Nutritional Support for Alzheimer's & Dementia

It’s been called the 36-hour day and for good reason. Although the mothers, fathers, sons and daughters that care for the victims of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) don’t really have an extra 12 hours a day of work, for many, it understandably seems that way.

Addressing the daily needs of dementia patients can be a challenging and frustrating experience for even the most intrepid of caretakers. Short term memory lapses require lots of repetition, not to mention the patience of “Job”. Normal bathing, dressing and bathroom activities that most of us take for granted can be particularly tumultuous and communication challenges can make everything more difficult. Sometimes scary, violent outbursts can spontaneously occur and keeping the wandering-prone patient in one safe place may be downright impossible. Ultimately it may become dangerous to leave him or her alone, even for just a couple of minutes. The disease damages senses, balance and judgment; it’s not unusual for dementia patients to start fires or overdose on medications. Aggression and paranoia can make them a danger to themselves and the people around them.

There are 5 million Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s the sixth leading cause of death. For many it’s a progressive condition and rates are increasing dramatically. A World Health Organization paper called “Dementia: a public health priority” states that this number will double by 2030 and more than triple by 2050.

Yet, lately there’s been reason for optimism. A team led by researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory reported, in the May 7, 2009 issue of Nature, that deactivating a gene can reverse the effects of Alzheimer's and boost cognitive function in mice allowing them to regain long-term memories and the ability to learn.

More recently, in a small study conducted at UCLA in 2014, nine out of ten patients in various stages of dementia, said their symptoms were reversed after they participated in a rigorous nutritional and dietary program that included optimizing gut health, strategic fasting, normalizing blood sugar and insulin, and using Vitamin D and EFAs to support cognition.

As it turns out, despite years of medical dogma to the contrary, nerve cells actually do regenerate given the appropriate nutritional environment. Dr. Dennis Steindler of the University of Florida has shown that stem cells in the brain can give rise to new neurons. According to Dr. Steindler “By changing diet and nutrition, patients may be able to limit inflammation of brain tissue and prevent or even reverse these degenerative diseases, by giving neural stem cells the ability to heal the damage”

If you or loved one is in the position of caring for a dementia patient or if you’re in the early stages yourself, there’s a lot you can do from a nutritional standpoint to improve cognition and slow down the progression of cognitive symptoms. For one thing, nerve cells require nutrition, lots of it; they burn through nutrients faster than other cells in the body. To not leverage the power of essential nutrients to improve the quality of life for the Alzheimer’s patient is tragic. Like all cells in the body, the brain needs nutrients to build and maintain its structure, both to function harmoniously and to avoid premature aging. Not surprisingly, the brain always maintains a priority position in nutrient allocation. Its needs are met before any other organ. If need be, it can draw on micro-nutrient storage reserves in the liver and deplete those. That means, under conditions of deficiency, not only will brain health suffer, but so will the rest of the body. It also means the symptoms of dementia can improve rapidly. In fact, once electrical nutrients, like potassium, magnesium, and sodium, as well as the B-vitamins and Vitamin C, get into the blood, some symptoms can begin to improve within 24 hours. Essential fats and fatty vitamins, particularly E and A, are especially helpful for nerve cells, as are the minerals zinc and selenium.

Eliminating refined carbs can be helpful. So can using sugar metabolizing minerals like Chromium, Vanadium and Selenium. Alpha lipoic acid, a natural anti-oxidant supplement, is so powerful for up-regulating glucose metabolism, that it’s used as an anti-diabetic medicine in many countries. Unique fats found in coconut oil can function as an alternative source of fuel for brain cells acting as a source of non-sugar energy and providing anti-oxidant protection benefits.

When treated correctly, significant improvements can be made in the quality of life in both the caretaker and patient in matter of days or weeks and AD need not be a permanent curse. Symptoms can be mitigated, and sometimes reversed. And while some degree of dementia may always be present, the AD patient can still enjoy an improved quality of life. They can laugh, sing and experience joy. Even if they’re forgetful, happy events can generate pleasant feelings that may be retained long after the specific details have faded out of memory. And don’t forget: Alzheimer’s can be a frightening ordeal for the victim. Smiling a lot and helping the patient feel safe can go a long way to improving the experience of the 36-hour day from both care giver and dementia patient.

TOP 10 DIETARY AND NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES FOR ALZHEIMER’S PATIENTS

• Ketogenic Diet, Coconut Oil – allow for adequate energy without affecting blood sugar and insulin

• Caloric restriction - desensitizes cell’s insulin receptivity

• Veggie Juices – provides micronutrients and enzymes

• Bone Soup – easy to digest source of liquid protein and other anti-aging and repair substances

• Omega 3s – important for construction of healthy brain cells

• Vitamin E - major brain cell protective factor

• Vitamin A-anti-oxidant for brain cells, deficiencies linked to learning difficulties

• B vitamins – facilitate energy production in brain cells, deficiencies are associated with mental and cognitive health issues

• Electrolytes (potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride) - energy facilitating molecules for nerve cells improving overall brain function and health

• Chromium, vanadium, selenium, zinc, alpha lipoic acid – AD is Type 3 Diabetes and all improve sugar metabolism