So what can we do to hold back the tide of aging and decay? It’s worth doing, because countless individuals have reached extreme old age (100 years and beyond) without any significant loss of cognitive ability. OK, he or she may be a bit slow and careful, but essentially firing on all-four cylinders. (Ha, why not be a six-cylinder super ager?)

Now I expect you’ll be thinking I’m going to start with diet. That’s immeasurably important, of course. But no, one of the most powerful factors in preserving your mental hygiene is… SLEEP!

Poor sleep, as we know, adversely affects mental function. Reduced healthy sleep time can increase proteins linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. That’s especially true if you have sleep apnea (more exactly obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA). Sleep apnea means periods of not breathing during sleep. Obviously that impairs oxygen flow to the brain. It can be as frequently as 30 times or more per hour in severe cases.

Patients who regularly experience OSA may be losing significant sleep and under-oxygenation, causing irreparable damage to the brain, worsening dementia symptoms. Consistent patterns of OSA lead to difficulty focusing and making decisions; cognitive impairment (i.e. forgetfulness, lack of concentration, etc.); motor skills become slower. All of these symptoms are part of dementia and so make it worse.

It’s not always simple. Dementia may not only cause poor sleep but may be the direct result of unhealthy sleep behaviors at an earlier age. Early onset dementia can be associated with chronic sleep loss due to insomnia. Sleep loss affects even healthy brains and can begin degrading brain function long before a dementia diagnosis.

As the brain tries to adapt to variable or limited sleep, neurotransmitters are released. These chemicals over time change the brain drastically. Many of the symptoms associated with sleep loss such as poor concentration and memory are the same tell-tale signs that dementia is starting early.

[Osorio RS, Gumb T, Pirraglia E, et al. Neurology. Sleep-disordered breathing advances cognitive decline in the elderly. 2015 May 12]

One study reviewed examined sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) among elderly women and found that 44.8% of study participants with SDB developed cognitive impairment or dementia. Only 31.1% of women without SDB developed dementia.

[Yaffe K, Laffan AM, Harrison SL, et al. Journal of the American Medical Association. Sleep-disordered breathing, hypoxia, and risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia in older women. Published 2011 Aug 10]

Please be aware of my supplement formula SLEEP DEFENDER.

The Kasina

One way to get more solid sleep and develop better sleep architecture is to use the trick of binaural beats or, better still, the device I recommend called the Kasina device, which adds light, music and voice guidance. 

It is a powerful tool for enhancing sleep quality. Utilizing light and sound stimulation, it guides users into a state of deep relaxation, which can significantly improve sleep onset and duration. The device offers various sessions designed to target specific sleep issues, such as insomnia or restless sleep. By promoting a meditative state, the Kasina helps to reduce stress and anxiety, key factors that often disrupt sleep patterns. 

Regular use can lead to improved mental clarity and overall well-being, making it a valuable addition to any sleep routine.

There is a lot more to be said about it than I have space for here. If you want to go to my alternative-doctor page on this, it’s here.

The Vielight Neuro

The Vielight Neuro device offers promising benefits for slowing dementia progression through its innovative photobiomodulation therapy. By delivering near-infrared light to the brain, it stimulates cellular function and enhances cerebral blood flow, which can protect neurons and support brain health. 

Studies suggest that this therapy may improve cognitive function, memory, and mood in individuals with dementia. Additionally, the non-invasive nature of the device makes it a safe and convenient option for at-home use. 

Regular use of the Vielight Neuro device may contribute to slowing the cognitive decline associated with dementia, offering hope for improved quality of life.

I did a pivotal interview with Lew Lim, developer of this device. You can find it here.

Berberine

A growing number of epidemiological studies indicate that metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its associated features play a key role in the development of certain degenerative brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Produced by several different medicinal plants, berberine is a bioactive alkaloid with a wide range of pharmacological effects, including antidiabetic effects.

The obvious benefits from Berberine may not be directly neurotropic but via improvements in glucose control and pancreatic function.

A study which concluded “Berberine could impede the development of dementia via multiple mechanisms: preventing brain damages and enhancing cognition directly in the brain, and indirectly through alleviating risk factors such as metabolic dysfunction, and cardiovascular, kidney and liver diseases. This study provided evidence to support the value of berberine in the prevention of dementia associated with MetS.

[J Integr Med. 2020 Mar;18(2):125-151. doi: 10.1016/j.joim.2020.01.004. Epub 2020 Jan 16]

Another study, supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, concluded that “…compelling research data demonstrated that berberine may inhibit the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and have the potential to reduce a host of risk factors for AD, helping people stay healthy as they age.”

[Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2016; 12: 2509–2520. Published online 2016 Oct 3. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S114846]

Of course cheerful and positive reports of this sort always attract derision from the Big Pharma apologists and shills.

You should be taking my Super Berberine which adds Innoslim, Banaba leaf extract, Grains of Paradise and Holy Basil tea (Tulsi) to the basic berberine goodness!

Hericium erinaceus

Mushrooms are great. They contain beta-glucans (better than the yeast beta-glucans that are regularly sold on Amazon etc.), which are effective immune boosters. They also affect cognitive function. The Cordyceps sinensis, grown on caterpillars, for example, is a great energy booster and aids with clarity of thinking.

But the master among brain-health fungi is the Lion’s Mane mushroom, also known as yamabushitake, bearded tooth fungus, bearded hedgehog, or old man’s beard (Hericium erinaceus). There are other names too.

It’s easy to understand the name “lion’s mane” mushroom!

Lion’s mane mushrooms have a mild, sweet flavor that is said to be similar to lobster or crab meat. You can eat it raw, dried or cooked. It also comes as a supplement in capsule, liquid and powder forms, so you can sprinkle them in your soup or add them to your morning cup of joe or smoothie.

I found a study that looked at two groups of 50- to 80-year-olds with mild cognitive impairment. One group took 250-milligram tablets containing lion’s mane dry powder three times a day for 16 weeks. The other group was given a placebo for the same amount of time. Those taking lion’s mane scored higher on cognitive tests than those who didn’t. After stopping lion’s mane, the first group’s test scores went down.

[Phytother Res. 2009 Mar;23(3):367-72. doi: 10.1002/ptr.2634]

I know from clinical experience of patients who “came back” after using lion’s mane and began speaking normally again. It definitely works—not necessarily universally—for the reversal or slowing of dementia onset. 

Methylene Blue

Do you remember, around 20 years ago, there was a lot of buzz around “smart drugs” (nootropics). You popped a pill (such as piracetam) and you got instantly smarter!

The craze seems to have died somewhat. The usual: exaggerated claims by those on the make, plus serious potential side-effects. In truth, good old supplements work the same, or better: such as B vitamins, fish oil and herbal supplements. Gingko biloba is probably the most famous memory enhancer herb but vinpocetine (from the periwinkle plant) is better.

But there is one “smart drug” (that is NOT a drug) that I would stand by and that’s methylene blue. It has been shown to help with cognitive function, reduction in plaques (like amyloid), improvement in memory and it possesses antioxidant properties that can mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation within the brain.

[Cureus. 2023 Oct; 15(10): e46732. Published online 2023 Oct 9. doi: 10.7759/cureus.46732]

You can buy a powder online and mix up your own. A word of caution: there’s real junk out there. Industrial-grade and chemical-grade MB, sold as a dye or stain, can consist of 10% or more of various toxic contaminants and should not be used for humans or animals under any circumstances.

Even pharmaceutical (USP) grade methylene blue may contain some impurities such as arsenic, aluminum, cadmium, mercury, and lead.

The reputable company that I have, for pure methylene blue as an antiviral, is from CZTL (https://cztl.bz), due to their robust testing program. They ship in 1 gram containers of powder with dosage and mixing instructions in each shipment. They also include a Certificate of Analysis (CofA) verifying the purity of the Methylene Blue, with each shipment.

There are other sources but take care. Not all manufacturers and suppliers are ethical and careful.

The only regular side-effect is that it stains your urine and mouth (urine actually goes green: blue plus yellow)!

If you want to read about the powerful anti-viral (and that includes anti-SARS-Cov-2 virus) properties of methylene blue, get my essential VIRUS BLITZING  HANDBOOK.

To Your Good Health,

Prof. Keith Scott-Mumby
The Official Alternative Doctor

And the worry cuts both ways: you worry for another, or others. And you worry for yourself; will it happen to me? These are not unreasonable fears. But are they based on fact?

Dementia is a complex and debilitating condition that affects millions of people worldwide. It encompasses a range of cognitive impairments that impact memory, thinking, and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily life. The fears surrounding dementia is profound and multifaceted, touching on various aspects of personal identity, independence, relationships, and overall quality of life. 

Big Fear: Memory Loss

One of the most common and immediate fears associated with dementia is the loss of memory. This fear goes way beyond just forgetting names and faces. Memory is integral to a person’s sense of self and continuity; it holds the narrative of one’s life, relationships, achievements, and personal history. So if you lost substantial amounts of this memory, you might lose your identity and the ability to recall significant life events or recognize loved ones. 

Fear of Losing Independence

Dementia often leads to a progressive decline in the ability to perform everyday tasks. The loss of independence is a significant fear for many individuals facing the possibility of dementia. Simple activities like cooking, driving, managing finances, and even personal hygiene become increasingly challenging. The dependency on others can be humiliating and frustrating, leading to a loss of dignity. 

Fear of Social Isolation

As dementia progresses, social interactions become more difficult. Communication problems, such as difficulty finding words or following conversations, can lead to withdrawal from social activities and relationships. The fear of social isolation is profound, as individuals may feel increasingly disconnected from their community and support networks, leading to feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety, that further diminishes quality of life.

Fear of Behavioral and Personality Changes

We all know of cases where a profound personality change leads to weird behaviors, mood swings, agitation, aggression, and even at times hallucinations.

One of the worst I know of is a patient repeatedly attacking their spouse. It’s doubly cruel because it does not just mean the permanent end of a loving relationship but it becomes increasingly harder for the caregiver spouse to tolerate this onslaught, leading to strained relationships and emotional pain on both sides.

Fear of Stigma and Misunderstanding

Despite increased awareness, there is still a significant stigma attached to dementia. “Old Granny has gone potty,” may be all the younger generations know. They do not understand and being young and relatively carefree, they tend not to care. Daffy behaviors are very uncomfortable for all of us who do not know the underlying thought processes (there are always sensible thought processes underneath).

Fear of Death and Dying

Most people do not realize that dementia, especially Alzheimer’s, is a near-terminal condition. In fact Alzheimer’s cases survive only about 3 – 8 years on average (but some can live up to 20 years or more). One might say (or think) that given the misery of this diagnosis—in the absence of a cure—a rapid exit is a mercy.

And of course the fear of not being able to communicate end-of-life wishes and the potential for undignified death is particularly troubling.

Best Not To Go There

OK, it might be flippant but I think we can all agree that dementia is not a place we want to go. For all its dreadful imposition, it does seem to be largely avoidable.

1. Number one health factors is diet and nutrition, of course. Avoid ultra-processed food, trans-fats, sugar and highly treated vegetable oils (which Chris Knobbe points out are really “seed oils”, NOT vegetable oils at all). Even olive oil often has large amount of the wrong EFAs. Butter, coconut oil and beef tallow (a favorite in our house) are safest much the most traditional.

2. You have probably read often about keeping your mind active. Puzzles and games are often recommended; learning a language; or a musical instrument, etc. It definitely helps.

3. Exercize. Now here BE CAREFUL. I do not mean more is better; that is very definitely not the case. But enough! According to the Alzheimer’s website, regular exercise can reduce the risk of developing dementia by about 28%. For Alzheimer’s disease specifically, the risk was reduced by 45%. One study looked at the amount of daily activity of us older people. The ones who exercised the least (the bottom 10%) were more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as the ones who exercised the most (the top 10%). 

NOTE: It doesn’t just mean tennis, cycling, swimming or jogging! It can also mean a daily activity such as brisk walking, cleaning or gardening. One study found that daily physical tasks such as cooking and even washing up can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease!

This is about as far as the number crunchers go (milligrams, blood levels, hours a week of exercise, how MUCH exertion, how often, etc.)

But there are other factors, hard to quantify, which are clearly just as important… I’m thinking of your social network, connections, a sense of belonging, and feelings of love and affection for and with others around you.

US psychologist William Glasser MD had some beautiful relevant words to say, which I like to quote a lot…

We all have a need (and a right) to love and be loved. We all have a need (and a right) to feel we are worthwhile, to ourselves and to others.

In conclusion, the fear of dementia encompasses a wide range of concerns, from memory loss and loss of independence to social isolation, behavioral changes, stigma, financial burden, and fear of death. These fears are deeply rooted in the potential loss of identity, dignity, and quality of life.

Well, having opened a can of worms, I feel I should return to this topic next week (last before the summer break) and talk about specific remedies for dementia.

Meantime, let me reassure you: starting to be forgetful is not a sure sign of oncoming dementia. I know women in their 7^th and 8^th decades, who burst into tears when they can’t remember what they did with the car keys. Relax! We all start to be more forgetful. For me, although I have been blessed with a brilliant memory, even I forget stuff all over the place and have done since I was in my 30s. Think of it as a mind full to brimming with joyful, profound, rewarding and exciting experiences, till it overflows!

Chill.

To Your Good Health,
Prof. Keith Scott-Mumby
The Official Alternative Doctor

Let me call your attention to an important study that looked at the Mediterranean (and MIND) diet and its impact on dementia. People who had the highest intake of green leafy vegetables—7 or more servings per week—had less Alzheimer’s brain pathology than those who ate only 1 or 2 servings weekly (Is this real; are there really people who only eat greens 7 times a week?)

How crazy is a view of nutrition that says eating greens every day is a “plant-based” diet? That’s what’s wrong with so-called “experts”, dieticians and nutritionists in the US; their view is so screwed up that they think not eating steak, eggs, burgers, ice cream, fries and cheese melt every meal is “plant-based” eating!

Ordinary people who rely on them for “expertise” have no chance of getting it right.

I’m referring now to a 2023 paper in the journal Neurology. In a nutshell, their “revelation” is that people who had the highest intake of green leafy vegetables — 7 or more servings per week — had less global Alzheimer’s pathology than those who ate only 1 or 2 servings weekly.

OK, interesting enough. But for neurologists they seem dumb to me. They talk about Alzheimer’s pathology and assume that beta-amyloid plaque, phosphorylated tau tangles, and neurofibrillary tangles are all markers of AD. That’s totally up to dispute: people with masses of plaque show no signs of dementia AND people with quite severe dementia reveal little or no amyloid-burden at autopsy. 

Indeed amyloid is present in normal healthy brains and so must serve some function, other than just to cause dementia! Importantly, severity of dementia correlates better with synaptic loss (loss of brain cell interconnections) and mitochondrial abnormalities than it does with amyloid deposition.¹

Like the “Big Bang” model for the origins of the universe, which is absurdly false and yet clung to by fake scientists who only care about their salaries, so too the amyloid build up model sticks like poo to a wooly blanket. It won’t go away. Nobody dares stand up and say, “What nonsense!”

What is known of course, is that tissue cleaning in the brain, the so-called glymph system (a concatenation of lymph for lymphatics and glial cells, which are the brain’s busy hygiene cleaners) is truly crucial. If that system underperforms or is blocked, there is toxic build up in the brain and that causes damage.

So the take-away from this study is about diet and nutrition, not poorly worked out models of pathology. If you eat well, exercise plenty, don’t smoke and practice the art of loving and caring, you’ll not likely experience any mental decline above the marginal slowing down, at non-pathological levels.

Everything else is pretty irrelevant. In fact this study compensated for almost everything: it controlled for age at death, sex, education, APOE4 gene status, and total calories. Findings persisted when adjusted further for physical activity, smoking, and vascular disease burden.

Conviviality Rules

The Mediterranean diet (MD) is considered one of the healthiest dietary patterns in the world because of its observed association with positive health outcomes. After more than half a century of research, the MD has been recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, including the dimension of shared meals or commensality in its definition as a symbol of cultural heritage.²

Two aspects that characterize the MD are “what” and “how” we eat. Typical researchers go for “what” and often entirely miss the “how” (what circumstances and surroundings). A great study published on in the National Library of Medicine made things pretty plain:

“Conviviality is the social component of eating involving the sharing of meals, also contributing to the associated health-promoting effects of this lifestyle. Conviviality is a feature in Mediterranean countries where family and food traditions are core activities.”

But researchers remarked, “As far as we know, conviviality has not been studied in the literature of Northern European and English-speaking countries.”³

See, not even considered! Yet it’s absolutely crucial, as my friend the late Stephen Sinatra and I have shared on occasions, when interviewed. 

Here’s the shocking part: it’s not so much about the food at all! It’s about loving family, camaraderie (human fellowship), relaxation and stress reduction at mealtimes. It’s modern science to think “stuff” and numbers (like quantities and percentages). But it’s muddle-headed. The REAL Mediterranean diet is more about immeasurable values, like togetherness and belonging, love and sharing, family values and great cooking!

Conviviality is more than a shared meal, because it relates to “how” we eat. The “how” involves socializing when eating and, as complementary aspects, self-awareness of satiety and hunger signals, eating slowly, and chewing well. Meal satisfaction is not only related to portion sizes or how much is eaten. The activity of cooking, conviviality, and the fact of sitting together to eat the same foods rather than just eating are very typical of the Mediterranean areas and are habits practiced on a daily basis.⁴

Put This In The Reverse

If we switch this around, we get a different perspective on the same phenomenon. People who are always in a hurry at meals, can’t wait to leave friends behind and dash off to some work assignment or another are leading a very unhealthy lifestyle, NO MATTER WHAT THEY EAT.

Similarly, a life of loneliness, disconnection or emotional coldness we know shortens life.

According to new research, people who eat most of their meals alone may be at increased risk for heart disease and diabetes. Men who dined solo at least twice a day were more likely to have metabolic syndrome—a cluster of three or more risk factors including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and prediabetes—compared to those who always dined with others.

In their paper, published in Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, the study authors note that families in many regions of the world have become smaller in recent decades, and there are also more one-person households. “At the same time, eating patterns have become irregular, informal, and individualized in the form of more eating alone,” they write.⁵

The REAL Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet includes plenty of fruit and veg, salads, and olive oil. But Mediterraneans also eat meat, fish and fowl. They are NOT vegetarians, much less vegans (duh!)

They also drink quite naughty amounts of wine, which US puritanical “researchers” often forget to mention. They try to pretend it’s irrelevant or just an add-on. But wine is a crucial part of the so-called Mediterranean diet. The vast majority of adults in the region drink wine.

It’s not just about catechins and resveratrol either. The Italians have a saying “A day without wine is a day without sunshine.” That sums it up. Wine brings conviviality. The famous Roseto group which came to prominence as part of the Framingham study was all about finding the Italians who lived exclusively in that town (Roseto, Pennsylvania) were a full-on community. Everyone knew everyone else. The family bonds were immensely strong and the food—of course—was as good as it gets back home.

As a result of their strong sense of being together, males experienced HALF the national rate of heart attacks. They brought the Mediterranean world with them… and it wasn’t the pasta that kept them healthy!

¡Salud! Santé! Cin cin! Saúde! Yamas! Sher-i-feh! (Turkish)

To your good health,

Prof. Keith Scott-Mumby
The Official Alternative Doctor      Dementia

Source Notes: Agarwal P, et al “Association of Mediterranean-DASH intervention for neurodegenerative delay and Mediterranean diets with Alzheimer disease pathology” Neurology 2023; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207176.

References:

1. Struble, Robert G. et al. ‘Is Brain Amyloid Production a Cause or a Result of Dementia of The Alzheimer’s Type?’ 1 Jan. 2010 : 393 – 399
2. Saulle R., La Torre G. The Mediterranean Diet, Recognized by UNESCO as a Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Ital. J. Public Health. 2010;7:414–415. doi: 10.2427/5700
3. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Mar; 18(5): 2499. Published online 2021 Mar 3. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18052499
4. Morin H.K. The Mediterranean Diet: A Family Affair. Am. J. Matern. Child. Nurs. 2010;35:238. doi: 10.1097/NMC.0b013e3181dd7ef9
5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1871403X17300960

None of the stupid pharma formulations used to “treat” dementia have anywhere close to this effect! Here’s a summary of the dubious 2 – 3% benefits of Aricept (donepezil): people with mild, moderate or severe dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease treated for periods of 12 or 24 weeks with donepezil experience small benefits in cognitive function, activities of daily living and clinician-rated global clinical state. Benefits on 23 mg/day were no greater than on 10 mg/day, and benefits on the 10 mg/day dose were only marginally larger than on the 5 mg/day dose.

“Small benefits”? “No greater”, “only marginally”? In other words, drugs for Alzheimer’s are rubbish. 

So we all take vitamin D, we’ll all be happier and healthier and see little or no cognitive decline, and no need for drugs, right?

Not so fast buddy. Then along comes the “science”!

Simple revealing facts like these do not suit current “science” which has a financial agenda. It’s very inconvenient to the big shots who really count in life (Big Pharma executives, government shills and self-serving medical “experts”, who don’t want to be found WRONG).

So they waded in and tried to trash this important study, which tells us what we already know: vitamin D has profound effects on brain viability and function. See, vitamin D is not just about rickets and bone strength. Vitamin D has its fingers in just about EVERYTHING!

According to a 2014 study: “Vitamin D is an important calcium-regulating hormone with diverse functions in numerous tissues, including the brain. Increasing evidence suggests that vitamin D may play a role in maintaining cognitive function and that vitamin D deficiency may accelerate age-related cognitive decline.”

Inadequate vitamin D status also correlates with a greater risk for cognitive decline in the elderly, suggesting that optimal levels may promote healthy brain aging.¹ 

Researchers have theorized that, because the brain expresses vitamin D receptors (VDRs) and can synthesize the active form of the hormone, the possible cognitive enhancing effects of vitamin D may reflect a primary action in the brain rather than just a result of secondary health effects.² 

Indeed, showers of studies have shown that vitamin D, as well as the biologically active form of the hormone, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, has direct neuroprotective actions and can reduce some biomarkers of brain aging.³

So the shills have a struggle here. They still try and discredit studies which show this effect but the evidence is against them.

Not that mere details stop arch-shill Claire Sexton, DPhil, senior director of scientific programs and outreach at the Alzheimer’s Association in Chicago, from pronouncing vitamin D has no place: “It is not recommended to start vitamin D supplementation to reduce dementia risk,” she told MedPage Today. 

“It is important to note that this study is an observational study, not an intervention, so it cannot establish causation,” she points out. But there are hundreds of other studies which DO, and she ignores those.

Of course orthodox doctors are happy to use an observational when it supports their theories; only when it supports the natural view of things and non-therapy treatments do they get ratty. 

“Also, a significant limitation to the study is that neither vitamin D levels at baseline and follow-up, nor dose and duration of supplementation, were available or analyzed,” she added (as if how long they took supplements was even relevant).

Whatever the length of time participants took vitamin D should not matter, if it’s just a non-causal effect. You don’t have to know how much aspirin patients took, if it has been shown that taking aspirin relieves pain! Duh!

Then Sexton comes up with the classic line: ” …further research is needed in this area.” That’s what they say when they want people to believe the research isn’t conclusive!

To understand this drivel, you need to keep in mind that the Alzheimer’s Association DOES NOT WANT SUCCESSFUL THERAPIES. The Alzheimer’s Association is a font group for Big Pharma, there to push pharmaceutical “solutions”, even when they don’t work.

Even more than that; they are there to trash safe and effective alternatives which would compete with their lucrative market share. I have written before that in 2003 I was scheduled to deliver a talk to the Alzheimer’s Association in Colombo, Sri Lanka (I lived in Colombo at the time). I was to talk about diet and nutrition and natural supplements as a means of blocking or delaying dementia, something very important to a poor country, with an aging population.

But my talk was pulled at the last minute by the US head office. They want to go on exploiting this tiny country, with few or no resources, and nothing must override their message, which is that drugs for Alzheimer’s are totally effective and natural solutions don’t work, so you’d better pay up, or else.

So, for us live-forever Boomers, this latest study showed: five-year dementia-free survival was 83.6% for those exposed to vitamin D and 68.4% for the non-exposed group. That’s a huge difference.

And let me say I find it strange language to talk about people being “exposed” to vitamin D levels. It’s like they are trying to position it as a pathogen or toxin!

But get this: Vitamin D is known to participate in the clearance of amyloid beta (A?) aggregates, one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and may provide neuroprotection against A?-induced tau protein (hyperphosphorylation). Low levels of serum vitamin D have been associated with a greater risk of dementia and AD.⁵

Just boil it down to the essentials: you and me, us older folk, need to ramp up our vitamin D intake; it’s definitely neuroprotective and we need to look after our aging brains.

DECLINE IS NOT INEVITABLE. Hundreds of thousands of centenarians are sharp mentally. But inadequate nutrition is the clear factor which separates “aging” from old-age vitality and living fun, not a meds-deficiency!

How Much? I think 5,000 IU daily is perfectly adequate. More is not necessarily better. Hey, vitamin D is dirt cheap. Yahey! So do not let yourself become deficient.

Love to All,
Prof. Keith Scott-Mumby
The Official Alternative Doctor

Notes:

1. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), September 29, 2014. 111 (41) E4359-E4366 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1404477111
2. WE Stumpf, LP O’Brien, 1,25 (OH)2 vitamin D3 sites of action in the brain. An autoradiographic study. Histochemistry 87, 393–406 (1987)] and [E Garcion, N Wion-Barbot, CN Montero-Menei, F Berger, D Wion, New clues about vitamin D functions in the nervous system. Trends Endocrinol Metab 13, 100–105 (2002)
3. ibid.
4. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), September 29, 2014. 111 (41) E4359-E4366 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1404477111.
5. Ghahremani M, et al “Vitamin D supplementation and incident dementia: Effects of sex, APOE, and baseline cognitive status” Alzheimer’s Dement 2023; DOI: 10.1002/dad2.12404.

They hate nutritional therapy. In Sri Lanka, I was blocked from addressing an AA meeting, once they knew I was to talk about vital nutrition.

Now patients are warned about a daily drink combining several nutrients which may help people with early Alzheimer’s disease improve their memory, according to a new study.

Of course the Alzheimer’s Association attacked it. “More research is needed before such a deadly drink could be made available to the public. And, even then, consumers should exercise caution,” said William Thies, vice president for medical and scientific affairs at the Alzheimer’s Association!

As Alzheimer’s progresses, patients lose their memory as synapses (connections between brain cells) deteriorate, according to background information included in the study. The new drink, called Souvenaid, may actually stimulate the growth of new synapses, said the drink’s inventor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientist Dr. Richard Wurtman.

Nutricia, a division of Dannon, the food people, sponsored the study. MIT has a patent on Souvenaid, and Nutricia has the exclusive license on the patent.

So of course they are excited about it. Imagine getting a patent on Nature’s healthy molecules!

For the new study, nearly 260 early Alzheimer’s patients in Europe drank either Souvenaid or a placebo for six months. During the first three months of the study, patients in both groups showed improved memory. After that, however, patients taking the placebo had a decline in memory. In contrast, patients taking Souvenaid continued to show improved memory on tests used to assess Alzheimer’s patients.

William Thies, is understandably very upset with the idea of anyone getting help with their Alzheimer’s. He attacks Souvenaid with all the usual cunning and B*S*

“Medical foods do not have a requirement for FDA premarket approval, but they do have a requirement for having a scientific foundation and some evidence of efficacy,” he is quick to point out. “But they don’t have the kind of data we would find for a medication.”

Actually, they do, Thies. They have far better science than 95% of drugs Big Pharma peddles, even though there was a money-interest from the sponsors Dannon.

In addition, medical foods for Alzheimer’s most likely won’t be covered by insurance, Thies said slyly. These guys…

Ingredients

So what’s in Souvenaid? The drink combines three ingredients: choline, uridine and omega-3 fatty acids.

You don’t need it. Choline is a B vitamin found in meats, nuts and eggs, and omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish, eggs, flaxseed and meat from grass-fed animals. Uridine, which is produced by the liver and kidneys, is also found in some foods as a part of RNA, which helps make protein in the body.

Omega-3s are readily available, from flaxeed oil, krill oil, etc. The very best source by far is… (surprise!) grass-fed beef.

If you or someone is developing warnings of dementia, let me tell you the best I know: it’s a mushroom called Hericium erinaceus. It contains a nerve growth factor and can regrow neurons and synapses.

I wrote about it in my fantastic anti-aging book “How to Live Beyond 100 Years”. Read more here.

[SOURCE: July 10, 2012, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, online]

Now it emerges from a study just published (June 2012), one of the major risk factors for Alzheimer’s is going into hospital. It doubles your risk of becoming demented. That’s how little doctors and nurses know about health.

They take it away, not restore it!

I’m sure there are two main reasons: the deplorable food served in hospitals (negative nutrition, for someone already on the edge) and the cocktails of drugs, with side effects.

Those who experienced delirium, which is a state of heightened confusion or unusual mood or behavior, while in the hospital were even less likely to go back to the way things were after hospital discharge, the researchers noticed.

The study was published in the June 19 online issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

If you have an elderly relative who faces hospital, you might like to know there are a couple things you can insist on, which will help (after this study, if you don’t get cooperation from the hospital staff, you can sue).

• Visits from family members or at least familiar faces, is good. Do lots of it.
• Make sure he or she has reading glasses and/or a hearing aid is needed.
• Getting out of bed for walks is very important
• Avoiding unnecessary painkillers of sedatives, which only add to the confusion.
• Having an elderly person treated at home is by far the best strategy, where there is love and care, instead of bullying and impatience from nursing staff, which borders on abuse.

People with Alzheimer’s disease are three times as likely to spend time in the hospital. Between 20 percent and 40 percent of Alzheimer’s patients are hospitalized each year for an average of about four days, the study authors noted. Typical disorders requiring admission are fainting, falls, heart problems and abdominal pain. Delirium was an uncommon reason for admission but a common result of going into hospital.

The researchers took into account the fact that hospitalized patients were generally older and sicker than patients who did not have to go to the hospital during the study.

[SOURCE: June 19, 2012, Annals of Internal Medicine, online]

Pick’s disease, is a rare neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive destruction of nerve cells in the brain. Symptoms include loss of speech (aphasia), and dementia. The disease progresses and patients often die within two to ten years.

A defining characteristic of the disease is build up of tau proteins in neurons, accumulating into silver-staining, spherical aggregations known as “Pick bodies”, after named after Arnold Pick, a professor of psychiatry from the University of Prague who first discovered and described the disease in 1892.

The symptoms of Pick’s disease include difficulty in speech and thinking, behavioral changes, impaired regulation of social conduct (e.g. breaches of etiquette, tactlessness, dis-inhibition), passivity, inertia, over-activity, pacing and wandering. The changes in personality allow doctors to distinguish between Pick’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

Nobody knows the real cause but inflammation accelerates degenerative change, for sure. I never had a case but I did have some Shy Drager’s, another kind of miserable neurodegenerative condition (but worse, because the whole body is involved).

What I suggest here is good for Alzheimer’s, motor neurone disease, ALS, Pick’s and Shy Drager.

The first two are crucial:

1. IV glutathione (has to be IV). See David Perlmutter’s site on this: http://www.brainrecovery.com
2. Hericium erinaceus mushroom. It has a powerful nerve growth factor (grows new neurones).

Also remove inflammatory foods of all kinds, as described in my book DIET WISE. (http://www.dietwisebook.com) This is essential and I have had more “miracle” turnarounds from this one thing than any other medical treatment I know—bar NONE.

Oil is good, as Joanne found with the coconut oil. Omega-3s quell inflammation and you must stop inflammation in this person’s body as far as you can. Read Udo Erasmus’s book; it’s as good as any, even though he’s not an MD.

Wobenzym is good for quenching inflammation too. Wobenzym, as its name suggests, is an enzyme formula, brilliant at killing inflammation and digesting and mopping up the metabolites of that. It has uses, even in cancer.

If ever I start to fall apart (God forbid!), this page contains what I want done on me, whether it’s Alzheimer’s, Pick’s, Shy Drager etc.!