9 Steps to Reversing Dementia
Start by looking hard for correctable causes of memory loss. They include:
- Pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome
- Low thyroid function
- Depression
- Deficiencies in B vitamins, especially vitamin B12
- Omega-3 fat deficiencies
- Mercury or other heavy metal toxicity
- Vitamin D deficiency
- High cholesterol
- Unique genes that predispose you to nutritional or detoxification problems
Doctors who practice Functional Medicine and follow the principles I talk about in UltraWellness can help you find these problems.
Once you identify the underlying causes of the imbalance, here are a few things that can help your mind get a tune-up:
- Balance your blood sugar with a whole foods, low glycemic diet
- Exercise daily — even a 30-minute walk can help
- Deeply relax daily with yoga, meditation, biofeedback, or just deep breathing
- Take a multivitamin and mineral supplement
- Take an omega-3 fat supplement
- Take extra vitamin B6, B12, and folate
- Take vitamin D
- Treat thyroid or low sex hormones
- Get rid of mercury through a medical detoxification program
This is just a start, but it can go a long way to giving your brain the chance to heal and recover if you have memory problems. Even if you aren’t suffering from cognitive decline, you should take these steps because they can help you prevent the aging of your brain and obtain lifelong health.
Now I’d like to hear from you…
Have you noticed memory loss as you’ve gotten older?
What have you done about the problem so far?
Which of these steps do you plan to follow?
Do you have any other recommendations?
Please leave your thoughts by adding a comment below — but remember, we can’t offer personal medical advice online, so be sure to limit your comments to those about taking back our health!
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, MD
References
(i) http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm
(ii) Tsai, M.S., Tangalos, E.G., Petersen, R.C., et al. (1994). Apolipoprotein : Risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. American Journal of Human Genetics. 54 (4):643-649.
(iii) Godfrey, M.E., Wojcik, D.P., and C.A. Krone. (2003). Apolipoprotein E genotyping as a potential biomarker for mercury neurotoxicity. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 5 (3):189-195.
(iv) Stroombergen, M.C., and R.H. Warring. (1999). Determination of glutathione S-transferase me and theta polymorphisms in neurological disease. Human and Experimental Toxicology. 18 (3):141-145.
(v) Bernardini, S., Bellincampi, L., Ballerini, S., et al. (2005). Glutathione S-transferase P1 *C allelic variant increases susceptibility for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease: Association study and relationship with Apolipoprotein E4 allele. Clinical Chemistry. 51(6):944-951.
(vi) Spalletta, G., Bernardini, S., Bellincampi, L., et al. (2007). Glutathione S-transferase P1 and T1 gene polymorphisms predict longitudinal course and age at onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 15 (10):879-887.
(vii) Gundacker, C., Komarnicki, G., Jagiello, P., et al. (2007). Glutathione s-transferase polymorphism, metallothionein expression, and mercury levels among students in Austria. Science of the Total Environment. 385 (1-3):37-47.
(viii) Dorszewska, J., Florczak, J., Rozycka, A., et al. (2007). Oxidative DNA damage and level of thiols as related to polymorphisms of MTHFR, MTR, MTHFD1 in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentals. 67 (2):119-129.
(ix) Rodriguez, E., Mateo, I., Infante, J., et al. (2005). Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) polymorphism modifies the Alzheimer’s disease risk associated with APOE 4 allele. Journal of Neurology. 253 (2):181-185.
(x) Mutter, J., Naumann, J., Schneider, R., et al. (2007). Mercury and Alzheimer’s disease. Fortschritte der Neurologie-Psychiatrie 75 (9):528-538.
No comments:
Post a Comment