrates with lots of healthyfats. Healthy fats are the key to good brain health. This not only prevents Alzheimer's, but also diabetes and heart disease! It also balances mood swings, reduces inflammation, improves concentration and increases energy levels.

However, the type of fat is crucial. You should avoid trans fats or modified fats and instead switch to healthy fats such as avocados, cold-pressed olive oil, high-fat fish, butter made from raw milk from pasture-fed cows, coconut oil, organic egg yolks or raw dairy products.

➤ Studies confirm that omega-3 fatty acids make an important contribution to cognitive function.

The anonymous case study "Albert"

Albert was no longer able to pursue his business activities. Even at home, he was less and less able to function and withdrew from his family, friends and acquaintances. Albert was desperate because he felt himself slowly losing himself more and more.

After numerous tests, Albert was found to have very high mercury levels. It was therefore important to detoxify him first - with foods such as kale, watercress and coriander, herbs such as milk thistle, nutrients such as selenium and zinc and medication to help him overcome his genetic difficulties in getting rid of toxins such as mercury.

Cholesterol levels were optimized with the help of numerous herbs and homocysteine levels (caused by a folic acid deficiency) were treated with high doses of folate and vitamins B6 and B12 respectively. (High homocysteine levels dramatically increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease).

After a year of intensive therapy, Albert made a remarkable recovery. Before the therapy, he was unable to carry out any business activities or maintain his social contacts.

We used to think that we could not reverse arteriosclerosis, which is known to cause heart disease. Today we know better.

Similarly, dementia can be reversed if it is recognized early enough and all factors that affect brain function are taken into account - including dietary habits, exercise, stress, nutritional deficiencies, toxins, hormonal imbalances and inflammation.

This is actually quite simple. The principles of functional medicine - namely, treating the actual causes of a disease - help to optimize biological functions. This is done by first getting rid of the bad and eating the good. The body will take care of the rest itself. It knows what to do and can heal itself.

8 steps to reversing Alzheimer's disease

From this perspective, we have derived these eight strategies that can help many to reverse or prevent dementia:

Step 1) Keep blood sugar levels constant:

Balance your blood sugar levelswith a wholefood diet with a low glycemic index. You can achieve this by cutting out the bad stuff (refined carbohydrates, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, industrially produced foods and pro-inflammatory oils containing omega 6) and eating the good stuff, i.e. healthy fats such as those found in avocados, walnuts, almonds and cashew nuts, pasture-raised meat, free-range chicken and eggs, olive and coconut oil.

Step 2) Eat healthy fats:

Consume fats that make your brain happy. For example, omega 3 fats from wild-caught oily fish, coconuts, extra virgin olive oil, avocados, whole eggs, nuts and seeds.

DHA - the breakthrough in Alzheimer's research

A diet rich in the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA greatly reduces the risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease. With the help of these fatty acids, pre-dementia and dementia can be prevented or even reversed at an early stage.

The fatty acid DHA is considered a guardian for your brain. DHA is also the main structural fat in brain tissue. It is involved in the development and function of the central nervous system and the synapses in the brain.

➤ S tudies confirm that DHA can improve memory by up to 12%!

Step 3) Take nutritional supplements to support your diet

Supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins B6 and B12, folates and vitamin D3 help in the fight against Alzheimer's disease . Plus probiotics for a healthy relationship between the brain and gut. Make sure that your body is optimally supplied with all the important vitamins and nutrients.

Step 4) Exercise daily:

No, 1-2 times a week is not enough! But a half-hour walk a day makes a significant difference. Studies show that physical activity can halt or at least slow down the progression of cognitive impairment and brain diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Step 5) Detoxification of the body:

Heavy metals (especially aluminum) are directly linked to the risk of Alzheimer's disease. This is because heavy metals accumulate in the brain and cause severe neurological damage. Studies show that heavy metals can even accelerate Alzheimer's. Detoxification can be achieved with chlorella, milk thistle or MSM, for example.

For example, take a heavy metal test to see if your body is contaminated with heavy metals. (Available from Herbano for Germany and Austria)

Step 6) Check your stress level:

Chronic stress is destructive to the body and brain. So relaxation is by no means a luxury if you want to prevent or reverse dementia. And you can gain it in many ways: through breathing exercises, meditation, yoga and anything else that helps you to calm down.

Make sure you get eight hours of sleep every night. There are numerous studies showing that poor sleep is a risk factor for cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. That's why eight hours of quality sleep each night is important.

Step 7) Keep yourself mentally fit

Mental activity has a positive effect. People who keep themselves intellectually alert are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those who are barely mentally active.

Step 8) Check your thyroid and sex hormone levels

And make sure that both are in balance. If not, you should seek treatment.

Get started today

Of course, this is just a start, but these eight strategies will allow your brain to heal and recover in the long run, resulting in fewer memory problems.

Even if - as we hope - you do not suffer from cognitive problems, you should take these measures because they can help you prevent your brain from ageing and stay healthy and happy for a lifetime!

Sources (in English):

Kennedy, D. O. (2016, January). B Vitamins and the Brain: Mechanisms, Dose and Efficacy--A Review. Nutrients, 8(2):68, doi: 10.3390/nu8020068

Calvaresi, E., Bryan, J. (2001, November). B vitamins, cognition, and aging: a review. The Journal of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 56(6):P327-39

Shi, C., Liu, J., Wu, F. & Yew, D. T. (2010, January). Ginkgo biloba extract in Alzheimer's disease: from action mechanisms to medical practice. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 11(1):107-23, doi: 10.3390/ijms11010107

Ramassamy, C., Longpré, F. & Christen, Y. (2007, July). Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb 761) in Alzheimer's disease: is there any evidence?. Current Alzheimer Research, 4(3):253-62

Cho, H. S., Huang, L. K., Lee, Y. T., Chan, L. & Hong, C. T. (2018, May). Suboptimal Baseline Serum Vitamin B12 Is Associated With Cognitive Decline in People With Alzheimer's Disease Undergoing Cholinesterase Inhibitor Treatment. Frontiers in Neurology, 9:325, doi: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00325