Alzheimer’s Disease, named after German neurologist Aloysius Alzheimer, is medically defined as: “Presenile dementia, characterized by confusion, memory failure, disorientation, restlessness, agnosia, speech disturbances, inability to carry out purposeful movements, and hallucinosis. The disease usually begins in later middle life with slight defects in memory and behavior and occurs with equal frequency in men and women.” Mosby’s Medical Dictionary, 3rd edition, p. 49
Basically, Alzheimer’s disease is a condition of neurological atrophy or degeneration, more commonly known as dementia. An estimated 4 million U.S. citizens suffer from Alzheimer’s disease.
Causes and Risk Factors
It’s thought that Alzheimer’s Disease is caused by a combination of genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors. While the true cause isn’t known, the disease is marked by two distinct traits:
- Plaques – these clumps of protein may damage or destroy brain cells by blocking cellular communication
- Tangles – a vital protein called tau gets tangled, and prevent nutrients from reaching brain cells
Risk factors include:
- Age
- Family history and genetics
- Gender
- Heart health (such as high blood pressure)
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Lifestyle
- Tobacco use
- Mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
Symptoms
Common symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease are:
- Memory loss
- Problems planning or resolving challenges
- Difficulty completing things at home or work
- Confusion with time or place
- Difficulty with spatial relationships
- Problems with using words while speaking or writing
- Losing things and not able to retrace steps
- Decreased or poor judgement
- Withdrawal from social situations
- Changes in mood or personality
Healing Alzheimer’s Disease Naturally
On the physical level, Alzheimer’s disease is the result of poor diet, lack of minerals and oxygen to the brain.
Pharmaceutical drugs can do more harm than good. A sick person doesn’t need drugs. They need nutrition, oxygen, alkalinity, solar energy (sunlight) and good vibrations.
Oxygenating and nervine herbs are needed to help heal from Alzheimer’s disease. Good oxygenating herbs include: gotu kola, gingko biloba, black walnut hulls, blessed (or holy) thistle, damiana, and yohimbe bark to name a few.
Gotu kola is perhaps the best herb for Alzheimer’s as this herb naturally contains bio-aluminum, which has an attraction for man-made aluminum. The bio-aluminum in gotu kola is negatively charged whereas man-made aluminum is positively charged, so gotu kola pulls harmful aluminum out of the body.
Good nervine herbs include kava kava, jatamansi, valerian root, chamomile, lavender flower (buds), skullcap, passionflower, catnip, St. John’s wort, lily of the valley, wild lettuce, blue and vervain.
Heavy metal toxicity is also greatly implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. The greatest culprit undoubtedly would have to be aluminum, a notorious waste product (though not classified as a heavy metal) that is disposed of via food and products that humans consume and utilize.
Aluminum is purposely put into many products that people use, including baking soda, antacids, antidiarrheal products, deodorants (listed as “alum”), commercial douche preparations, shampoos, and a host of food additives.
Other healing options are:
- A mentally stimulating job
- Mentally challenging leisure activities
- Frequent and meaningful social interaction
- Regular exercise such as walking or yoga
Dietary Intervention
Daily diet has to be modified. A raw foods vegan diet is best.
Animal products and byproducts in addition to refined grains help produce more mucus that will impair circulation of oxygen and nutrients through the blood stream. These things will only produce more mucoidal plaque, unhealthy cholesterol, and other debris that will stick to the walls of the arteries and impair healthy circulation.
If aluminum is in the food, then the aluminum just as the heavy metal toxins will deposit in the blood vessels of the brain and inhibit oxygen (due to inhibiting blood flow) which will cause deterioration of the brain and thus impair the mental faculties, i.e. memory, the thought process, cognition, etc.
So a raw foods vegan diet will be best for the healing of all degenerative diseases.
Good waters to drink for healing purposes include distilled water (as it attracts unhealthy mineral deposits) and alkaline water (which causes the tissues to dump off toxins).
A diet that is low-fat diet rich in fruit and vegetables, as well as heavy in omega 3 fatty acids can help, too.
