Alzheimer’s in the News

One of the keywords we frequently see in health news is Alzheimer’s.As a health coach, I regularly receive articles regarding this debilitating and threatening disease that is affecting countless people, no matter what their social standing or education level may be.

I have not yet seen an article regarding a cure or preventative measures we can take. The media is quick to reveal negative updates and tends to instill in our minds that there is no cure.

We try to stay healthy as we age, watching our diet, taking time to exercise, maintaining a healthy blood pressure and good cholesterol levels. Common sense tells us that the earlier we take control of our health, the longer we will remain healthy. We are also encouraged to take vitamins to supplement what we do not get from our food.

I have recently written a series of articles in an effort to bring awareness to what is in the vitamins we consume. Vitamins are supposed to aid you in realizing optimum health, not create more problems. I encourage you to do your own research where vitamins and supplements are concerned.

The U S National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health have asked the question: Is there a plausible link between aluminum intake and Alzheimer’s disease? The conclusion states that the hypothesis that aluminum (AL) significantly contributes to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is built upon very solid experimental evidence and should not be dismissed. It is recommended that immediate steps be taken to lessen human exposure to AL, which may be the single most aggravating and avoidable factor related to AD.

We are living in an age of nutrient deprivation not only caused by over-processed and toxic food but also the rapid decline of necessary nutrients in our soil. Decades ago it was determined that rotating crops gave the earth time to replenish its nutrient content. Kosher grown food requires the fields rest for two years after seven years of growth. Further, bugs dying in the soil decays which restores nutrients to the soil. Farmers have always known that manure from cows was great for fertilizing the land.

But science currently says that we do not need to rotate crops if you soak the earth with the right commercial pesticides and herbicides. In this situation, when these bugs die in the soil, the compounds of toxic chemicals they’ve taken in are harmful to humans.

Zinc and B vitamins are crucial to our health and the prevention of disease. They have virtually disappeared from our soil and consequently cannot get into our food. Autopsies performed on Alzheimer’s disease patients often reveal the low levels of zinc found in the brain. Unfortunately, supplements often offer manufactured vitamins, not natural as labels suggest. By law, a vitamin only has to be 10% natural to be promoted as a “natural” product.

There have been indications in the news that a combination of vitamins E and C via supplements may prevent Alzheimer’s disease. This assessment was based on a study in the Archives of Neurology – – via Canadian Living magazine (7/04) .

Other reports indicate that researchers have uncovered evidence of a possible cause of Alzheimer’’s disease. Scientists have shown a link between high levels of homocysteine, a molecule in the blood, with shrinkage of the brain in middle age, which can later lead to Alzheimer’’s. This information raises the possibility that a simple course of vitamins might be all that is needed to prevent millions of people succumbing to the illness.

“As you can see, you do not have to look far to find information on ways to try preventing this disease or ideas on how to keep it from rapidly progressing, once diagnosed. If there is any truth to these findings, why would anyone take the risk of ignoring it?

It’s important to try and pay attention to how safe your food supplements and vitamins are. Truly, we should only use products where extra precaution is taken to ensure purity and quality. I continue to encourage you to take time for your health today so you have your health for tomorrow.