Conditions > Dementia/Alzheimer's

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Definition

Dementia is a mental disorder characterized by a loss of intellectual abilities, which interferes with social functioning. Alzheimer’s disease, a degenerative disease of the brain, is a common type of dementia, which occurs primarily in people over the age of 60 and is characterized by impairment of memory, judgement, attention and cognitive skills. The focus of this page is the role of nutrition in the treatment and prevention of Dementia and related symptoms.


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Issues

This following articles by John Dommisse, MD, FRCP(C), a long term practitioner of nutritional medicine, discuss and provide references for the role of nutrition in treating dementia. He states that the earlier nutritional intervention occurs after the appearance of Alzheimer’s type symptoms the greater the success rate of treatment due to the irreversible death of brain cells that occurs in advanced Dementia.

“Not a single one of the scores of middle-aged-to-elderly people who have consulted me since 1981 for memory-loss or early Alzheimer's dementia - and who stayed on my program - has ever gone on to develop the full-blown Alzheimer's Disease.”

The focus of the following article by David Perlmutter, MD, a board-certified Neurologist and founder of the Perlmutter Health Center, is the use of nutritional medicine in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease. The end of the article contains his recommended nutritional protocol for Alzheimer’s. Topics discussed in this article include:

Brainrecovery.Com: Powerful Therapy for Challenging Brain Disorders
by David Perlmutter M.D, 2000.

From amazon book description:

"With forwards by Bernie Siegel, MD and Jeffrey S. Bland, PhD--BrainRecovery.com, Dr. David Perlmutter, internationally recognized leader in functional approaches to neurological diseases, explores the cutting edge of both mainstream and complementary medicine. Powerful, clinically proven techniques are revealed providing answers and hope for patients and families faced with challenging disorder including: Alzheimer's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Memory Loss…"

Visit his website: BrainRecovery.com

Abram Hoffer, M.D., Ph.D. is a psychiatrist who has also gained a PhD in Biochemistry. He has published 550 scientific documents and written 17 books dating back to 1952. Andrew Saul, Ph.D has made available online Hoffer’s biography and a bibliography of his publications. Hoffer is currently Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine and President of The Huxley Institute, a non-profit schizophrenia research organization. With the help of Morton Walker, D.P.M. (a doctor of podiatric medicine and the author of 73 published books) a 2nd revision edition of their book ‘Smart Nutrients’ was published in 2002.

Smart Nutrients: Prevent and Treat Alzheimer's, Enhance Brain Function
by Dr. Abram Hoffer, & Dr. Morton Walker, 2002

From Amazon book description:

"In this book, acclaimed medical researcher Dr. Abram Hoffer and holistic health writer Dr. Morton Walker present a program of diet and supplementation specifically developed to prevent or reverse senility."

The following article is by Dr. Morton Walker:

A point highlighted in this book is that physicians all too often fail to check for underlying medical conditions which may be contributing to symptoms of dementia, whereas if these symptoms arose in someone in their 20’s a large array of tests would be conducted. Common underlying conditions are listed at the first link of those listed below.

Related links:

Omega-3 fatty acids and Alzheimer’s disease

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential components of brain cell membranes, including those of neurotransmitter receptors. Omega-3 fatty acids also alter signal transduction and electrical activity in brain cells, and control the synthesis of chemicals such as eicosanoids and cytokines, which may play important roles in neurological health. Two randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trails have been performed testing the effect of supplementing omega-3 fatty acids in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Both of these studies found significant benefits:

"The results indicated improvements in mood, cooperation, appetite, sleep, ability to navigate in the home, and short term memory."

Related articles by Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory:

Metal metabolism in Alzheimer’s Disease

The Pfeiffer Treatment Center (Illinois, U.S.) are presently extending their research to Alzheimer’s Disease. See the following quote from their website:

“Advanced Photon Source Brain Scan Project: As part of a multi-center FDA initiative studying the root causes of Alzheimer’s Disease, we are engaged in a collaborative effort with Argonne scientists and researchers at LSU aimed at identifying the root cause of Alzheimer’s Disease. The team is attempting to achieve the world’s first detailed accurate chemical analysis of tiny individual brain cells and cell components. In our first experiment, we obtained more than 2 million individual assays involving 14 elements for two Alzheimer and two control brain sections. Preliminary analysis of the database indicates striking metal abnormalities in the Alzheimer samples. We were able to obtain tens of thousands of chemical assays for nuclei, amyloid plaque, neurofibrillary tangles, cytoplasm, mitochondria, and other cell components. Bill Walsh of Pfeiffer is the Principal Investigator of this most exciting research project.”

Antioxidants and dementia

There is some evidence to suggest that oxidative neuronal damage plays a role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. A number of studies reveal that a high intake of dietary antioxidants, vitamins C & E, can reduce to risk of developing some types of dementia. Further more, some research found that vitamin E supplementation may slow the progression of moderate cases of Alzheimer's disease. (N Engl J Med 1997 Apr 24;336(17):1216-22) Vitamins C & E work together synergistically.

Related articles:


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Publications

Brain Fitness : Anti-Aging to Fight Alzheimer's Disease, Supercharge Your Memory, Sharpen YourIntelligence, De-Stress Your Mind, Control Mood Swings, and Much More by Robert Goldman, MD, DO, Ph.D., cofounder and Chairman of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine with over 20 world strength records, 1999

Nutritional Influences on Mental Illness: A Sourcebook of Clinical Research (second edition)
by Melvyn Werbach, MD, 1999

This excellent book contains a section on Dementia, which reviews a huge amount of clinical research on it’s nutritional treatment. A considerably more detailed version of this document is available on the following CD-ROM:

Discussion includes the influence of:

  • Vitamins (beta-carotene, folate, B1, B3, B6, B12, A, C, D, E)
  • Minerals (bromine, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, selenium, silicon, zinc)
  • Amino acids (glutamate, glutamine, glycine, leucine, taurine, tryptophan, valine)
  • SAMe
  • Heavy metal exposure (aluminium, lead, mercury)
  • Hydrochloric acid deficiency
  • Lecithin (phosphatidyl choline)
  • Carnitine

Optimum Nutrition for the Mind by Patrick Holford, 2004

This book covers the link between nutritional/environmental factors, memory loss and Alzheimer’s Disease.


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