Alzheimer's Disease Preventing

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a degenerative brain disease and the most common form of dementia. In fact, Alzheimer's Disease has been estimated to cost the United States $100 billion each year.¹ It is characterized by loss of neuronal cells and neural synapses in the cerebral cortex and various subcortical regions of the brain. As a form of progressive and degenerative dementia, Alzheimer's Disease is widely known to be an incurable disease. Yet, much can be done to prevent and to inhibit the progress of Alzheimer's. To understand, it is important to understand the progression of the disease as well as have an understanding of some basic principles of health.

The body is miraculous and self-healing; it desires to function as optimally as possible for any given condition in which it finds itself. All things regarding health have a cure - it just may be that one does not yet understand what the cure may be. Alzheimer's Disease has a cause and therefore has a cure and a means of prevention.

"Incurable means curable from within."
- Dr. John DeMartini.
Symptoms of Alzheimer's include: memory loss, difficulty recalling information, confusion, irritability, aggression, mood swings, declined sensory, and language breakdown. Eventual deterioration of the nervous system causes loss of bodily functions leading to death. In fact, the earliest signs of Alzheimer's appear to be manifestations of stress. Since the disease manifests so similar to stress, could the cause of the disease not be stress?

When one is under stress, the brain and the body will function differently to survive; this response is known as the fight or flight response. For example, if one were to be chased by a tiger, they may experience the effects of stress - aggression, memory loss, declined sensory, irritability, and difficulty recalling information. Would you be worried about the answer of a math problem when being chased by a tiger? No! Massive stress levels will shut many functions of the brain down - the body is in survival, not thrival!

Many factors have been correlated to the onset and progression of Alzheimer's Disease: poor diet, excessive toxins (environmental or pharmaceutical), emotional stress, and lack of intellectual or physical activities. A wise old adage states, "If you do not use it, you will lose it." In other words, if one does not workout their body or their brain, they will lose physical abilities and intellectual abilities. The physical structures of the body require resistance in order to grow and maintain tone and health. Thus, individuals that participate in intellectual and physical activities - reading, puzzles, musical instruments, sports, board games, regular exercise, and social interaction - have a significantly lower risk for acquiring Alzheimer's Disease.

The brain is sensory driven. This means that sensory serves the brain like a battery, supplying it with needed energy for proper function. With no sensory, there is no integration of information and no effectual motor response. Therefore, the brain requires a lot of sensory information to be healthy. As individuals decline their intellectual and physical activities, the brain receives less and less sensory, resulting in brain degeneration. Much of this sensory loss results from aches and pains that come from life - as individual mask their symptoms with powerful pain killers or modify their regular activities without actually fixing the cause, the brain receives less information and the progression of degeneration begins.

One of the most important sensories for the body is proprioception - or balance. Consider the following examples as extremes of the "brain spectrum": an infant and an elderly.
The infant has a new brain and is excited to absorb as much sensory information as possible. Upon sensing much of the world around it, the infant eventually develops strength to lift itself up and balance. Once the balancing starts (or proprioception), the brain power drives forward. Within weeks, the infant is formulating words, solving puzzles, and experiencing complex thought.
On the other hand, there is an elderly individual that is degenerating with dementia (possibly Alzheimer's). This occurred as the individual began to "retire", declining in intellectual activity, humanitarian service, and possibly avoiding other activities because of discomfort or pain. With the lack of proprioceptive input to the brain, the battery power disappears and the brain begins to "run down" or "drain".

With this basis of information, it should be clearly evident that Alzheimer's does not have to be an incurable disease or even a common disease. To properly prevent this disease, it is mandatory that one ensure a healthy diet (consumption of wholesome vegetables, legumes and fruits), avoid toxic exposure (environmental or pharmaceutical), ensure emotional health, and continue with intellectual and physical stimulating activities. These factors not only keep the body functioning properly, but also ensure a proper expression of genetic code - epigenetics.

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If a loved one is experiencing progressive dementia or Alzheimer's, the same factors that prevent the disease will also assist in curing it. Additional therapies and remedies are available for more progressive cases with knowledgable holistic physicians that emphasize body, mind, and spirit - not just the prescribing of drugs to mask symptoms or deaden the body. If such a physician is needed, be sure to inquire through the ICAK.