Most people haven’t heard of “type 3 diabetes”. But they probably know the condition by its more common name: Alzheimer’s Disease.
Alzheimer’s isn’t a normal part of aging. It causes symptoms such as memory loss, dramatic mood swings, an inability to focus, and problems controlling the body. These symptoms are the result of ongoing brain damage. Alzheimer’s causes proteins to become like twisted threads inside the brain’s nerve cells (neurofibrillary tangles). It also causes damaged protein deposits to build up plaque in the spaces between the brain’s nerve cells (called beta-amyloid plaques).
There are about five FDA-approved medications to treat some symptoms related to language skills, memory, and some behavior problems. But there’s no medication-based cure, and the drug benefits are short-lived.
Researchers aren’t sure why some people get Alzheimer’s and others don’t. Evidence shows that having a family history of Alzheimer’s means a greater risk. Alzheimer’s is sometimes linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, and sometimes, although more rarely, to have had a head injury earlier in life. The Alzheimer’s Association International Conference held in Toronto, Canada, in 2016 presented data showing that Alzheimer’s and dementia have more than 50 associated risk factors, including low thyroid levels, high homocysteine levels (an amino acid linked to heart attacks and strokes), and elevated blood fats.
Conventional medicine hasn’t offered much hope, but there’s actually a lot you can do to decrease your risk or even reverse symptoms. “New research shows how combined natural strategies can powerfully reverse memory loss and cognitive decline,” says Wes Youngberg, D.Ph., a clinical nutritionist, lifestyle medicine specialist, a founding director and fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and author of Hello Healthy.
The numbers associated with Alzheimer’s are staggering: More than 5 million Americans live with it, and one in three elderly people die with it or another dementia. Every 66 seconds someone in the nation develops the disease and projections estimate that by mid-century, someone will develop the disease every 33 seconds.
“That’s the current ‘status quo,’ but it’s within our power to impact those statistics,” says Youngberg. “By developing a personalized wellness plan to address the multiple factors associated with Alzheimer’s, we may dramatically decrease our risk. It’s different for each one of us,” Youngberg says in his lecture series, Unlocking the Code for Brain Healing: Natural Strategies for Preventing Alzheimer’s and Reversing Memory Loss.
Creating a personalized plan begins with understanding your exposome, which comprises of everything in your life—diet, activity, career, relationships, thoughts—all the things you’ve been exposed to and their impact on your genetic expression. To be completely certain of what you’re working with, Youngberg suggests having your DNA analyzed. “For about $199, you can order a saliva test from 23andMe.com and get results in about six to eight weeks,” Youngberg says.
He strongly recommends seeing an expert in comprehensive lifestyle management who will meaningfully interpret the report you’ll receive about your DNA. They’ll help you gather further lab data (from tests such as glucose/insulin tolerance, cardiac/hs-CRP, and other specialized blood tests) and utilize this specific information into the most comprehensive dementia prevention and/or reversal plan for you.
(Submitted by Betty Dean. Written by Michele Deppe. (Reprinted with permission from Vibrant Life Magazine.) Used by permission from www.LifeandHealth.org. Courtesy of LifeSpring – Resources for Hope and Healing Stuart, VA)
