Alzheimer's and the brain

Many people have trouble with memory — this does NOT mean they have Alzheimer's. There are many different causes of memory loss. If you or a loved one is experiencing symptoms of dementia, it is best to visit a doctor so the cause can be determined.

Microscopic changes in the brain begin long before the first signs of memory loss. There is a well supported belief that, is protective against Alzheimer's.

The brain has 100 billion nerve cells (neurons). Each nerve cell connects with many others to form communication networks. Groups of nerve cells have special jobs. Some are involved in thinking, learning and remembering. Others help us see, hear and smell.

The brain uses very large amounts of energy, about 600 kcal a day. Most people assume that since fats can't get through the blood-brain barrier, that the brain is dependent on glucose. This is not the case. If ketones are available, the brain prefers to use those for energy and to conserve glucose.

Some scientists believe Alzheimer's disease is caused by the inability of the brain to get enough glucose. In one study 100% of people diagnosed with Alzheimers had severe insulin resistance. That confirms that carbohydrate intolerance, or insulin resistance (alternate names) might be causing a failure of the energy supply to the brain.

As the damage spreads, cells lose their ability to do their jobs, causing the shut-down of brain synapses, and cell death. But if the brain is fueled by ketones, the fact of insulin resistance is irrelevant. Ketones don't require the use of insulin to put fuel into brain cells. Perhaps the brain can then ignore insulin resistance and repair itself.

The Bredesen Protocol

Book - Bredesen

Reducing the Risk of Alzheimer's Disease

Prof Dominic D'Agostino

Alzheimer's disease is associated with impaired glucose metabolism.

That causes an accumulation of toxic proteins and the deregulation of several enzymes. The amyloid plaques that are characteristic of Alzheimers, are in fact the brains attempt to defend itself against three types of injury. Those are inflammation, lack of nutrients and support, and toxins in the blood.

If we want to find the cause of Alzheimer's we need to undertake a search for the sources of those "injuries."

Ketones save the brain from using the glucose energy pathway and help restore the brain.

Alzheimer's and dementia basics

Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases.

Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest known risk factors are increasing age and the ApoE4 gene. One of the key drivers is the gradual development of insulin resistance in the body.

The damage caused by insulin resistance is happening in the brain 20 years before Alzheimer's can be diagnosed. Alzheimer's is therefore, seen as a disease of old age. However, the causes are metabolic, and as the Dunedin Study shows so clearly even at 38 most people are showing quite a lot of metabolic decline, you can see metabolic syndrome developing already.

Up to 5 percent of people with the disease have early onset Alzheimer's (also known as younger-onset), which often appears when someone is in their 40s or 50s, so it's NOT a disease of old age. Dr Dale Bredesen tells us that early onset Alzheimer's is probably the result of environmental toxins getting into the body.

Is there a Preventative Strategy?

We think so. People want a simple answer to "what should I do?" Dale Bredesen says, "Everything possible."

That's not very helpful. Work with your local GP to do these things.

Drive insulin resistance down. Change your diet. Get into ketosis.

Reduce the inflammation in your body. Change your diet, get more sleep and meditate.

Examine the hormone balance in your body. Your doctor will know the options.

Test for specific toxins. Your doctor will know something about this too.

Find out your ApoE status. That involves a DNA test.

Those are things you can do right now, all of which will help.

In addition you can learn more about The Bredesen Protocol here.
http://www.openfuture.biz/alzheimers-disease/index.html

Dr Bredesen says that there is a tremendous amount that everyone can learn about how to recover from Alzheimer's. Patients and their families, caregivers, and every local GP; can use that knowledge to improve your general metabolism. You can do a lot to help yourself. Your doctor, even without any special training knows enough to help you "tune up" your metabolic processes. That knowledge might be all you need, and it's in the book.