September is Alzheimer’s month. The following article was written by Glen Gillard, Naturopath and owner of Natural Remedies Group.
We are looking at brain health and Alzheimer’s – the most common type of dementia – this month. It’s a . We have many viewpoints of what is the real cause, hence many opinions of which metal is the problem. Some say aluminium, some say mercury and some say copper is the villain. We certainly see these all having a potential effect on mood disorders and high copper can be seen in cases of suicidal tendencies. I think there may be many villains and one could also be arsenic. What about the tangles from the Amyloid plagues and how did they get there? This may be 20 years in the making before significant memory loss symptoms appear.
Here’s a theory for the beef eaters! We are lot-feeding a big percentage of cattle these days with all sorts of strange foods (including potentially some animal waste and recycled left over’s). Contamination from close quarters and standing in their excrement, may result in the potential to create the mad cow type foci with these prions. Prions are fragmented protein particles with DNA signalling sites that can cross the blood brain barrier into the brain, thus creating much more to detoxify and in turn cause inflammation. Prions are known to be associated with the generation of tangles that were found to be caused by Mad Cows disease, so can it be plausible that some of these, on a smaller scale, may become a toxic foci? I think it’s really important to eat only grass fed beef if there is any sign of early dementia, or no beef at all. I also believe pork could create a similar problem because of the way they are raised plus the chance of being fed animal proteins. I always recommend to take crustaceans and pork out of the diet for those with high toxicity levels or on a parasite cleanse.
We know there are parasites that can also destroy neurological function and Lymes is a classic case. So what about a parasite theory in brain degeneration, or inflammation, leading to pathology? We know that some parasites can cross the brain barrier, set up shop, and grow into cysts causing damage to brain tissue. Parasites can carry viruses and cause fungal disease to flourish. I am personally familiar with Hydatids and the brain inflammation and damage it can inflict.
I know of a missionary who had a brain operation in a Victorian hospital and when they opened the cysts they found the juvenile hydatids! So, maybe, there are loads of villains and what the big picture shows us is that they may all contribute to inflammation, maybe dehydration, and can increase oxidative stress significantly. Many older people are under methylating, have low stomach acid and using proton pump inhibitors (Ant-acid medications) regularly; so it’s very easy to see why so many people would be deficient in B vitamins, amino acids, minerals and being hypoxic. This is also a risk factor for stroke along with high homocysteine levels that are not being generally picked up as associated with the under methylation. I like the term stale blood: this is highly viscous or ‘thick flowing’ blood that is more like axle grease than hydraulic fluid that many people are trying to pump around their system.
Support options
A natural approach would include increasing oxygen levels, removing sticky pathogenic bacteria, improving the micro-mineral status and raising zeta potential to get the blood moving freely without all the sludge. Additionally, reducing the plaque in the arteries, particularly the carotid arteries should improve oxygenation of the brain. Quality, high grade practitioner-only products prescribed to meet your individual needs can be supportive in improving pH, digestion, blood flow and oxygenation of all tissue including the brain. Removing toxins, in particular heavy metals and chemicals is also an important step to achieving excellent brain function. Aluminium and mercury are highly toxic and often block essential nutrients from entering our cells.
Clearing the body of parasites and other microbes should always be done under the guidance of a qualified natural health practitioner. There are many factors involved in supporting the immune system and clearing damaging parasitic toxins and their waste products. As elimination is predominantly through the liver and gut, these organs must be supported.
As can be seen from the above article, there are lot of variables in the case of dementia as well as overall health. At True Medicine we take the time to fully assess your individual needs and support your body’s unique requirements to achieve optimum health and vitality. To arrange your health assessment, call True Medicine on 07 5530 1863.