How we can forget Alzheimer's!
According to the German Alzheimer's Association, there are e. V. There are currently around 1.7 million people suffering from dementia. Most of them are affected by Alzheimer's disease. With an estimated 300.000 new cases per year, the number of sufferers will rise to three million people by 2050. Pharmacist Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Thomas Klaus. He is the owner of the pharmacy in the metropolis in Berlin and specializes in LOGI nutritional counseling and the care of diabetics.
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A life with dementia
Mrs. Thormann (name changed) has been a customer at our pharmacy for many years. Stable health has always been important to the 74-year-old, fun-loving retiree. In order to remain mentally fit into old age, she was happy to spend a lot of money on them. She was particularly interested in our special offers for ginkgo and vitamin preparations as well as B12 drinking ampoules, which we regularly advertised in our ELAC monthly flyer. Sometimes she bought three or more packs. She is doing well, she said, but lately she has been forgetting things more and more often. Sometimes she couldn't find her glasses, sometimes she lost her keys, and more often she couldn't find the right words in the middle of a sentence. Then Mrs. Thormann came to us less and less often, and later not at all. Her husband then reported that she rarely leaves their shared apartment and spends most of the day only at home. Forgetful, confused and disoriented. They have all forgotten their beloved cooking recipes. And the other day she wanted to climb onto the roof of her house with her husband. Conversations with friends. She can no longer follow acquaintances. For months, her husband has received only one answer to his question about what he could cook for her: goulash.
1.7 million people in Germany suffer from dementia
Mrs. Thormann obviously suffers from dementia. The sad individual fate of an elderly senior citizen? Not at all, because according to the German Alzheimer's Association, people in our country are. V. currently around 1.7 million people suffering from dementia. Most of them are affected by Alzheimer's disease. With an estimated 300.000 new cases per year, the number of confused people in the Federal Republic of Germany will rise to 3 million by the year 2050. residents of a city the size of Berlin will lose their minds. will then be in a state of collective need of assistance!
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What does dementia mean?
But what exactly does dementia mean?? What distinguishes dementia of the Alzheimer type from other forms of dementia?? According to the German Alzheimer's Association: "Dementia is an acquired impairment of mental capacity that limits memory, language, orientation and judgment and is so severe that the affected person is no longer able to live independently."So much for the factual, bureaucratic definition of this widespread affliction. But what really causes it? What is the trigger? Why can a 76-year-old Mrs. Muller no longer remember the names of her grandchildren, whereas her neighbor of the same age, Mrs. Meier, plays the piano and holds reading sessions in the kindergarten?? Is it really the genes? Is it just old age? And above all: Can we protect ourselves?? Is Alzheimer's even curable?
Vascular dementia
In principle, we distinguish between two forms of dementia: in only about one third of those affected are there circulatory disorders. This is known as vascular dementia. This form of dementia can be triggered by a single, severe stroke in which a major blood vessel becomes blocked and causes a damaging lack of oxygen for larger areas of the brain. More insidiously, however, this vascular dementia is a result of many, small microstrokes that usually go unnoticed by the affected person. The progression is gradual, those affected feel the slow loss of mental abilities such as memory, language finding, orientation and planning of events.
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Alzheimer's
More than two-thirds of those affected develop so-called Alzheimer's-type dementia. This variant of the disease is now the third leading cause of death in the United States. While the causes and pathophysiology of vascular dementia are explainable and described in a scientifically consistent manner, in the case of Alzheimer's-type dementia, controversy rages among physicians, university experts and pharmaceutical industry scientists over the causes of the disease, the biochemical and cellular mechanism of its progression, and the development of curative drugs. However, there is also disagreement about the possibilities of preventing Alzheimer's disease at the latest when the first symptoms appear. Doctor's statement. molecular geneticist Dr. med. Michael Nehls, in his books "Alzheimer is curable" resp. "The Alzheimer's Lie" (both books are published by Heyne): "Ask the world's more than 25000 Alzheimer's researchers what causes Alzheimer's, and you'll get almost as many answers."In addition to environmental toxins and infections of the brain, the age factor is cited as the main cause of Alzheimer's disease. What seems to be decisive is not the fact, that we age but like we age. There seems to be a correlation between age and Alzheimer's disease, but not a causal relationship. Nehls follows an unusual, but scientifically based approach of describing the causes of the disease. His work makes the real causes of suffering transparent. Even more: effective possibilities are described to stop the progression of the disease and to reactivate the mental capacity by optimizing the individual lifestyle at the latest when the first symptoms appear.
The hippocampus in focus
A special part of our brain becomes the focus of attention: the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the name given by doctors to two thumb-sized organs resembling a seahorse, located in a region of the brain that projects deep into the temporal lobe. The hippocampus is the center of all our memories, our experiences, our past and thus our entire identity. It is connected to the other brain regions by a tube-like organ, the tractus perforans. Here information, events, experiences are permanently exchanged between the hippocampus and the other brain regions, stored and deleted. The hippocampus has the fantastic property in the case of positive stress. To be able to grow to the highest age in a species-appropriate living environment. This process is what scientists call adult neuroneogenesis.
©BillionPhotos.com/stock.adobe. In 1905, the neurologist Alois Alzheimer examines the brain of his deceased wife. Later made famous by the first Alzheimer's patient, Auguste Deter. What he found were changes visible to the naked eye, such as markedly enlarged cerebral ventricles, thinning of the cerebral cortex and a strikingly reduced white matter. For the first time, Alois Alzheimer also observed sticky deposits in the brain outside the brain cells, which later became known as beta-amyloid plaques. Suitably to the destructive consequences they were named the tombstones of the brain.
Glutamate – the ink of the hippocampus
It has been shown that the joint occurrence of disturbed neuroneogenesis and the formation of beta-amyloid plaques as a consequence of an inappropriate lifestyle are the key to the explanation of the Alzheimer's phenomenon. In very simplified terms: When the hippocampus wants to remember a piece of information, it uses as ink the substance glutamate. Glutamate "writes" the information into its neuronal structure. To ensure that this information is retained, i.e. that "the ink" does not smear, the brain fixes what it has written down as if with a varnish made of the beta-amyloid mentioned above. Now this information cannot be overwritten by any new information and, if necessary, can be deleted. are extinguished. So beta-amyloid has a brain-protective function at this stage.
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Importance of deep sleep
At night in deep sleep, the "writing room" is tidied up: information is passed on to other brain regions, unimportant information is deleted and the protective beta-amyloid is eliminated. The next morning, if we have given our body enough restful sleep, a refreshed, tidy hippocampus is again available for the information of the new day. Short-term, positively perceived stressful situations cause a release of the hormone cortisol. This protects through the formation of new nerve cells. Beta-amyloid our brain substance. If, on the other hand, the stress hormone circulates permanently in the blood, the formation of new nerve cells is inhibited and the removal of beta-amyloid is impaired. With this, stress resistance decreases, more cortisol is released, more beta-amyloid is deposited – the brain's tombstones are growing.
Consequences of chronic underchallenge
Chronic underload has the same consequences: too little new, activating information worth processing leads to shrinkage of the hippocampus and increased deposition of plaques. This will lose the natural mechanism of mental stress processing. Any change, no matter how small, triggers excessive discomfort, we avoid new, unfamiliar situations, become more anxious. The transition to avoidance of unfamiliar situations with increasing passivity. To the depressive basic mood is then fluent. Accelerating this decline through increased deposition. Crosslinking of amyloid to form brain-killing plaques just in the tractus perforans.
What is not good for the hippocampus
Briefly summarized: a disturbed formation of new nerve cells (also in advanced years) in combination with the deposition of beta-amyloid plaques stand as the cause of Alzheimer's disease. Permanent stress as well as permanent intellectual and/or social underchallenge cause the hippocampus to shrink. Beta-amyloid particles are removed during sleep and prevented from sticking together. Any shrinkage of the hippocampus and the associated loss of function due to prolonged stress, mental underload, oxidative processes, oxygen and nutrient deficiency, as well as silent inflammation should therefore be prevented.
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Nehl's formula against Alzheimer's
From these findings, Nehls developed his formula against Alzheimer's disease. These 6 factors are crucial to whether, when and how quickly Alzheimer's dementia enters our lives:
– Healthy diet/intermittent fasting/micronutrients – Social activities – Sleep – Physical activity – Meaning of life – Time
The good news: We can actively shape all of these areas of life in a positive way. And starting tomorrow, if we make a serious decision to do so. The uncomfortable news: We need to optimize all areas of life simultaneously. Because the principle of the minimum applies. This law of nature was already formulated 200 years ago. Every farmer knows this rule: if plants are to thrive optimally, they need light, air, heat, nutrients and water all at the same time. If the plant lacks water, no fertilizer is of any use, if the plant is too dark, even a lot of water is of no use. All components must be permanently and simultaneously available throughout the entire life phase in order for the organism to thrive optimally. The same principle applies to the human organism in general. On the brain health quite specifically to.
The principle of the minimum
The principle of the minimum also explains why there can be no effective drug against the causative development of Alzheimer's disease, nor will there be in the near future: No substance will be able to influence the triggering mechanism of decreased stress resistance, hippocampal shrinkage, decreasing neuronal connectivity and amyloid cross-linking plus its deposits. No ginkgo supplement, no matter how high the dose, and no vitamin B12 drinking ampoule can noticeably help if used in isolation and not in addition to a species-specific lifestyle change.
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Can Alzheimer's disease be prevented?
Can we prevent Alzheimer's dementia? Or at least slow down or even stop its progression? In Finland, the so-called FINGER (Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment)-study on over 1.200 Finns between the ages of 60 and 77 with incipient memory disorders were studied. The participants were randomly divided into a control group (where the usual lifestyle was maintained) and a so-called intervention group and observed for two years. Three areas of life were optimized in the subjects of the intervention group:
Nutrition: the subjects ate fish (anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids) at least twice a week. ) and reduced consumption of (processed) meat products (pro-inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids. ). The consumption of alcohol and sugar has been significantly reduced. Butter replaced by rapeseed oil products. An average weight reduction of 10-15% was achieved (intermittent fasting. ).
Exercise: The participants completed a muscle training program one to three times a week, in which the eight most important muscle groups were trained. In addition, an aerobics and gymnastics program was completed three to five times a week to improve balance. Memory training: this mental training was developed by psychologists and consisted of a total of 72 group and individual sessions. Episodic, working memory and information processing speed were trained and evaluated.
Impressive study result
The amazing result: the general mental condition improved by 25%. The task of specifically organizing one's own thoughts was done 83% better by the treated group. The speed of processing information improved by 150%! No drug of the pharmaceutical industry, no matter how expensive, can so far come close to proving such a positive effect. The situation is comparable to the failure of pharmaceutical research to cure the real causes of another disease of affluence, type 2 diabetes: there are a variety of (expensive) substances that cosmetically lower blood sugar levels, flush sugar out of the body, reduce appetite, squeeze the body's own insulin out of the pancreas. The cause, an insulin resistance provoked by over- and malnutrition and lack of exercise in combination with a genetic disposition, is not eliminated by any drug here either.
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Do natural medicines help?
What about taking natural medicines such as ginkgo, ginseng and co. for the prevention of brain disorders from? The list of (natural) substances advertised with safe healing promises is long: the best-known substances are the ginkgo preparations mentioned above, B vitamins (here primarily vitamin B12), ginseng, garlic, omega-3 fatty acids, resveratrol, and vitamin D . The list of substances could be continued endlessly. But does it really make sense to take these preparations?? Is it worth spending money on these dietary supplements?? The answer is simple: you have to look carefully! There are indeed a number of (natural) substances that can stop the progression of memory disorders at a very early stage and even reverse them. However, it is recommended that these preparations be used as a preventive measure in addition to a lifestyle that protects against Alzheimer's disease. Scientific studies have shown that the combination of complementary natural substances can be more effective than the administration of individual substances. From the author's point of view, a reasonable combination is the simultaneous administration of the following substances:
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) a polyphenol and the active ingredient in green tea. It prevents the formation and incorrect cross-linking of harmful protein particles (amyloid plaques) in the brain Resveratrol also a polyphenol is the active substance from red grapes, raspberries and plums. It also prevents harmful protein deposits, neutralizes harmful free radicals, supports the re-crosslinking of nerve cells and finally ensures self-cleaning of the brain cells (so-called. autophagy) Curcumin the active ingredient from turmeric (turmeric). This substance is one of the most potent antioxidants and can protect nerve cells from silent inflammation and thus loss of function. This substance should be combined with piperine to improve absorption. Boswellic acid, The active ingredient in frankincense (Boswellia serrata) can also have an anti-inflammatory effect and prevent the deposition of so-called tau fibrils, which accelerate the progression of dementia, according to recent studies Vitamin Q 10, According to initial studies, in higher doses (>100 mg per day), can improve spatial learning ability, reduce oxidative damage and slow down the aging of brain cells Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega 3 fatty acid from fish oil, also called brain fatty acid. It is an essential part of the human brain and the retina of the eye. Scientists at the Charite have shown that a daily dose of 2.200 mg of omega 3 fatty acids (DHA/EPA) significantly improved memory task coping in elderly subjects (Journ. Alzheimer's dis. 2016 Feb 10) Lithium, this simple, unspectacular alkali metal was originally used in high doses in psychiatry to treat manic-depressive disorders. The first indications that this substance could also protect against dementia were provided by studies conducted by Brazilian scientists back in 2011, which were able to significantly slow the progression of memory loss in a small group of seniors. And that with dosages that did not exceed one five hundredth of the psychiatric dosage. In the summer of 2018, Danish physicians reported in JAMA Psychiatry their finding that in areas of Denmark with higher concentrations of lithium in drinking water, people were less likely to develop dementia than elsewhere. Finally, in some areas of the world, a correlation was also found between the lithium concentration in drinking water and a decreasing suicide rate caused by depression.
Everyday life is what counts
The sole intake of these substances can in no way compensate for a daily routine conducive to Alzheimer's disease. From Hippokrates, who by the way before approx. 2.500 years ago also became more than 90 years old, comes the wisdom. "If you're not willing to change your life, you can't get help." However, those who are ready to act should now follow these rules:
1. Eat a diet 90% like our ancestors, the fishermen, hunters and gatherers. No one has to study food charts for long. When shopping for any item, ask yourself the question, "Was this food item available 10 years ago?.000 years?" If no, put it back on the shelf. What remains are natural foods that are as unaltered as possible, such as fish, unaltered meat (no sausage!), fruits, vegetables, eggs, nuts and seeds, oils. Make the oil switch: fish and algae are the only serious sources of anti-inflammatory, brain-protecting omega-3 fatty acids. The long-term intake of a tested fish or algae oil preparation from the pharmacy is healthier than the required three fish meals per week. Good fish oil preparations are tested for heavy metals, pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Your trusted pharmacist will be happy to advise you on this complex topic. Banish the so healthy believed sunflower oil from your kitchen: It contains inflammation-promoting omega-6 fatty acids. Use coconut oil. It is the best brain food and tastes first class. Ready-made products such as pizza, cakes, cookies, etc. contain so-called trans fatty acids. They should be used only in exceptional cases. Reduce sugar. Alcohol significantly. Dairy products also do not belong on the daily menu: Humans are the only creatures that consume milk from another species into adulthood. 2. Maintain their social contacts. Unfortunately, our modern, extremely fast-changing life brings with it the disintegration of historical and very sensible family structures, sometimes over several generations. The number of single households is exploding, especially in big cities like Berlin. Therefore, the care of (analogous. ) Social contacts also outside the families and the active mental exchange in the residential area, in the sports club or in the travel group demonstrably alzheimerprotektiv 3. Get moving. Daily! Small doses add up to big results. Get a pedometer. Do 10 a day.000 steps. And if today only 5.000 step were, it must be tomorrow 15.000 steps will. Do strength exercises. Train the large muscle groups twice a week. You will feel an immediate mood boost, your entire body posture will take on a positive glow. Learn and go dancing often. Your brain applauds with joy for this combination of coordination, endurance and social contacts! 4. Sleep well. As described, overnight, while we sleep, the writing room is cleaned up, the excess amyloid is removed. The hours before midnight are the most effective. Sleep should not be altered in its natural architecture by alcohol or sleeping pills.
At the same time it is important
The principle of the minimum applies: all life conditions protecting against Alzheimer's dementia must be maintained simultaneously and permanently, diet/fasting supplemented by sensible vital substances, daily moderate exercise, sense of life and social contacts, sleep and leisure.
Actually a quite natural lifestyle…like back then 10.000 years. Only today not easy, but doable. Your brain will thank you well into old age.
More on the subject
You can also find the article in excerpts in the September 2019 ie of MEIN TAG®, the magazine exclusively from your Guten Tag pharmacy. If necessary, the pharmacy finder will guide you to the right address very close to you. Get your copy now – paid by your pharmacy. Of course, the experts on site will be happy to advise you on the subject – at a high pharmaceutical level.