Alzheimer's Disease

🌿 Overview

A progressive brain disease causing memory loss, personality changes, and cognitive decline. Natural approaches focus on nutrition, eliminating heavy metals and toxins, and protecting neurotransmitters.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, a progressive brain disorder that gradually impairs memory, thinking, and eventually the ability to carry out daily life. It is associated with the buildup of abnormal proteins (amyloid plaques and tau tangles) in the brain, with risk rising with age and influenced by genetics, heart health, and lifestyle; its full cause is still being understood.

While there is no cure, growing evidence suggests that what is good for the heart is good for the brain, so the natural emphasis is on protective lifestyle: regular physical activity, a plant-forward diet, mental and social engagement, good sleep, and managing blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol may all help reduce risk or support brain health. Importantly, some causes of memory problems are treatable, so memory or thinking changes that interfere with daily life should be evaluated by a doctor — both to identify reversible causes and, where Alzheimer's is involved, to plan care, support, and treatment early, which genuinely helps the person and their family.

Common signs

• Disoriented perceptions of space and time, inability to concentrate or communicate, memory loss, depression, agitation, withdrawal, insomnia, irritability, personality changes, severe mood swings, and eventual senility.
• Early warning sign: loss of sense of smell up to 2 years before cognitive decline.
• Simple forgetfulness is not Alzheimer's — more serious signs include forgetting one has a spouse, or complete inability to form new memories.

🔎 Why it happens

Common causes and triggers — spotting yours is often the first step to relief.

• A progressive deterioration of the brain that gradually shuts down production of vital neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, serotonin, dopamine, GABA, noradrenalin, glutamate).
• Nerve fibers in the hippocampus become tangled, and plaques of beta-amyloid protein accumulate.
• One form strikes ages 36–45 (rapid); another begins at ages 65–70 (gradual).
• Affects about 5% of those who reach 65 and over 20% of those who reach 85.
• Key contributors: heavy metal accumulation (especially aluminum — autopsies show up to 10x normal levels) and mercury from dental amalgam fillings.
• Other factors: smoking (doubles the risk), alcohol and tobacco, excess medicinal drugs, poor diet (fried, processed, junk foods), nutritional deficiencies (especially B12 and zinc), and low estrogen in women.
• Warning: eating conventionally raised beef, pork, chicken, or fish fed animal byproducts may produce Creutzfeldt-Jakob symptoms identical to Alzheimer's.

✅ What to do

Gentle, practical steps you can take at home — start at the top.

1. Folic acid (5 mg daily) reduces homocysteine levels. Calcium (1,500 mg daily) reduces aluminum absorption
2. magnesium (800 mg daily) works with it. Vitamins A and E are key antioxidants that shield neurons and regenerate neurotransmitter receptor sites
3. take vitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More → E (400–800 IU) and vitamin C (500–1,000 mg daily). All B-complex vitamins are important
4. take thiamine (B1, 3–8 grams daily) and B12 injections (if available). Zinc (30 mg daily). Coenzyme Q10 (200 mg daily) for neuronal energy. Flaxseed oil (1 tablespoon daily). DHA/docosahexaenoic acid (100 mg daily), manufactured from microalgae, helps retain brain function. Ginkgo biloba extract helps delay deterioration in early stages — take standardized extract. Rosemary contains compounds that prevent breakdown of acetylcholine (the brain's memory neurotransmitter). Choline (from blackstrap molasses and lecithin) is a building block for acetylcholine. Chinese club moss contains huperzine A, which blocks acetylcholine breakdown. Asian ginseng (100–200 mg standardized extract), Siberian ginseng (2–3 grams dried root), and astragalus (three 500 mg capsules, 3 times daily) maintain memory function. Chelation therapy may help remove accumulated metals.

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🍽️ Eating to help

Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.

Eat a whole-food diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. Avoid junk food, fried foods, and processed foods. Eliminate alcohol, tobacco, and nicotine. Include high-fiber foods. Avoid aluminum cookware, aluminum foil, buffered aspirin, and antacids high in aluminum. Use stainless steel or glass cookware. Drink distilled or filtered water (tap water may contain aluminum). Avoid excess zinc in supplement form — high zinc may contribute to amyloid plaques.

📚 Learn more

Trusted, independent sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.

• Alzheimer's disease — Wikipedia ↗

💬 Ask Remy about Alzheimer's Disease