There is No Reason to Lose Your Mind As You Age
By Steven Horne.... Sunshine Sharing

Alzheimer's disease affects about one out of nine Americans over the age of 65. As the baby boomer generation ages, more and more people will be afflicted with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. It's estimated that more than 16 million Americans could have the disease by 2050. You shouldn't wait until you've losing your mind to try to protect it.
Learn about ways to keep your mind and memory sharp as you age in this issue of Sunshine Sharing.

Everyone has memory lapses from time to time. You might not remember where you left your wallet or keys or ou may have forgotten someone's name. Most people don't worry about this when they are young, but as you grow older you may start to believe that something is going wrong with your brain. That's because we've been led to believe that memory naturally declines with age. This simply isn't true. Losing memory and cognitive power is not an inevitable part of the aging process. You are capable of producing new brain cells at any age, so there is no reason why your mental abilities have to decline as you grow older.

However, because a large percentage of people are experiencing memory loss as they grow older, it's wise to figure out why this is happening and how you can avoid being part of the statistics. Memory lapses that do not adversely affect a persons daily performance and ability to do what they want are not a cause for concern, but when there is a persistent, disabling decline in intellectual abilities it s time to take note. Memory loss that becomes so pervasive and severe that it disrupts a person's work, hobbies, social activities and family relationships, may be an early warning sign of dementia, Alzheimer's disease or some other disorder involving cognitive decline.

Understanding Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease
Dementia is a loss of cognitive and intellectual function, without the loss of perception.
It is a syndrome, rather than a disease, which means it can have multiple causes. Symptoms include disorientation, impaired memory and judgment, and a loss of intellectual capacity.
Dementia is caused when brain cells get damaged. The damage can come from Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, with Alzheimer's being the cause of between 50-70% of all cases.
Dementia can also be caused by infections, cardiovascular disease, strokes and drug use.

Alzheimer's is a progressive, degenerative disease of the central nervous system. In Alzheimer's abnormal protein deposits form plaques in the brain, which causes neurons to lose their connections. There is no way to objectively diagnose Alzheimers while a person is alive, but doctors are about 90% accurate in assessing through symptoms. According to the Alzheimer's Association, the people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer's typically die within four to eight years. This makes Alzheimer's the sixth leading cause of death in America according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

Alzheimer's generally develops in old age. It afflicts about one out of nine Americans over 65 and about one out of three over the age of 85. Currently about 5.7 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease and about 44 million people have it worldwide. It's most common in Western Europe and North America and rare in less developed countries, which suggests it is associated with Western diets and lifestyles.

Most importantly, since there is no cure for Alzheimer's, the best "cure" is to prevent it and other neurological disorders that can cause memory loss before they occur. So, that's why we're focusing on it in this issue.

Don’t “Fry” Your Brain
There is a growing body of research that shows numerous mental problems are linked to inflammation of the brain. Inflammation is the immune system’s first response to irritating substances, tissue damage or infection. When the immune system is activated by these factors, pro-inflammatory messengers signal white blood cells to enter the tissues to clean up the damage. Once this job is complete, anti-inflammatory messengers return tissues to their normal state.
Inflammation can become chronic when there are insufficient signals to turn inflammation off. This allows the immune system to be stuck in a hyperactive mode, which leads to destruction of tissues. This is what appears to happen in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD, autism and schizophrenia.

Mood disorders like anxiety and depression have also been linked with chronic inflammation damaging tissues in the brain. Numerous other degenerative diseases like heart disease, cancer and arthritis are also linked to inflammatory processes, so if you want to be healthy as you age, you need to reduce chronic inflammation.

What Causes Chronic Inflammation?
Acute inflammation can be caused by anything which damages tissue chemicals, infection, mechanical damage and so forth.
Chronic inflammation appears to be linked to factors such as:

1. Fatty Acid Imbalances
Generally speaking, pro-inflammatory messengers are produced from omega-6 essential fatty acids and anti-inflammatory messengers come from omega-3 fatty acids. Most people’s diets have too many omega-6 and too few omega-3 fatty acids, which appears to contribute to chronic inflammation. Furthermore, the brain contains a great deal of fat, with omega-3 essential fatty acids like EPA and DHA being the predominate fats in the brain.
So, if you want to keep your brain healthy, avoid vegetable oils and margarine, which are high in omega-6, and take an omega—3 fatty acid supplement like Super omega-3 EPA. Avoid fried foods and use good fats like coconut oil and organic butter.

2. Lack of Antioxidant Nutrients
Oxidative or free radical damage and inflammation are interlinked. The body needs oxygen to burn fuel, but it must also control the oxidative (burning) process carefully. This is done through nutrients like fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K), zinc, selenium, alpha lipoic acid, glutathione and coenzyme Q10. Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidant nutrients, which are primarily responsible for their bright colors.
Increasing your intake of brightly colored, fresh vegetables and fruits (and using antioxidant supplements) helps to reduce the oxidative damage that appears to be at the root of dementia in most cases, as well as other chronic and degenerative diseases.

3. Blood Sugar Imbalances
A major factor linked to brain inflammation is hyperinsulinemia, high levels of insulin in the blood caused by overconsumption of simple carbohydrates like refined sugars and grains. Blood sugar is extremely critical to nerve function because the nerve cells (neurons) primarily rely on blood sugar (glucose) for fuel.

Neurons are active, even when you sleep, because they have to regulate processes like respiration and circulation 24 hours a day. So, organs like the pancreas and liver work to keep levels of glucose stable in the blood to keep brain activity stable. If sugar levels in the blood are too low (hypoglycemia) the nervous system is starved for energy.You have experienced this when you have not eaten in a while and feel tired, nervous or irritable.

If the sugar level gets too high, this is also problematic. High levels of sugar can react with proteins in tissues and damage them. So the body uses insulin to lower the sugar level when it gets too high. High insulin levels contribute to chronic inflammation and appear to be linked to the creation of beta-amyloid which forms the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. The link between high insulin levels and Alzheimer’s is so strong that some researchers are calling Alzheimer’s Type III diabetes.

So, for the sake of your brain (and the rest of your body) it’s best to avoid refined sugar, white flour and other simple carbohydrates. Instead use complex carbohydrates like fresh fruits and vegetables (which also supply antioxidants), along with moderate amounts of whole grains.

Key Products for the Pancreas
Click on images and read description prior to making your selection.

Pro-Pancreas

Blood Sugar Form.

GTF Chromium

 

Some other products to consider

Ginkgo Hawthorn Combination
Formulas combining ginkgo and hawthorn are popular in herbalism for the treatment of poor circulation, atherosclerosis, headaches, tinnitus, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Hawthorn improves blood circulation and cardiac function, making this blend helpful for protecting both the brain and the circulatory system from degenerative disease.
Ginkgo and Hawthorn is extremely safe for long term use and is an excellent general tonic for maintaining memory and cognitive function as you age.
Take 1-2 capsules two to three times daily with a meal.

Mind-Max
Mind Max combines the benefits of ginkgo, gotu kola and bacopa with a form of magnesium known as magnesium 1-threonate, which readily crosses the blood-brain barrier. Research shows it helps form new synapses in the brain and can help improve memory and general cognitive function. The formula may cause sleepiness, drowsiness or headaches, especially if one is severely magnesium deficient. This is a temporary effect and should pass as one's levels of magnesium improve. If drowsiness is a problem, start only with the night time dose.
Take 3 capsules of Mind Max at night before bed and 3 more in the morning before breakfast.

Brain Protex
Brain Protex contains huperzine-A, gingko, antioxidants like alpha lipoic acid and precursors to acetyicholine. It can help protect the brain from inflammation and may aid cognitive ability in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Take 2 capsules twice daily.

Heavy Metal Detox
Apr 19, 2016 - "Unfortunately, the majority of clinicians dealing with patients who have mental health issues are unlikely to suspect heavy metal toxicity as a cause of their patient's problems due to a general lack of knowledge of this subject in the medical community.", San Francisco Preventative Medical Group.
More info about this subject (Heavy Metal polution in the body) can be found here and is very important to read.

If you know or suspect you have heavy metal poisoning it's probably a good idea to work with an experienced doctor, naturopath or herbalist to custom design a program for your individual needs. However, as a starting point, here is a mercury and heavy metal detox program we have used many times.

• 1 Krill oil capsule
  
• 1 Heavy Metal Detox twice daily.
  
• Algin three times daily or 1 Tablespoon Nature's Three in a glass of water or juice twice daily.
  
• Once or twice each week take a drawing bath with hydrated Bentonite or another fine clay or take a foot spa.
  

Make certain the bowels are moving at least two to three times per day. If not, you may wish to take some LBS II at bedtime or 2-3 Gentle Move twice daily.
Optional: For a stronger effect add 1-2 Mega-Chel twice daily with food.

Heavy metal detoxification is important for anyone who has worked around a lot of chemicals in their job (including painters, beauticians, lab technicians, dry cleaners, carpet cleaners, farmers and factory workers in many industries).
It's also a good thing for people suffering from any kind of chronic inflammatory disorder or problem that involves nerve damage.