How to avoid Alzheimer's

How to avoid Alzheimer's
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Alzheimer’s Disease and other forms of dementia are rapidly becoming epidemic in America. Most of us have someone we know that has struggled with this debilitating and mind altering disease. Researchers claim that by the year 2050 the number of people with Alzheimer’s will triple. Those of us that have watched family members suffering with it fear that it may be in our own futures. Although some researchers are flooding us with dire predictions, others are giving us a glimpse of hope. There are more potential causes of Alzheimer’s coming to light. If we can avoid most of them we can reduce our chances of developing the disease, or possibly push it farther into our future so that we can enjoy a longer and more productive life.

Some of these things have been known for a long time, but they bear repeating so that we don’t forget about them in the stream of new information coming along. Some researchers say that doing a majority of these can reduce your chances of getting the disease by up to 60%.

There are a lot of different recommendations about what we eat that need to be taken into consideration. There are foods we should avoid, and ones that we need to include. Among the avoids would be:

  • Sugar, including large amounts of natural sugar.
  • Gluten and casein, these are wheat and pasteurized dairy products. For the dairy products raw dairy or dairy fats are not the problem. Pressurization is the problem.
  • Calories, particularly from high calorie/low nutrient foods.
  • Mercury, from dental fillings. Get old fillings removed safely.
  • Aluminum, sources include antiperspirants, aluminum cookware, aluminum foil, and vaccines.
  • Anticholinergics, these drugs include certain nighttime pain relievers, antihistamines, sleep aids, certain antidepressants, medications to control incontinence, and certain narcotic pain relievers.
  • Statins, they reducing cholesterol but also reduce coenzyme Q10 in the brain and prevent the essential fatty acids and fat soluble antioxidants from getting to your brain.
  • Heavy alcohol consumption. Though not linked directly to Alzheimer’s there is a huge body of evidence to link alcohol abuse to many other forms of dementia.
  • Smoking
  • Trans fats
  • Junk food. Research has shown that even short term binges can cause damage to cognitive functions.
  • ICU’s. Most of us try to avoid these as much as possible anyway, but studies done before and after visits to the intensive care units of hospitals show an increased loss of cognitive abilities
  • Surgeries, this goes along with the last one, but has its own implications. Even out patient surgery should be avoided. The culprit seems to be in the general anesthesia. There is a 35% increase in risk, especially in the elderly

Things to include in your new lifestyle are just as important, and maybe more so than the things to avoid.

  • Glyphosate, this is a pesticide found in (yes inside) non organically grown foods, especially those that have been genetically modified. It has even been found in some commercially grown meats. It has been shown to rob us of the natural minerals we need. It also acts as an antibiotic and kills the good bacteria in our bodies.
  • Zinc, this is one of the minerals that glyphosate robs us of. If you eat good at home, but do eat out occasionally you may want these levels checked.
  • Fermented foods and probiotic supplements
  • Healthy fats. These include saturated fats as well as the Omega 3 fats. Fats of these types feed the brain.
  • Magnesium, one of the easiest ways is topical supplementation.
  • Vitamin D. The best source is the sun, but supplementing can be helpful.
  • Folate, found in veggies, preferably raw.
  • Blueberries
  • Mental stimulation, learning new things.
  • Astaxanthin
  • Ginko Biloba
  • Alpha lipoic acid
  • Vitamin B12
  • Turmeric
  • Coconut oil
  • Walnuts

Avoiding these things, and including these things are no guarantee that you will not get Alzheimer’s. There are no guarantees in life, and you can’t always undo the harm you have already done to your body. But by making these changes you will also be impacting the probability of developing other problems such as Crohn’s disease, gluten intolerance, leaky gut, diabetes, heart disease, and many others.

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