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 Evidence Based

Alzheimer’s Natural Treatment Options


& 7 Notable Breakthroughs
By Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DMN, CNS
April 5, 2018

Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that can rob people of the


ability to think clearly, perform everyday tasks and ultimately, remember
who they even are. Because the disease is so devastating, and since
previous treatments failed to come up with a cure, I’m always on the
lookout for Alzheimer’s natural treatment options and Alzheimer’s news,
scouring the medical journals for for Alzheimer’s breakthroughs.

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There’s
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so much we stillAlzheimer's
don’t Natural
know about the human brain, but
Treatment Options & Notable Breakthroughs - Dr. Axe

thankfully, 2016 marks a year of progress and some pretty signi cant
Alzheimer’s breakthroughs. Let me share some of them with you.

There are several theories including free radical damage, an inability to


use glucose properly, vitamin de ciencies or environmental toxins. This
illness affects a third of people over the age of 85 in the U.S. (1)

The good news is that there are Alzheimer’s natural treatment options
that can effectively improve this condition. Recently, scientists are also
uncovering major Alzheimer’s breakthroughs that may, one day, lead us
to a cure.

7 Notable Alzheimer’s Breakthroughs


1. What you eat TOTALLY matters
If you’ve spent any time at all on this website, you know my
mantra: Food is medicine. It’s not hocus pocus, either. Hippocrates
knew the importance of food in healing the body back in 400 B.C. when
he advised people to prevent and treat diseases rst and foremost by
eating nutrient-packed foods. Modern science is catching up.

Scientists recently found that the Mediterranean diet seems to be


protective against Alzheimer’s disease. A UCLA study published in the
American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry found that the Mediterranean
diet is one of the main lifestyle factors that seems to keep the brain from
developing the toxic plaques and tangles associated with the
development of Alzheimer’s disease. (2)

Plaque is characterized by deposits of a toxic protein called beta-


amyloid in the spaces between nerve cells in the brain. Think of tangles
of knotted threads of the tau protein found within brain cells. Both are
considered the key indicators of Alzheimer’s.

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The new study used PETAlzheimer's
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imaging to study the brain for changes and is
Natural Treatment Options & Notable Breakthroughs - Dr. Axe

the rst to demonstrate how lifestyle factors directly in uence abnormal


proteins in people with subtle memory loss who have not yet been
diagnosed with dementia. Healthy lifestyle factors also have been shown
to be related to reduced shrinking of the brain and lower rates of
atrophy in people with Alzheimer’s. (3a)

Food staples of the Mediterranean diet include:

fresh fruits and vegetables (especially leafy greens like spinach and
kale and non-starchy veggies like eggplant, cauli ower, artichokes,
tomatoes and fennel)
olive oil
nuts and seeds (like almonds and sesame seeds used to make
tahini)
legumes and beans (especially lentils and chickpeas used to make
hummus)
herbs and spices (like oregano, rosemary and parsley)
whole grains
eating wild-caught sh and seafood at least twice a week
high-quality, pasture-raised poultry, eggs, cheese, goat milk, and
probiotic-rich ke r or yogurt consumed in moderation
red meat consumed on special occasions or about once weekly
plenty of fresh water and some coffee or tea
oftentimes a daily glass of red wine

Similarly, the ketogenic diet appears to help neurological disease like


Alzheimer’s. For example, in one study clinical improvement was
observed in Alzheimer’s patients fed a keto diet, and this was marked by
improved mitochondrial function. (3b)

2. Exercise is a potent Alzheimer’s preventer


That same UCLA-led study also produced some robust results
surrounding exercise’s brain-protecting properties. Those who were
more physically active on a regular basis also had the lowest levels of
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tangles
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and plaques onAlzheimer's
the PET scans, meaning they had a much lower
Natural Treatment Options & Notable Breakthroughs - Dr. Axe

risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. (2)

While any type of exercise is certainly better than sitting around, if you’re
time strapped, Burst training, also known as high-intensity interval
training, or HIIT, is a great option. Here are 3 HIIT workouts to help you
get started.

Keep in mind, though, that we need more research on how HIIT impacts
the brain. We know that it does melt away fat faster than traditional
steady state cardio (and a lower BMI lowers your risk of the tangles and
plaques associated with Alzheimer’s, according to the latest UCLA
study). However, a previous study did nd that steady state cardio
creates more brain neurons compared to weight training or HIIT. (4)

More research is needed to see if one form of exercise is best to prevent


Alzheimer’s. For now, just focus on any physical activity and getting into
a healthy BMI range.

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3. Your profession could act like an anti-Alzheimer’s drug


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Did you know that certain jobs
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could protect against Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer's Natural Treatment Options & Notable Breakthroughs - Dr. Axe

Humans are social creatures, and working directly with other people
instead of primarily with data or things seems to offer protection against
Alzheimer’s.

Scientists from Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and


Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute looked at 284 brain scans of middle-
aged people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. They found that those who
worked closely with people in complex work situations were able to
tolerate brain damage better than those who worked in more isolated
settings. Those who worked in more social settings, examples may
include teachers and doctors, seem to be able to better maintain
cognitive function. (5, 6)

The researchers say these analyses underscore the importance of social


engagement in the work setting for building resilience to Alzheimer’s
disease. If you work in isolation and can’t do much to change that, take
extra steps to be as social as possible after work hours and on your days
off to make your brain more resilient. (7)

4. Marijuana could protect the brain from Alzheimer’s


disease
In what could be a huge nding in the natural Alzheimer’s treatment
world, scientists from the Salk Institute discovered that
tetrahycrocannabinol, a main component of cannabis, and other
compounds found in marijuana could block the progression of
Alzheimer’s disease.

In the lab, the plant compounds blocked the disease by easing cellular
in ammation and removing toxic amyloid proteins on brain cells. This is
a rst-of-its-kind study showing that cannabinoids affect both
in ammation and amyloid beta accumulation in nerve cells. Clinical
trials are now needed to see if the promising results hold true in humans,
too. (8, 9, 10)

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5. Avoiding certain prescription and over-the-counter drugs


could lower your Alzheimer’s risk 
Drugs linked to dementia now include popular sleep and allergy meds.
These include things like diphenhydramine (for allergies),
dimenhydrinate (for motion sickness/nausea), a combination of
ibuprofen and diphenhydramine citrate (for pain and sleep) and
doxylamine (for allergies), among others. These pills have
anticholinergic properties, something increasingly linking to dementia.

A 2016 study published in JAMA Neurology used MRI and PET scans to


show how anticholinergic drugs lower brain metabolism and trigger
higher rates of brain atrophy. Taking anticholinergic drugs also led to
worse scores on memory tests. (11)

Certain antidepressants, COPD and asthma medications, along with


drugs for overactive bladder issues, could also fall in the anticholinergic
category. Therefore, if you need these medications, talk to your doctor or
pharmacist to see if safer alternatives exist.

6. Your gut plays a role in Alzheimer’s disease


Your gut is responsible for so much more than digestion. In 2016,
University of Chicago researchers found that a long-term dose of
antibiotics changed the gut bacteria of mice in a way that seemed to
help reduce levels of amyloid-beta proteins in mice brains. (12, 13)

This is preliminary research, and I certainly don’t suggest we all start


taking antibiotics. But what I like about this breakthrough is that it
highlights the fact that our guts — or our microbiome — are very closely
tied to our brains and brain-related disease. In fact, many called our
guts the “second brain.” Future research could potentially look at more
natural ways to keep our guts healthy to protect our brains.

7. A personalized approach to treatment


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A 2016 a small study published
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in the journal Aging, researchers from the
Alzheimer's Natural Treatment Options & Notable Breakthroughs - Dr. Axe

Buck Institute and UCLA were able to use personalized treatment to


actually reverse Alzheimer’s disease in patients dealing with the early
stages of the disease. Using a 36-point therapeutic personalized
program that involves comprehensive changes in diet, brain stimulation,
exercise, sleep optimization, speci c pharmaceuticals and vitamins and
other steps that impact brain chemistry, the team was able to improve
some patients’ symptoms to the point where they were actually able to
return to work. (14)

(Bonus info: Sleep positions matter. Side sleeping improves one of the
brain’s waste-clearing processes, lowering the risk for neurological
diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.)

This is just more science-backed evidence that lifestyle really matters


when it comes to natural Alzheimer’s treatment and prevention.

Top Alzheimer’s Foods to Eat & Avoid

Foods to Eat
Organic, unprocessed foods — Make sure you diet includes plenty of
“real foods.” These are foods that don’t have an ingredient listing.
Vegetables, clean meats and fruit in moderation are all important foods
to consume.

Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E — There may be some


connection between free radicals and Alzheimer’s. Antioxidant foods
help combat the damage caused by free radicals.  Colorful fruits and
vegetables are high in antioxidants and should be consumed at every
meal.

Wild-caught sh — A great source for omega-3 fats, DHA speci cally,
which are critical for brain health.

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Foods
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high in zinc — Many people with Alzheimer’s are de cient in
Alzheimer's Natural Treatment Options & Notable Breakthroughs - Dr. Axe

zinc. Foods high in zinc include pumpkin seeds, grass-fed beef and dark
chocolate.

Coconut oil — Coconut oil uses include providing the brain with


ketones, which serves as brain fuel instead of glucose. Some people
have seen signi cant improvement to memory after adding coconut to
their diet.

Foods to Avoid
Any food containing toxins or additives — These foods can possibly
be neurotoxic.Be sure to especially avoid the “dirty dozen“: nonorganic
fruits and vegetables that are coated with neurotoxic agricultural
chemicals. Studies show people with higher levels of organochlorine
pesticides in their blood, including DDE, a breakdown compound of DDT,
face a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. (15, 16)  It’s also best to avoid
any processed foods.

Alcohol — Alcohol is a toxin and can cause brain cells to die faster than
normal. In fact, there is such a thing as “alcohol-related dementia.”
Research shows that the frontal lobes of people diagnosed
with alcoholism appear particularly susceptible to damage, with
evidence of markedly decreased neuron density, volume shrinkage, and
altered glucose metabolism and perfusion. (17)

Tap water — Tap water may contain environmental toxins, including


aluminum salts (see below), so be sure test your water if you drink tap
water (or get a recent water testing report if you drink municipal water)
and lter out contaminants. Environmental Working Group issued a great
drinking water lter guide to help you nd the best one for your
circumstance.

Sugar and re ned grains — Alzheimer’s may be caused by insulin


resistance, similar to diabetes. Therefore, keeping your insulin low by
eliminating sugar and re ned grains will be an important component in
maintaining brain health.
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Foods
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packaged in aluminum containers — Aluminum is neurotoxic
Alzheimer's Natural Treatment Options & Notable Breakthroughs - Dr. Axe

at high levels, so it’s best to avoid it. In fact, research shows aluminum
enters neurons similarly to how iron does, leading to aluminum
accumulation and neuro brillary damage linked to Alzheimer’s
progression. (18) You should particularly avoid heating food in
aluminum; the heat is known to release more toxic compounds.

Top 5 Alzheimer’s Natural Treatment


Supplements

Along with diet, try these alzheimer’s remedies as part of your natural
treatment protocol.

1.  Fish Oil with DHA (1,000 mg daily)


The sh oil bene ts include DHA, a fatty acid critical for brain function.
High-quality sh oil also reduces in ammation.

2.  Vitamin D3 (5,000 IU daily)


Vitamin D de ciency could be a risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Research
shows that ample levels of vitamin D can help prevent tangles and
plaques from forming on the brain. (19)

3.  CoQ10 (200 mg daily)


Levels of CoQ10 decrease as we age and some research has shown that
supplementation may slow down the progress of Alzheimer’s disease.

4. Ginkgo Biloba (120 mg daily)


Ginkgo biloba helps improve brain circulation and memory and can be
an effective Alzheimer’s natural treatment.

5.  Phosphatidylserine (300 mg daily)


Phosphatidylserine improves brain cell communication and memory,
and it’s shown to be bene cial for early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

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Bonus
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Remedy: Astaxanthin, a carotenoid antioxidant found in wild-
Alzheimer's Natural Treatment Options & Notable Breakthroughs - Dr. Axe

caught salmon, can support brain health. Take 2–4 g 2x daily.

Essential Oils for Alzheimer’s

Frankincense oil and rosemary oil support brain function and


neurological development. Put 2 drops of frankincense oil on the roof of
your mouth twice daily and rub rosemary oil into scalp after getting out
of shower daily.

Final Thoughts on Alzheimer’s Natural Treatments


Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging, although it’s impacting
a growing number of adults. Currently incurable, the disease
characterized by toxic plaques and tangles in the brain leads to
symptoms of memory loss, personality changes, trouble performing
everyday tasks and death.

Scientists have struggled to bring meaningful therapies to the table, but


2016 marks a year of promising ndings, including science-backed
evidence that food and exercise plays a huge role in prevention.

UCLA researchers used PET scans to show a Mediterranean diet, regular


physical activity and a healthy BMI go a long way in lower your risk of
developing the toxic plaques and tangles that lead to Alzheimer’s
disease.

In other Alzheimer’s breakthroughs, researchers have found a link


between the gut and Alzheimer’s and between certain popular drugs
and the disease. More natural treatments and preventatives may
include marijuana, certain foods and supplements — showing promise in
reversing Alzheimer’s related in ammation and memory loss.

Read Next: 15 Brain Foods to Boost Focus & Memory


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