Where are my Keys?

The second most feared disease in America (after cancer). One without a cure or an effective treatment. One that is touching more and more lives and is expected to continue to increase it’s cruel imprisonment as time passes. I am speaking of Alzheimer’s disease.

The increasing growth of this disorder and the limited treatment options available are enough to legitimately scare all of us. As with many of the chronic, degenerative disease of aging, the cure lies in prevention. There is not a simple test to determine who is going to get Alzheimer’s in the future and it is not easy to predict who will receive this horrible sentence.

I will not pretend to be an expert on this topic, so I have pulled together some useful, interesting articles that describe some of the current in and outs, opinions and thinking regarding Alzheimer’s disease.

What strikes me as interesting is that as in all of the degenerative disease we discuss/encounter, the proper preventative steps seem to be similar.

• Optimize your nutritional status (including appropriate fat intake), especially omega-3 fatty acids, DHA in particular
• Watch your sugar intake, insulin control. Alzheimer’s has been called type 3 diabetes. Limit sugars as much as possible
• Maintain a healthy weight, controlling your insulin and inflammation levels (I know, I sound like a broken record), curcumin
• Exercise,
• Optimize your vitamin D levels
• Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night
• Be wary of drugs that drop your cholesterol levels to extremely low “heart-healthy” levels (50-60% of the dry weight of the brain is fat and cholesterol). Statins have been associated with memory loss
• Balance your hormone levels – one of my favorite studies demonstrates that if you are on hormone replacement therapy for a period of 10 years, you decrease your risk of Dementia/Alzheimer’s by 83%
• Limit exposure to toxins – lawn fertilizers, pesticides etc.

My main point is to remain vigilant and aware of what you can do to improve your situation on a daily basis. Not to the point of paranoia but to the point where you feel empowered that you are protecting yourself from a future of dementia and lost memories. Clean, healthy living pays bigger dividends than just feeling well. Enjoy the brief articles below.

Taking it one day at a time,

Chris

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jacob-teitelbaum-md/maybe-its-not-alzheimers_b_923320.html
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/15/alzheimers-early-detection-risk-factors-are-crucial.aspx?e_cid=20110815_DNL_art_3
http://www.fyiliving.com/mental-health/memory/alzheimers-diet-9-foods-to-remember-to-eat/
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/07/25/alzheimer.disease/index.html?eref=rss_health&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_health+%28RSS%3A+Health%29