Alzheimer's Disease

and other Senile Dementia

Discussion

It is sometimes thought that senility, or a progressive loss of mental function, is an inevitable result of aging. The good news is that Alzheimer's disease and other forms of senility are an abnormal process, and are not necessarily an accompaniment of advancing age.

Dementia, which can occur at any age, but occurs more in later years, is characterised by confusion, irritability, depression, reduction of mental abilities and short-term memory, apathy and childishness. Alzheimer's disease is often the cause, but by no means always.

What is Alzheimer's?

Alzheimer's, which constitutes about 50% of cases of dementia, is characterised by tangles of nerve fibres in the brain, and a reduction in neurotransmitters, particularly acetylcholine.

Diagnosis of dementia, and particularly Alzheimer's, is very difficult and potentially inaccurate; some symptoms can be caused by sheer lack of energy or depression, mainly due to nutrient deficiencies. It should not be attempted by anyone except an expert!

Causes

A) General

General Nutritional Deficiencies

Many of the elderly are deficient in a number of vitamins and minerals, due to poor digestion and absorption and sheer lack of food intake. If levels get too low, mental impairment can occur. The B group of vitamins is particularly important.

Prescribed Drugs

Apparently, over 30% of the elderly use 8 or more prescribed drugs daily; many of these produce devastating mental effects after long-term use.

Free Radical Damage

Free radicals are highly reactive molecular fragments with an unpaired electron that whizz around the body trying to find other molecules to bind to. When they do, tissue damage results. Free radical damage seems to be the major cause of degenerative conditions, including Alzheimer's disease and other forms of senility.

B) Specific

Zinc Deficiency

Zinc is involved in more enzymes than any other mineral, and is particularly involved in the enzyme responsible for DNA replication. Long-term lack of DNA replication enzymes could result in destruction of nerve cells. Nerve cells cannot be replaced, resulting in the tangles of nerve cells which are one of the features of Alzheimer's.

We have said on a number of occasions that lack of protective nutrients is a more powerful cause of health problems than excess of damaging influences, and lack of zinc could be a major example of this. One point about zinc: Zinc requires picolinic acid, a component of pancreatic juices, in order to be absorbed. Shortage of pancreatic juices is one of the problems of advancing age. Zinc picolinate, where the zinc has already been bound to picolinic acid,  overcomes this problem for those most likely to have it. Zinc picolinate is almost mandatory for the over-50s.

Aluminium

There is much evidence that aluminium is a contributory cause of dementia, and aluminium is found in the neurofibrillary tangles of Alzheimer's. The evidence is not conclusive, but is enough to recommend the non-use of aluminium-containing antacids and cooking utensils.

Reduction in fuel and oxygen supply to the brain

This can have two causes:

¨      Reduced blood flow to the brain; this obviously results in reduction of supply of oxygen, fuels and nutrients.

¨      Reduced availability of brain fuels: The two main brain fuels are glucose and - far less well known - L-glutamine. Glucose is the final breakdown product of carbohydrate digestion, so it is obvious that an easy solution to glucose deficiency is consumption of sugar. WRONG! Excess sugar consumption can actually cause hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) by stimulating the excessive release of insulin, which drives glucose out of the bloodstream into storage in the liver.

The amino acid L-glutamine, the other main brain fuel, is present naturally in fairly large amounts in animal proteins. However, it is very easily destroyed by heat, and is therefore present only in small amounts in our cooked food. As well as being a major brain fuel, it is also the major fuel of the immune system and the main fuel of the intestinal mucosa. It is also an important component of muscle tissue.

So

What is the scenario for the effects of L-glutamine on mental performance?

¨      Glutamine is a major component of the protein in all tissues.

¨      Glutamine is the major fuel for the immune system.

¨      Glutamine is the major fuel for digestion and the intestines.

¨      Glutamine is one of the two major fuels for the brain.

As people get older, or, at an earlier age, less active, they consume less protein food, or they consume food high in sugars and fats, and high in denatured proteins. This reduces the consumption of L-glutamine. As the immune system and the digestive system are the main protective components of the body, reserves of L-glutamine are shunted to these areas. This causes muscle and tissue wasting, and also, less visibly, reduction in mental function.

Prevention of Alzheimer's

1)      Avoid exposure to aluminium.

2)      Consume large amounts of antioxidants; carotenoids, flavonoids, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc and selenium, and proanthocyanidins from pine bark extract, bilberry etc.

3)      Control blood sugar levels; this means avoiding excessive consumption of sugar and taking adequate levels of GTF chromium and magnesium.

4)      Maintain levels of phosphatidyl choline; available from lecithin.

5)      Consume adequate amounts of L-glutamine; this means at least 2x5 gram doses, away from food, per day.

6)      Maintain adequate blood supply to the brain. This means controlling blood viscosity by the universally recognised methods of adequate garlic, fish oil and vitamin C supplementation, but, in particular, circulation is improved by the "herb" Gingko Biloba, available at levels from 250mg to 7,500mg. Levels of at least 5,000mg equivalent are advisable per day.

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