Alzheimer's Prevention & Complementary Medicine

Note: The blogger forwarded an article of the above subject to friends and received the feedback from the Great Sifu Dr. JB Lim which is worthy of sharing with readers of this blog. 

Reproduced below in the first part is the said article and in the second part the Great Sifu’s response.

25 Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer's 

Alzheimer’s strikes fear in all of us. The thought of losing your mind as you grow older is terrifying and made worse by the fact that, before now, there appeared to be little we could do to slow down or avoid Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia.

Today, research has found many factors that raise or diminish the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Following these tips, you could slash your chances of developing the disease:

1. Check out your ankle

Low blood flow in your foot is a clue to trouble in your brain and a simple test can reveal its cognitive state and your likelihood of stroke and dementia. The theory is that the health of your blood vessels is similar throughout the body. The degree of clogged arteries and blood flow in the feet can suggest atherosclerosis in cerebral blood vessels. Ask your doctor for an ankle-brachial index (ABI) test which involves an ultrasound device and a blood pressure cuff that compares blood pressure in your ankle with that in your arm. To remedy any impairment of blood flow your GP may advise stepped-up exercise or a change in diet/medication.

2. Antioxidant-rich foods

 

Certain foods infuse your brain with antioxidants that can slow memory decline and help prevent Alzheimer’s. All fruit and vegetables are good but top of the list are black raspberries, elderberries, raisins and blueberries.

3. Beware of bad fats

The type of fat you eat changes your brain’s functioning for better or worse. Stay away from saturated fats which strangle brain cells causing them to become inefficient. Buy low fat or fat-free dairy products including milk, cheese and ice cream. Cut down on deep-fried foods.

4. Chocolate Treat

Cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, has sky-high concentrations of antioxidants called flavanols, which possess strong heart and brain-protecting properties. Drinking cocoa increases blood flow to the brain. Cocoa powder has twice as many flavanols as dark chocolate which has twice a many as milk chocolate. White chocolate has zero.

5. Grow a bigger brain

Your brain starts to shrink when you reach 30 or 40 so it takes longer to learn. However scientists now believe you can increase the size of your brain through the act of learning. Try studying, learning new things or broadening your circle of friends for stimulation.

6. The Estrogen Evidence

Sixty eight per cent of Alzheimer’s patients are women, possibly as midway through life they lose the protection of the hormone estrogen which boosts memory. Unless your GP says otherwise, start taking estrogen immediately at the time of menopause – starting any later risks dementia and strokes.

7. Raise good cholesterol

It’s well known that having high good-type HDL blood cholesterol protects you from heart disease. But it can also save your brain. Researchers claim it blocks sticky stuff that destroys brain cells and acts as an anti-inflammatory to lessen brain damage. Ways to ramp up good cholesterol include exercise, drinking moderate amounts of alcohol and losing weight.

 

8. Google something

Doing an internet search can stimulate ageing brains even more than reading a book.  And MRI scans show that savvy surfers have twice as many sparks of brain activity as novices. Go online to search for information, things to buy or games to play. Although it’s not known how much it will benefit your brain, it’s better than passive pursuits.

9. The ApoE4 gene

One in four of you reading this has a specific genetic time bomb that makes you 3 to 10 times more susceptible to developing late-onset Alzheimer’s. The gene is called apolipoprotein E4. If you inherit a single variant of ApoE4 from one parent, your Alzheimer’s risk triples. If you inherit a double dose from both parents, your risk rises by 10 times. Ask your doctor about a DNA test to reveal your ApoE4 genotype.

10. Say yes to coffee

Coffee is emerging as a tonic for the ageing brain. It is anti-inflammatory, helps block the ill effects of cholesterol in the brain and cuts the risks of stroke, depression and diabetes, all promoters of dementia. It is also high in antioxidants and caffeine which stop neuronal death and lessen diabetes, high blood pressure and strokes that bring on dementia. For most people, a moderate daily intake of coffee, two to four cups, won’t hurt and may help.

11. Dangers of underweight

Unexplained weight loss after age 60 or so may be a sign of Alzheimer’s. A study showed that women with the disease started losing weight at least 10 years before dementia was diagnosed. Among women of equal weight, those who went on to develop dementia slowly became thinner over three decades and, when diagnosed, weighed an average 12lb less that women who were free of Alzheimer’s. Talk to your doctor about unexplained weight loss after 60.

12. Drink wine

A daily glass of wine may help delay dementia. Research says that alcohol is an anti-inflammatory and raises good cholesterol which helps ward off dementia. High antioxidants in red wine give it additional anti-dementia clout. Such antioxidants act as artery relaxants, dilating blood vessels and increasing blood flow which encourages cognitive functioning.

13. Know the early signs

Memory problems are not the first clue. You may notice a decline in depth perception, for example you reach to pick up a glass of water and miss it. Or you misjudge the distance in walking across a street.

Doing a jigsaw puzzle or reading a map may also be confusing. Losing your sense of smell can also be an early clue, as well as asking the same question repeatedly or misplacing belongings in odd places (like putting keys in the fridge). Be aware of memory problems as the earlier the signs are spotted, the more successful lifestyle changes and medications are likely to be.

14. A Mediterranean diet

 

The Mediterranean diet, no matter where you live, can help save your brain from memory deterioration and dementia. Studies consistently find that what the Greeks and Italians eat is truly brain food. Following this diet – rich in green leafy vegetables, fish, fruits, nuts, legumes, olive oil and a little vino – can cut your chances of Alzheimer’s by nearly half. Rather than depending on just one food or a few nutrients, it is a rich menu of many complex brain benefactors, including an array of antioxidants, which shield brain cells from oxidative damage.

15. Middle Age Obesity

Your brain cares if you are fat. A study showed obese people had 8% less brain tissue and overweight people had 4% less brain tissue than people of average weight, which according to some scientists hugely increases the risk of Alzheimer’s. Moreover, brain shrinkage occurred in areas of the brain targeted by Alzheimer’s, and which are critical for planning, long-term memory, attention and executive functions, and control of movement.

Tackle signs of rising weight early, when you are young or middle-aged. Oddly, being obese after the age of 70 does not raise the risk of Alzheimer’s but that doesn’t mean you should neglect exercise as it is the best way of stimulating cognitive functioning and may delay the onset of Alzheimer’s at any age.

16. Get a good night’s sleep

A lack of sleep is toxic to brain cells. Sleep has surprising powers to protect your brain against memory loss and Alzheimer’s. It is a wonder drug that helps manipulate levels of the dreaded brain toxin peptide beta-amyloid, a prime instigator of Alzheimer’s, which according to one scientist puts you at accelerated risk. Research has also found that sleeping an average of five hours or less a night is linked to large increases in dangerous visceral abdominal fat, which can cause diabetes and obesity that can lead to Alzheimer’s. Take naps and seek treatment for sleep disorders.

17. Have an extended social circle

Studying the brain of a highly sociable 90-year-old woman who died from Alzheimer’s, researchers in Chicago found that having a large social network provided her with strong “cognitive reserve” that enabled her brain to not realize she had Alzheimer’s. Why this happens is a mystery but interacting with friends and family seems to make the brain more efficient. It finds alternative routes of communication to bypass broken connections left by Alzheimer’s. So see friends and family often and expand your social network. The stronger the brain reserve you build through life, the more likely you are to stave off Alzheimer’s symptoms.

18. Deal with stress

When you are under stress, your body pours out hormones called corticosteroids, which can save you in a crisis. But persistent stress reactions triggered by everyday events like work frustration, traffic and financial worries can be dangerous. Over time, it can destroy brain cells and suppress the growth of new ones, actually shrinking your brain. Sudden traumatic events like the death of a loved one or a life-changing event like retirement can leave a hangover of severe psychological stress that precedes dementia. Be aware that chronic stress can increase older people’s vulnerability to memory decline and dementia. Seek professional advice. Antidepressants, counselling, relaxation techniques and other forms of therapy may head off stress-related memory loss if treated early.

19. Take care of your teeth

Bad gums may poison your brain. People with tooth and gum disease tend to score lower in memory and cognition tests, according to US dental researchers who found that infection responsible for gum disease gives off inflammatory byproducts that travel to areas of the brain involved in memory loss.

Consequently, brushing, flossing and preventing gum disease may help keep your gums and teeth healthy but also your memory sharper. In another study, older people with the most severe gingivitis – inflamed gums – were two to three times more likely to show signs of impaired memory and cognition than those with the least.

20. Get enough Vitamin B12

As you age, blood levels of vitamin B12 go down and the chance of Alzheimer’s goes up. Your ability to absorb it from foods diminishes in middle age, setting the stage for brain degeneration years later. Researchers at Oxford University found that a brain running low on B12 actually shrinks and a shortage can lead to brain atrophy by ripping away, myelin, a fatty protective sheath around neurons. It can also trigger inflammation, another destroyer of brain cells. Take 500 to 1000mcg of vitamin B12 daily after the age of 40. If you or an older family member has unexplained memory loss, fatigue or signs of dementia, be sure to get tested for vitamin B12 deficiency by your GP.

21. Vinegar in everything

There is plenty of evidence that vinegar sinks risk factors that may lead to memory decline, namely high blood sugar, insulin resistance, diabetes and pre-diabetes and weight gain. Researchers in Phoenix, Arizona, have noted in studies of humans and animals that the acidic stuff packs potent glucose-lowering effects. Studies have also found it can curb appetite and food intake, helping prevent weight gain and obesity, which are associated with diabetes, accelerated dementia and memory loss. Pour on the vinegar – add it to salad dressings, eat it by the spoonful, even mix it into a glass of drinking water. Any type of vinegar works.

22. Have your eyes checked

If you preserve good or excellent vision as you age, your chances of developing dementia drop by an astonishing 63%. And if it’s poor, just visiting an optician for an eye test and possible treatment at least once in later life cuts your dementia odds by about the same amount. Exactly how vision problems promote dementia is not clear but impaired vision makes it difficult to participate in mental and physical activities such as reading and exercising, as well as social activities, all believed to delay cognitive decline. Be aware that your eyes reflect and influence how your brain is functioning, especially as you age. Don’t tolerate poor vision as often it can be corrected.

23. Eat curry or take curcumin pills

Curry powder contains the yellow-orange spice turmeric, packed with curcumin, a component reported to stall memory decline. One study showed elderly Indians who ate even modest amounts of curry did better in cognitive tests. Curcumin works by blocking the build-up of Alzheimer’s-inducing amyloid plaques (deposits found in the brains of sufferers) then nibbles away at existing plaques to slow cognitive decline.

It is recommended to eat two or three curries a week, and make it a yellow curry. Otherwise, sprinkle the spices on your food. Read more about the many benefits of Curcumin.

24. Diabetes control

Having type 2 diabetes makes you more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s. Studies show it may double or triple your risk and the earlier diabetes takes hold, the higher the odds of dementia. Some experts refer to Alzheimer’s as “diabetes of the brain”. The two disorders have similar causes – obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high fat and high sugar diets, low physical activity as well as high blood sugar. In short, diabetes can deliver a double whammy to the brain, destroying neurons and increasing inflammation. Do everything possible to keep blood sugar levels low and stick to a low-saturated-fat diet and regular exercise.

25. Drink more tea

Evidence suggests that tea stalls the cognitive loss that precedes Alzheimer’s and that the more tea you drink, the sharper your ageing memory is. Tea’s secret is no mystery. The leaves are packed with compounds able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and block neuronal damage.

One particular green tea antioxidant can block the toxicity of beta-amyloid, which kills brain cells. Make a point of drinking black and green tea. Don’t add milk, it can reduce tea’s antioxidant activity by 25%.

 Feedback & Comments from “the Great Sifu” Dr. JB Lim:

Thursday, 9 April, 2015 2:35 AM

From:  Lim Juboo

Only hours ago I read a paper published in the latest Journal of the Royal Society of Public Health on "Diet and Alzheimer Disease" (Mabel Blades. JRSPH March 2015 Vol 135 No 21) which would be useful to share with those afflicted with old-age dementia.

Attached is the paper

I am a regular subscriber of medical journals, but this journal (JRSPH) and also JRSM I get it free as Fellow of RSPH and FRSM.

There are some strong evidences now published elsewhere that coconut oil has reversed the progression of dementia associated with old age.  So is the use of fish oil as a natural therapeutics for this very difficult to manage disorder. These are all natural medicine where conventional drug-based modalities failed. They are very cheap, safe and cost effective too.

Also in the same journal of RSPH there is a book review on Compendium of Essays on Alternative Therapy by Dr Andrew Mclvor of the Dept of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada which you can download on your computer for free. The details is also attached.

Even here in Malaysia the Ministry of Health (MOH) has implemented alternative and traditional medicine into the country mainstream health-care system in government hospitals and in some private hospitals also:

http://tcm.moh.gov.my/v4/pdf/handbook.pdf

I was one of those sitting in the Joint WHO-MOH-IMR Expert Committee who spearheaded this study, recognition and finally leading to its official implementation into the country's health-care. I was in this initial Committee in 1987 till I retired in 1994 when I was working at the Institute for Medical Research after I returned from London with my PhD in Natural Medicine.

But I was not put into this committee straight away, but asked to head another committee first to undertake a human clinical trial on Palm Oil and its Effect on Thrombogenicity. Only after that I was involved in alternative and integrated medicine. Prior to that I was put to do many other things - nutrition, rural health research, community medicine, behavioral science, clinical trials,  bio-statistics and epidemiology, etc.

"Let Food be your Medicine" (Hippocrates - Father of Medicine), and not let medicine be your food as erroneously quoted by many people including in textbooks, health magazines and in the Internet.  Each just blindly copies the other.

Regards

Dr. JB Lim

The blogger is grateful for the Great Sifu’s prompt clarification and further comment written in a very short time despite his busy schedule of leaving home to attend an old friend’s daughter wedding dinner in PJ on Saturday evening:

Saturday, 11 April, 2015 6:43 PM

From: Lim Juboo

What is more important is to understand complementary and alternative systems of medicine is accepted by 80 % of the world population, and they have an acceptable and important role in the health care system of most countries including Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand our nearest neigbours.

Their implementation into government hospitals here was not done overnight, but already the result of years of study, and countless meetings we held jointly with the World Health Organization (that encourage it), the Ministry of Health, the Institute for Medical Research, as well as the feedback from several associations and organizations in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), Malay and Indonesian system of medicine as well as Indian Ayurvedic,Unani and Siddha medicine including systems of health care practiced by the orang asli and those natives in Sarawak. This is not new, and all of them do have a place in health care. Their traditional health practices were already centuries old.

It is a very, very, very long story gathered from my work experiences in rural health research among native communities where modern medical facilities are not available. That was why I was put into this joint committee for many years until I retired in 1994.

I cannot be writing a book on this, but my letter to "flyer" and others was just to make others aware that there are other alternative systems of health care too which was highlighted by Dr Andrew Mclvor, Dept of Medicine, McMaster University, Canada. He was not the only one who mentioned this. Hundreds of books on other systems of medicine have already been written by many other doctors world-wide. It would be far too many and too long to cite all the publications.

My other reason was just to let others know there is a cure for Alzheimer's disease (dementia) using natural foods like fish oil, coconut oil, ginseng (perhaps), and antioxidants. It so happens both these health issues appeared in the latest (March 2015) Journal of The Royal Society of Public Health at the same time I was reading "Flyer" mail to me about a Dementia Village in Netherlands.  So I merely tambah (add) what flyer sent me, else I wouldn't be bothered to write about them, and my past experience.

It was just a casual comment. I would not be bothered writing this in my own blog which has been empty for some time now.

regards

lim jb

Dr. JB Lim's latest pic taken at a wedding dinner on April 11,  2015