Understanding the inflammatory processes behind Alzheimer’s disease is crucial for discerning ways to reverse it. This article will delve into the primary causes, contributing factors of Alzheimer’s, and research on nutrients that can help reverse or even prevent Alzheimer’s dementia.
Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease
Membrane/synaptic degeneration and abnormal protein processing are the two primary observable pathogenesis (causes for disease) of Alzheimer’s.
Membrane/synaptic degeneration occurs when beta-amyloid and tau proteins get deposited into the membranes lining the synapses (spaces between cells) in the brain. These deposits prevent neurotransmitters from taking part in neuronal cell-to-cell communication. Research is ongoing to uncover contributing causes for this phenomenon.
Abnormal protein processing is when individuals genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s overproduce abnormal proteins, such as beta-amyloid and tau. Like any chronic disease, inflammation and oxidative stress are involved.
Contributing Factors
Small vessel (vascular) disease, inflammation, and oxidative stress are several contributing factors that can cause a person genetically predisposed for Alzheimer’s to develop the disease itself.
Small vessel (vascular) disease, specifically atherosclerosis, contributes to Alzheimer’s by reducing blood flow and nutrient supply to the sensitive nerve tissue of the brain in aging Alzheimer’s patients. Risk factors for atherosclerosis, including hypertension and many other contributors, must be considered.
Inflammation can be caused by an unhealthy gut lining (leaky gut syndrome and related autoimmune toxicity), exposure to aluminum (found in many deodorants, antacids, anti-diarrhea medications, and baking powder), malnutrition, head injuries, and infections.
Oxidative stress is the process in which pro-oxidant molecules overwhelm antioxidant defenses, taking place in the mitochondria (energy and processing factories) of nerve cells. Among other factors, it can be caused by iron and copper, atherosclerosis, and high homocysteine blood levels.
Research on Nutrients to Reverse Alzheimer’s Dementia
Impressive science has been done using nutrient-rich raw foods to reverse Alzheimer’s disease processes. Researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) found that rats fed vitamin E, strawberry extracts, or spinach extracts from early adulthood into middle age did not experience cognitive performance loss as did rats fed standard chow.
Furthermore, lab animals fed spinach, strawberry, or blueberry extracts saw reversed age-related deficits compared to those fed normal chow. The blueberry-fed group significantly outperformed the others in balance and coordination and had the highest levels of the “feel good” neurotransmitter, dopamine.
Using gene manipulation, researchers created mice with Alzheimer’s disease. Some of these mice were fed a diet plus a supplement of blueberry extract for eight months, while others were fed standard chow. The Alzheimer’s mice that received the blueberry extract performed much better than those receiving the standard chow – and even as well as healthy controls. This groundbreaking study shows that it may be possible to overcome genetic predispositions to Alzheimer’s through diet.
Older rats fed blueberry extracts for even a short time demonstrated new nerve growth in the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for memory. Furthermore, blueberries, spinach, and spirulina helped reverse vascular damage, which is crucial, given these antioxidant nutrients are known to reduce atherosclerosis, a significant contributor to dementia.
Several nutrient supplements help reverse dementia or reduce the disease process in predisposed individuals by reducing inflammatory processes, promoting membrane and regular synapse formation, enhancing memory, reducing oxidative stress, and improving endothelial function to maintain blood vessel health. Treating Alzheimer’s dementia and slowing down its progression involve focusing on the significant nutrients and diet components that reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, and other contributing factors.
