Vitamin E Deficiency is Disastrous for the Brain

Many would try to tell you that aging is to be celebrated, not feared, but with cognitive decline and clinical pathologies such as dementia being so common among those in their 70s, 80s and beyond, you'd wonder what they're talking about. Unfortunately, a century of dominance by the pharmaceutical industry has kept most people away from real health advice, such as the best ways to prevent neurological aging and correct nutrient deficiencies. Vitamin E and its importance are no exception.

Vitamin E is often added to skincare products.
Source: Lightsnlather (CC:3.0)

A shockingly high 90% of men and 96% of women in the USA have an inadequate intake of vitamin E (I am not too optimistic about Australians either). It is sadly unknown to the general population that vitamin E deficiency also puts us at a higher risk for Alzheimer's Disease; although we fear this illness for valid reasons, we have been told that diet doesn't matter. However, researchers at Oregon State University have found that vitamin E aids the transportation of DHA to the brain. DHA is one of the omega-3 fats found in fish oil, which we also produce from essential fatty acids, and is known to assist in the prevention and even relief from a range of neurological issues.

The liver uses vitamin E to produce substances known as lyso PIs, which not only transport DHA to the brain, but also stay around to help repair brain cell membranes! With vitamin E deficiency, the level of lyso PIs in the brain is 60% lower, setting a course for disaster. Within the term "vitamin E", there are also eight different types: four tocopherols, and four tocotrienols, each with the prefix alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-. Most research has focused on alpha-tocopherol, but research has shown that gamma-tocopherol and beta-tocotrienol are the most important for memory, as well as the total blood tocotrienol levels.

Food sources of vitamin E include hazelnuts, almonds, sunflower seed kernels, peanuts and cranberries, but supplementation is often called for in chronic illnesses. Research described by the Linus Pauling Institute describes mixed results with vitamin E supplementation, but this includes many successes. Two of these include significantly slower disease progression and improved survival in patients with Alzheimer's disease, and improved cognitive performance when the supplementation reduced oxidative stress. As the latter only reported benefit when oxidative stress as a whole was lowered, the question is not "does vitamin E work?" but "what other factors should have been addressed when supplementation failed?" They also only regard alpha-tocopherol as "evidence-based" enough, but with the results of the above research, we need a more holistic perspective. Yes, as the LPI writes, vitamin E aids immunity and prevents oxidative stress, but for it to perform at its best we need other nutrients, such as DHA.

Dancing as an Anti-Aging Therapy

Two common beliefs around health and aging are that 1) we cannot reverse the physical decline that is "supposed" to come with living longer and 2) any form of therapy, or anything with health benefits, must be unpleasant. However, a new study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience demonstrates the opposite to be true in both cases.

“Exercise has the beneficial effect of slowing down or even counteracting age-related decline in mental and physical capacity,” says Dr Kathrin Rehfeld, lead author of the study and based in Germany. Volunteers with an average age of 68 were assigned to 18 months of dance lessons or endurance and flexibility training. As expected, both groups showed an increased volume of the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory, learning and balance. This area of the brain can be particularly vulnerable to age-related decline, even more so in the case of Alzheimer's disease. Even though it has been established that exercise can slow and reverse age-related neurological decline, whether or not certain types of exercise are better than others has still been unclear. Because of this, the endurance and flexibility group were given routines consisting of repetitive movements, such as cycling, and the dance group had something new each week.

Source: Abro22 (CC:4.0)

Volunteers in the dance group were instructed in a range of genres, such as line dancing and Latin American dance. Steps, formations and music were changed every second week. They were constantly learning, and had to recall dance choreographies under the pressure of time and without any help from the teacher. Only dancing caused noticeable improvements in balance, and some areas of the hippocampus only regenerated in the dancers. The superior results are most likely caused by the combination of physical exercise and mental stimulation.

This is not the first time that dancing has been shown to exert anti-aging effects. Another study of 34 people with an average age of 80 aimed to test the effects of dancing on walking speed and pain in the knees and hips. Participants were assigned to either two 45-minutes dance lessons a week, or a control group. After 12 weeks, those who danced had less pain and were able to walk faster, which has significant implications for health and longevity. As the researchers stated, even walking just a little faster can help with crossing the road or walking to different rooms, keeping people independent and maintaining self-esteem. Longevity is for everyone, and does not need to be unpleasant or expensive.

Good News: More Research Shows a Decline in Dementia

Dementia is considered to be one of the greatest enemies of antiaging, and one of the worst things that can happen to a person. With life expectancy rising, one of the worst things a person can say is that those living instead of dying are a burden. None of this is necessary, however, as yet another study is showing that dementia rates are falling in successive generations.

Source: Jeff Kubina (CC:2.0)

For this 22-year study, almost 1,400 participants were grouped into several categories: those born before 1920, those born between 1920 and 1924, people born between 1925 and 1929, and finally, people born after 1929. All were over 70 and did not have dementia upon enrollment. Among the 369 participants born before 1920, 73 developed dementia, or 19.8%. In the 1920-24 group, it dropped to 43 out of 285, or 15%. Then, in the 1925-29 group, dementia rates fell again to 31 out of 344 - 9%. Finally, for those born after 1929, dementia rates were only 3 out of 350, which is less than one percent! Dr. Sam Gandy, who specialises in cognitive health, says that "This is not unexpected...Similar trends have been documented in Europe", but why? The most likely cause of falling dementia rates is better cardiovascular health, leading to fewer stroke and dementia cases as blood vessel health improves.

So how can we improve our blood vessel health? Antioxidants, such as those found in blueberries, may be one of the keys. In a clinical trial, 26 people between the ages of 65 and 77 were given either 230g of blueberries in concentrated form or placebo. None consumed more than 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day. Before, during and after the trial, all had their cognitive function and resting brain blood flow tested. Researchers found that participants taking blueberry extract saw significant improvement in both cognitive function and blood flow, as well as other markers of brain activity. Previous studies have also shown an association between higher fruit and vegetable intake, and lower risk of dementia. This is most likely caused by increased consumption of antioxidant vitamins and phytochemicals, which may explain the results of the study that showed falling dementia rates. When you look at works from the 1920s and 30s, such as Agatha Christie novels, you see characters smoking in front of each other and described meals devoid of fresh fruit and vegetables. Those participants born after 1929 spent less time in such a culture, and saw increased awareness of healthy lifestyles at earlier points in their lives. Overall, the future looks encouraging for older adults, but not if there is complacency surrounding nutrition and lifestyle.

In Defense of Coconut Oil

If you read the mainstream health news for whatever reason, by now you would have seen the USA Today article advising Americans to stop using coconut oil and replace it with omega-6 rich vegetable oils. Of course, for this article, based on an American Heart Association statement, to be true, it must be assumed that saturated fat is the enemy and inflammation isn't the key driver of health problems such as cardiovascular disease. But as this is not the 1980s anymore, we can't assume this to be true.

So many uses! Source: Crisco 1492 (CC 3.0)

High consumption of omega-6 fatty acids, and a low intake of omega-3 fats, can contribute to conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Cooking with so-called "heart healthy" vegetable oils such as canola or safflower oil raises your omega-6:3 ratio. While we need both omega-6 and -3 fatty acids, their ratio should be, according to different sources, anywhere from 5:1 to 1:1, but most of us consume far too much omega-6 and too little omega-3. These fatty acids are used to make a type of signalling molecule known as eicosanoids. Omega-6 fats are converted to pro-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes, which are used in immune responses, by the enzymes cyclo-oxygenase and lipo-oxygenase. These enzymes also convert omega-3 fats to anti-inflammatory prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Why am I telling you this technical information? Many common painkillers work by suppressing cyclo-oxygenase, even though it isn't always the real enemy, too many pro-inflammatory fats often are. Research has even found that supplementation with DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, can prolong remission and reduce symptoms of some autoimmune diseases. It can also improve nerve cell communication and inhibit neuroinflammation.

However, the USA Today article ignores all of this, instead focusing on the possibility that it could raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol. But the most recent Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee removed cholesterol as a cause for concern, stating that there is "no appreciable relationship between dietary cholesterol and serum cholesterol or clinical cardiovascular events in general populations”. Many studies have found that low cholesterol may in fact be associated with a higher risk of dementia, suicide, homicide, accidental death and depression!

Coconut oil is not only safe, it also could have health benefits! In a small study of 20 people with Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment, supplementation with medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which coconut oil is rich in, resulted in improved cognitive performance in some patients. Only patients who had a 4- APOE gene saw improvement in their condition. Higher levels of ketones were associated with better performance in paragraph recall with MCT use relative to placebo. Additionally, in another study, taking coconut oil helped patients to achieve reductions in weight, BMI, waist and neck circumference, and diastolic blood pressure. Coconut oil also gave them higher HDL ("good") cholesterol. All patients had coronary artery disease and high blood pressure, and most of them were "elderly" with an average age of 62. Looking at newer and more nuanced evidence, there is no reason to throw out your coconut oil! It's vegetable oils that belong in the bin.

How Music May Help People with Dementia

Natural therapies aren't just about nutritional and herbal medicine, usually with some lifestyle advice added in. There are also many psychological and energetic healing modalities, each with their own benefits that food, nutrients and herbs may not be able to achieve alone. Music is one of them, as there is something about it that can light up various areas of the brain, including the nucleus accumbens (which releases dopamine), the amygdala (which processes emotion) and the prefrontal cortex (which makes decision-making possible). Because of all of these effects, researchers have been looking into music as a way to give at least some relief to people suffering from dementia.

Some examples of how music can benefit people with dementia were documented in the 2014 documentary Alive Inside, but researchers wanted to evaluate this in a scientific manner. They then decided to implement a "Music and Memory" program in 98 nursing homes, and compare the results to 98 nursing homes used as a control group. The endpoints they compared included the discontinuation of antipsychotic and antianxiety medication (if used), reductions in disruptive behaviour and improvements in mood. Over six months, dementia patients who got to listen to music personalised to their tastes had a 20% chance of discontinuing antipsychotics, compared to 17.6%. 57% had reduced behavioural problems, compared to 51%. Music can also bring back lost memories, especially if it is tied to their past.

Singing bowls. Source

Other research has found healing effects of sound too, this time with singing bowl sound therapy. An observational study on 62 people found that, using the POMS scale (Profile of Mood States), sound therapy had significant effects on tension, anger, confusion, fatigue and vigour. Using the HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), depression and anxiety levels also dropped considerably. Spiritual wellbeing also increased. In another study described by the authors, which was a randomised cross-over trial, use of a singing bowl was more effective than silence alone in reducing blood pressure and heart rate before a guided visualisation. Yet another trial examined the effects of a crystal singing bowl on the body's electrodermal responses. Forty acupuncture meridian points on the patients' left hands and right feet showed increases and decreases respectively in electrical impulses. That study showed this effect with both "toning", where a Marcel Vogel crystal was held to chakra points on the subject's back, and playing a crystal bowl tuned to the note "F", which corresponds to the heart chakra. Everyone acted as their own control; while some people would prefer a separate placebo group, this could have an advantage as we are all individuals.

While it may be too new of a concept to be published in high-quality journals, a more informal trial conducted in Western Australia suggests that sound therapy with singing bowls may specifically help patients with dementia. The main endpoint was reductions in "agitation", involving aggression, verbal agitation (such as screaming and repetitive sentences) and physical non-aggressive behaviour (such as taking clothes off and handling objects inappropriately). After some time with recorded sound therapy, residents were more likely to be classed as non-agitated across all three categories. Case studies described some residents as having improved appetite and sleep, being more active and alert, and better verbal ability. From the findings so far, sound therapy looks like something that should be far more recognised, and more research is needed to both quantify and refine its effects.

Switzerland May Ban Aluminium in Deodorants

If you've been to Switzerland, you know that it is an absolutely beautiful country, especially if you are into snow- or lake-related sports. Now, we may have another reason to love them: on the 5th of May, their National Council voted to approve a bill instructing their Federal Council to ban the use of aluminium in deodorants, based on research that the mineral could cause cancer.

Switzerland. Source: Andrew Bossi (CC: 2.5)

One of the studies that this proposed law is based on suggests a link between aluminium and breast cancer. First, the Swiss scientists exposed normal human breast cells to aluminium, and over time exposure caused some to turn into cancer cells. Then, injecting small amounts of aluminium into mice had the same effect: the mice developed tumours, which grew and spread to other areas of the body. Their earlier research was met with scepticism, but increasing evidence showing that aluminium could be a carcinogen meant that follow-up studies were easier to publish. While the study does not completely confirm that it causes cancer, co-author Andre-Pascal Sappino still stated that "I think we should avoid all deodorants containing aluminium salts". He draws an analogy between aluminium and asbestos, as they are both cheap and have attractive industrial potential, and despite all of the research condemning asbestos as a dangerous carcinogen, it took 50 years for the substance to be banned. Fortunately, it is now banned in Switzerland and across the European Union, as well as other countries like Australia. But this doesn't change the fact that so many people died of cancer before this link was confirmed and asbestos was banned. Also like asbestos, aluminium does not cause genetic mutations in bacteria, but they do in animals. And like the tobacco industry, the oncologists who performed this research now expect backlash from the cosmetics industry, who are likely to say that proof in humans is lacking.

Another recent study adds further weight to the link between aluminium and breast cancer. Partly because of the use of deodorants, aluminium has been found in higher concentrations in the breast than in the blood. Aluminium can cause instability in the genome, inappropriate cell division, and increase migration and invasion of already-established breast cancer cells. Additionally, it can act like an oestrogen, despite being a mineral. The most common benign disorder of the breast is gross cystic breast disease, and there is even evidence that aluminium could cause this too. To make things even worse, aluminium has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease too. The brain tissue of people with Alzheimer's disease generally contains a much higher concentration of aluminium than that of age-matched controls. In people with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, the concentration is even higher.

As you could tell, the Switzerland love doesn't stop there. A recent referendum (their democracy is also very well-developed) voted in favour of phasing out nuclear power, which will be replaced by clean renewable energy. No new licenses will be given to nuclear plants, and when the existing ones reach the end of their lifespan, they will not be replaced. Nuclear power generates just over a third of Switzerland's electricity, and clean renewables generate almost two-thirds, so while there is a lot of work to do, their goal is achievable. Overall, there is hope for a world where we can live longer, healthier lives without this current cancer epidemic, but often we have to look to other nations for inspiration.

Could Resveratrol Help Treat Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer's Disease and other dementias are perhaps the worst kind of age-related disease there is. They affect everything about a person, not just the physical body, so anything that may help to slow or reverse these problems is definitely worth consideration. One of these interventions could be resveratrol, a much-studied natural substance with many potential antiaging effects.

For this study, 119 patients with mild-moderate Alzheimer's Disease were analysed. Of these, 19 took 1 gram of resveratrol twice daily, and 19 took a placebo, both for 52 weeks (one year). Resveratrol's antiaging effects are largely due to its ability to activate the SIRT1 gene. After 52 weeks, the treatment group showed signs that their levels of neuro-inflammation had fallen, and their immune systems were working more effectively. Resveratrol also slowed the decline in mini-mental status exam (MMSE) scores, as well as activities of daily living (ADL) scores. The decline in MMSE scores was not seen as statistically significant, meaning that it may not have truly deteriorated. The decline in ADL scores was half that of the placebo group. Additionally, the "normal" progression of Alzheimer's involves dysfunction and senescence of immune cells in the central nervous system. This impairs their ability to take out the cellular and interstitial "garbage", which has serious implications for neurological health.

Red grapes are the top food source of resveratrol,
though therapeutic doses call for supplementation.

Resveratrol is known as a pharmacological mimic of calorie restriction, which is the act of consuming two-thirds of the normal energy requirements. Research has shown that this can prevent or postpone many of the complications of aging, which is why many people have found health benefits from various fasting techniques, e.g. the 5:2 diet or confining food intake to 8-12 hours each day. On the other hand, diabetes and obesity increase the risk of problems such as Alzheimer's Disease. Activation of sirtuin genes, especially SIRT1, appears to be one mechanism behind the benefits of calorie restriction.

Actually, calorie restriction itself has been found to impact neurodegenerative diseases and other health problems. This is partly because many of these involve chronic inflammation, and research has shown that alternate-day fasting can reduce levels of inflammatory markers. This has been linked with reductions in the symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis, and even improved functional outcomes in a mouse model of stroke. Fasting may even have beneficial effects on genetic disorders. An animal study on mice with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Type 1A found that intermittent fasting could also improve motor performance and reduce the demyelination that is responsible for functional decline. Without myelin, our nerve cells cannot transmit signals as effectively. The mechanism behind this was improved autophagy, which clears out garbage in the cells, and in this case it included inappropriate aggregates of myelin protein. Both Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases also involve inappropriate protein aggregation, in PD alpha-synuclein is involved, and in AD we see amyloid-beta and tau proteins causing trouble. The only problem with these fasting techniques is that, although they are not constant, we have been raised to think that non-pregnant adults must be constantly eating throughout the day, and that any food restriction is a "punishment". But with all of the research on intermittent fasting techniques, which would you prefer (as long as you are medically able to fast, and need to), a relatively small amount of pleasure and poor health, or some discipline in exchange for a great life?

Preventing Alzheimer's Disease Can Start Now!

Alzheimer's disease is understandably terrifying. While dementia (which AD is a type of), is a feature of romantic dramas such as The Notebook, seeing a loved one disappear before your eyes is something that should belong to the horror genre. But just because something is scary, doesn't mean that you can't prevent it, as research shows.

So Alzheimer's disease is preventable. Now, the question is, are you insulin-resistant? Even though this is a very important question, as Georgia Ede, MD states, it is estimated that over half of Americans are insulin-resistant. Insulin resistance ruins our ability to process carbohydrates, disrupts fat metabolism and sets your body up for inflammation and overgrowth. This means a higher risk for obesity, cancer, heart disease, type II diabetes...and Alzheimer's disease.

Don't be a sitting duck!
Source: Stephen Heron (CC BY-SA: 2.0)

The purpose of insulin is to allow glucose (a simple sugar) into the muscle and fat cells. While the brain does not need insulin to absorb glucose, it needs insulin to process glucose. Even though glucose can easily cross the blood-brain barrier, even when you are insulin resistant, this is not the case for insulin. The receptors that control insulin's entry into the brain become resistant too, so they won't allow the required level of insulin into the brain. Then, this means that the brain cells literally starve to death, even when surrounded by glucose. Our hippocampus, which is the brain's main memory centre, is the first to be affected because it often goes through sudden spikes of glucose demand. Picture some hippos studying, teaching and researching history at a university...and if they don't have enough food, they'll quit! As the hippocampus is more sensitive to insulin resistance, you typically see memory loss as the first sign of Alzheimer's disease, even though it eventually destroys the whole brain. By the time someone is considered to have "mild cognitive impairment", or pre-Alzheimer's, the hippocampus has already shrunk by 10%.

But I thought it was all about beta-amyloid plaques? Actually these can be explained by insulin resistance too, and 80% of people with Alzheimer's have either diabetes or insulin resistance. Even though not all people with AD are diabetic, and vice versa, we can think of it like this: diabetes is insulin resistance of the body, AD and maybe some other dementias are insulin resistance of the brain. This is why the health world is beginning to call AD Type 3 Diabetes.

If you want to reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, prevention starts now. Avoid all refined carbohydrates; this means processed foods and those with added sugar. If you find out that you are insulin resistant, then you need to watch all carbohydrates, and it may be best to transition to a low-carb, healthy-fat diet. Regular exercise also helps to regulate blood sugar. And as other research shows, you must completely avoid artificial sweeteners, which carry their own risks for dementia. You do not have to be a sitting duck, as conventional health advice says you are. You can be an empowered swimming duck, with control over your future!

Diet Drinks Are Not Healthy

For years now, "diet" soft drinks have been marketed as a healthy alternative to the traditional sugary beverages, particularly if you need to lose weight. In more recent times there has also been greater awareness of other harmful effects of sugar, whether or not you are overweight. But the health effects of quitting sugar also depend on what you replace it with, as a new study shows.

This new study, published in Stroke on the 20th of April, found that drinking one or more cans of diet soft drinks a day was linked with triple the risk of stroke and dementia, compared to those who did not drink them. Not a 50% increase, not double, but triple! While sugary drinks were not linked to stroke or dementia, it still does not mean they are a good choice. Part of this lack of association was because there were not enough people consuming sugary drinks, so no significant (probable causation) link could be found. Most people preferred "diet" versions. For this, researchers analysed data from people in the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort, comparing sugary and artificial sweetened beverage intake with incidence of stroke and dementia. A total of 2,888 participants older than 45 were included in the stroke cohort, and 1,484 people over 60 made up the dementia cohort. Everyone had completed food intake questionnaires on a regular basis from 1991 to 2001, and the researchers compared the beverage section to the incidence of stroke and dementia over the following ten years. After adjusting for sex, age, smoking, caloric intake, diet quality and physical activity, and education in the dementia cohort, they found the tripling of stroke and dementia risk. This helps to reduce a "correlation" effect, where people with overall healthier lifestyles would avoid artificial sweeteners, thus driving the apparent risk of them up. Consuming between 1 and 6 diet soft drinks a week was linked to higher risk of stroke, but not of dementia.

Another study by the same group of researchers on sugary drinks and cognitive decline was published in early March. This one showed a link between consumption of both sugary and artificially sweetened drinks and reduced brain volume. The sugary drinks included both soft drinks and fruit juice, and were also linked with worse episodic memory in the middle-aged adults. As the authors concluded, greater total intake of sugary drinks, soft drink consumption and fruit juice intake were all linked with signs of preclinical Alzheimer's disease. Compared to less than one, one or two sugary drinks a day was linked with a 0.55% lower brain volume, more than two was linked with a 0.68% lower volume. The best option is really to just drink water or tea, or unsweetened coffee (in moderation!) if you want the caffeine buzz. There are most likely hundreds of different tea blends from around the world that have a range of flavours and health benefits, so you would not be missing much.

Dementia, Caffeine and Prevention

Dementia is a horrible set of neurodegenerative diseases, affecting not only our physical bodies and abilities, but also our mental health and abilities, to the point of destroying everything that we are. Fortunately, dementia rates among people over 60 years old are declining, at least in the USA. From 1986-1991, 3.6% of people over 60 had dementia. In 2004-2008, it was only 2% of over-60s. Overall, there has been a 20% drop in dementia rates per decade since 1977. Another found a drop in dementia rates among over-65s from 11.6% in 2000 to 8.8% in 2012, benefitting around one million people. But how can we join in with these benefits? Well, a common so-called "vice" may actually be another way to help prevent dementia.

This vice is coffee, not decaf, but the regular caffeinated variety. So how does it work? In a study on mice, which are biologically similar to humans, researchers found that mice genetically "destined" to produce the mis-folded tau proteins seen in Alzheimer's disease did not produce enough of an enzyme known as NMNAT2. Because of this, they tested over 1,280 compounds to see if they had any effects on NMNAT2 production in brain cells. Caffeine was one of the most active substances in increasing NMNAT2, and when they tested it on the mice, they began to produce normal levels of the enzyme. Of course, this is just an animal study; we need human research to confirm these effects.

Source: Julius Schorzman

There in fact have been population studies on the effects of caffeine and dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. One of these is the CAIDE study. Previous research found inconsistent results, but 3 of the 5 studies were in agreement that coffee drinking can help prevent dementia and cognitive decline. Another two that combined coffee and tea consumption also found positive effects on cognition. In the CAIDE study, drinking 3-5 cups of coffee every day in "midlife" was linked with a 65% reduction in Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia later in life. Researchers thought that this may be because of the antioxidant, insulin-sensitising benefits of coffee, or the caffeine itself.

Caffeine is more than an intoxicant, in fact, there is a lot of science behind its effects against dementia - this is far from "wishful thinking" by busy doctors who want an excuse for their coffee habit. There is a strong inflammatory component of the development of Alzheimer's disease, and part of this is over-reactivity of the glial cells, which act as part of the brain's immune system. Caffeine's effects on the adenosine receptors in the central nervous system have been found to reduce this over-reaction, and so inhibit inflammation. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) has also been shown to play a role in Alzheimer's disease; if it is too "leaky", it can speed the buildup of harmful proteins. And yes, caffeine may protect BBB integrity, partly by calming the glial cells. Animal studies have shown that all of this reduction in inflammation may translate to the prevention of memory problems. Despite a lack of human clinical trials, all of this helps to validate the benefits of caffeine seen in population studies. In conclusion, it may not be best to completely give up coffee in order to improve your health, as moderate caffeine consumption could prevent you from nasty neurodegenerative diseases later.

Vitamin A Deficiency May Cause Alzheimer's - Before Birth

Alzheimer's Disease can be considered one of the worst things that could happen to a person. Robbing a person of not only their physical health, but also their cognitive function and everything that makes them who they are, the disease is incurable by what most people consider to be medicine. It affects more than 5 million Americans, is the sixth leading cause of death in the country, not to mention millions more worldwide. To make things even worse, one important factor - vitamin A status - may be at its most critical before birth, before any of us have any control over what we eat.

Vitamin A deficiency.

This study examined the link between vitamin A and Alzheimer's Disease in both animals and humans, as mice have much shorter lifespans but are still biologically similar. For the animal part of the study, some mice were deprived of vitamin A before birth, and others after. Some of the prenatally-deficient mice were given vitamin A supplements after birth. It was found that a mild deficiency of vitamin A increased the amyloid-beta protein that characterizes Alzheimer's Disease, and these mice performed much worse on learning and memory tests. Even having a healthy diet as infants did not reverse this damage, but supplementation partially reversed it. As for the human part, 330 seniors in China were investigated for cognitive function and vitamin A status. Around 75% of those with mild or significant deficiency had cognitive impairment, compared with 47% of those with healthy vitamin A levels.

The results of this study may help to explain why dementia rates have fallen by 25% from 2000 to 2012, from 11.6% to 8.8%. Falling poverty rates would have boosted the general nutritional and vitamin A status of each following generation. Even the West had higher rates of more extreme levels of poverty when the current elderly population were born. For example, my grandfather had to leave school at the age of eight to work - something you only see in Third World countries now, and this was 1920s/30s Australia. Where there are still high poverty rates, clinical vitamin A deficiency is still prevalent, but Alzheimer's is not the only issue. 250 million preschool children are vitamin A deficient; 250,000-500,000 children are blinded every year by the deficiency, often before dying; and it is a public health problem in around half of the world's countries. Fortunately, vitamin A supplementation can cut child mortality by a quarter, and cut measles mortality in half. Growing fruits and vegetables in home gardens has also improved the nutritional status of many. Eliminating poverty and the resulting nutrient deficiencies is creating many short and long-term benefits around the world. But while clinical vitamin A deficiency is rare in wealthy countries, you may have suboptimal levels, so consuming beta-carotene rich foods (such as carrots and pumpkin) or vitamin A-rich foods (ie beef liver or cod liver oil) may prevent cognitive decline later.

More Evidence Supporting Aluminum-Alzheimer's Link

Today, too many pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, cleaning products and even baby products contain aluminium, which has been claimed for many years to contribute to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Until now, however, scientists have not had strong evidence to back this up, but Professor Exley has since uncovered new evidence against exposing ourselves to the element. In a 2014 press release, he said:

Nothing is worth this.

"At some point in time the accumulation of aluminium in the brain will achieve a toxic threshold and a specific neurone or area of the brain will stop coping with the presence of aluminium and will start reacting to its presence. If the same neurone or brain tissue is also suffering other insults, or another on-going degenerative condition, then the additional response to aluminium will exacerbate these effects. In this way aluminium may cause a particular condition to be more aggressive and perhaps to have an earlier onset - such occurrences have already been shown in Alzheimer’s disease related to environmental and occupational exposure to aluminium.” 

He also explained that the aluminium content in the brains of people who died with or of Alzheimer's disease has been found to be much higher than age-matched controls. Even higher levels have been found in people who developed Alzheimer's disease at earlier ages. This may be a combination of higher exposure and a greater tendency to accumulate aluminium than those who do not develop the disease.

In his most recent study, published in 2016, the aluminium content of the brains of 12 people who were diagnosed with familial Alzheimer's disease was finally measured. The concentrations of aluminium were found to be extremely high, with 5 of the 12 individuals showing an excess of 10 micrograms per gram of dry weight! The concentrations were higher than all previous measurements of brain aluminium, except cases of aluminium-induced encephalopathy. In contrast, a study of 60 human brains found an average concentration of only one microgram per gram of dry weight; more than two is considered a concern. He also mentions that other reports of exposure to aluminium now allow the conclusion that this element's contribution to Alzheimer's disease is inevitable under certain conditions. It was concluded that the genetic predispositions to Alzheimer's disease may actually promote the accumulation of more aluminium than in those without these genes.

Fortunately, you can both minimise your exposure to aluminium, as well as detoxify yourself from past exposure. One study with 20 people found that when compared with urine, levels of aluminium in sweat were three times higher, meaning that saunas or vigorous exercise could help to remove it and other unwanted metals. This is safer than chelation, which can also pull out beneficial minerals from the body. Overall, it's essential to your health and the wellbeing of those close to you to avoid aluminium, even if it means becoming one of those annoying hippies or "crunchy" people.

Could Blood be Anti-Aging?

It may scare the living daylights out of anyone who isn't all that into life extension, but research has found that injecting the blood of young humans into those with older bodies may physically rejuvenate them back into a younger state. The surprising thing? Young blood seems to work in inter-species transfusions too.

In this study, researchers gave blood samples from 18-year-old human volunteers to one-year-old mice, which is roughly the equivalent of a person in their 50s. The mice received twice-weekly injections of blood plasma for three weeks, and were then compared to 3-month and 12-year-old mice who hadn't had any injections. Amazingly, the plasma made the older mice act like the young mice, now running around in open spaces. They also showed improvements in memory. The treated mice were put into a Barnes maze, which tests spatial memory and learning, and they navigated it as well as a young mouse would. It is most likely that the regenerating properties of young blood plasma are down to differences in protein content. A young person's blood contains many proteins that promote rejuvenation, but someone who is older has less of these and more damaging, inflammatory molecules. Unfortunately, the researchers aren't sharing information on what these proteins are yet, but it is known that some are able to cross the blood-brain barrier. The treated mice also had more neurons (brain cells) than the untreated older mice, suggesting that the young plasma proteins trigger the growth of new neurons.

"Don't leave me out!" - this pu-erh tea. Source: PanShiBo

This research follows earlier studies that were reported in 2014, where the blood of younger mice regenerated the brains and muscles of older mice, partly because of an increase in neural stem cells. The protein GDF11 increased muscle strength and endurance. However, this year's study looks like the first to show the same effect with human blood. The researchers have now begun a clinical trial on 18 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, and want to see if the effects of young plasma proteins will fight the inflammation that leads to diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. If successful, they will produce synthetic versions of the young plasma proteins, to ensure a steady, sufficient supply. Or, perhaps the blood of animals killed for meat would contain these same proteins, making the treatment cheaper (and more difficult to patent), or there may be plant analogues of them.

The last point, about the plasma proteins being able to fight or reverse the effects of inflammation, also opens the door for traditional natural medicine to either integrate with the potential new therapy or to develop a "poor man's" version of it. Inflammation is a key driver of aging, and some natural products such as reishi mushroom and Pu-erh tea extract have shown powerful effects against it. One way that they can fight inflammation is by reducing the level of interleukin-6 (IL-6); in fact, Pu-erh extract was able to lower it by 43% in one study! Elevated IL-6 has been linked to a 118% increased risk of death from any cause in people over 80, and nearly triples the risk of knee osteoarthritis. The Pu-erh extract also increased a type of bone marrow stem cell by 42%, which could improve immunity. While reishi doesn't seem to stimulate bone marrow like Pu-erh, it may improve the functioning of already existent immune cells. Overall, there are some exciting (or terrifying, if you're not into it, but then again I'd want to scare you) developments in the field of anti-aging, with even the future of current nursing home residents looking more uncertain - in a good way.

Could Turmeric Fight Alzheimer's Disease?

Whether you are a celebrity or factory worker, much-loved or infamous, Alzheimer's Disease doesn't care who you are. Like a monster (or a Titan, if you're an anime fan too), it eats everything that makes a person who they are. But even though you can't reason with it, an increasing number of nutritional and herbal medicines are showing potential in the fight against Alzheimer's Disease. One of these may be turmeric, which is rapidly becoming one of the most researched herbal medicines of all time.

Turmeric, more specifically curcumin - its most "active" component - has attracted the attention of researchers after population studies showed that it may reduce the risk of dementia. One study published in 2000 found that Indian people in their 70s had a 4.4 times lower risk of dementia than Americans of the same age. In another of 1,010 Asian people aged 60-93, those who ate curry, even including less than once a month, performed better on the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) than people who didn't eat curry.

So how does it work? One way that curcumin may fight Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is by helping immune cells clear away the brain-damaging amyloid-beta plaque seen in the condition. When immune cells from patients with AD were treated with curcumin and then introduced to amyloid-beta plaque, they were better at eating away the plaque than they were without curcumin. A study on rats also found that curcumin could reduce the growth of immune cells unique to the brain. This is a sign of inflammation, and an excessive amount of these activated cells can worsen AD by producing inflammatory substances that promote plaque and tissue damage. Curcumin has been shown in many studies to fight inflammation by acting on several different pathways. Some steps that it interferes with normally result in the production of multiple inflammatory chemicals, which have a range of damaging effects. It may also fight inflammation caused by amyloid-beta plaques, thus reducing further damage caused by the plaques seen in AD patients. Another ability of curcumin that has been widely researched is its antioxidant effect. Yet more studies have found that it could increase levels of our own antioxidant enzymes, which would otherwise fall with age, and decrease types of oxidative stress that would otherwise increase with age. A small study on three people with AD resulted in cognitive improvements for all of them - one had improved MMSE scores (from 12/30 to 17/30), two got to recognise their family after a year.

If you don't like turmeric, the good news is that dementia rates are actually falling, which may be because of people taking better care of their cardiovascular health. When data from 5,205 participants was analysed from the 1970s to the 2010s, dementia rates fell by 44% over the almost 40 years. The average age at diagnosis also rose from 80 to 85. Another, using data of about 140,000 people, found that dementia rates fell by about 10% from 2006-7 to 2009-10. It is a good thing that people are swapping smoking and hamburgers for gym selfies and green smoothies. I'd rather have my Facebook newsfeed flooded with pictures of those than posts about disease diagnoses. While I would like to see more clinical trials (with more than three people), it looks like turmeric could be another weapon in the fight against age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Essential Oils and Dementia: Thoughts From the Alzheimer's and Dementia Summit

As I had posted on my Facebook page, I signed up to the free online screening of the Alzheimer's and Dementia Summit, which is running from the 25th of July to the 1st of August, with talks available for purchase for those who have to watch them later. The talks featured in this summit cover a wide range of ways to prevent and treat dementia (Alzheimer's is a form of dementia), from often complex nutritional medicine and detoxification to the simpler things such as use of essential oils. While changing your diet can take a long time, as old habits are hard to break, essential oils, whether they be inhaled or used topically (on the skin), don't require often major changes.

One of the studies described in the talk on essential oils tested the use of rosemary and lemon essential oils in the morning, and lavender and orange oils in the evening. The study involved 28 patients, who were given aromatherapy with these oils for 28 days after a control period, with another 28 day washout period afterwards. After the aromatherapy period, all patients showed significant improvement in personal orientation, related to cognitive function, on two scales used to measure the severity of dementia. Patients with Alzheimer's disease showed significant improvement in the total scores of the Touch Panel-type Dementia Assessment Scale. Routine laboratory tests showed no changes, suggesting a lack of side-effects. There were also no significant changes in the Zarit's score, meaning that caregivers had no effect on the results.

In another, essential oils of lavender, sweet marjoram, vetiver and patchouli were blended into a cream and massaged into the bodies or limbs of 56 patients with moderate to severe dementia. Patients were divided into two groups, where one would receive the treatment for 4 weeks and the other would only receive a plain cream, with interventions switched for the next 4 weeks. During treatment, both groups showed significant drops in frequency and severity of "dementia-related behaviours" in comparison to control periods. In one group, "resistance to nursing care" increased during treatment, which likely reflected greater awareness and alertness. There was also a small but significant increase in Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, suggesting increases in cognitive function, for the seven residents who scored above 0 on the MMSE before treatment. One important thing to remember, as stated by the speaker, is that inhalation of the essential oils is only effective when the patient still has a sense of smell. If they have lost this, then the oils must be given in a cream.

In a third trial, lavender, geranium and mandarin oils in an almond oil base were applied to the skin of 39 patients. Increased alertness and contentment; improved sleep; and less agitation, withdrawal and wandering were observed. An open-label trial that was also discussed involved the use of several essential oils, including ylang ylang, rosemary, patchouli and peppermint. These produced a marked decrease in "disturbed behaviours", thus leading to reduced usage of pharmaceutical drugs. In a placebo-controlled trial, lemon balm and lavender oils were given to six patients, which increased functional abilities and communication while decreasing "difficult behaviour". Overall, essential oils seem to be a simple and effective complementary therapy for dementia, and even if you want to add something more complex such as dietary changes, it's a good place to start.

(Image: lemon balm. Source: Werner100359; CC BY SA: 3.0)

Champagne May Prevent Dementia

I often lose count of how many times I have written about why something "bad" can be good in certain situations. I have covered why coffee can have health benefits, why (fermented) dairy can be protective, why both meat and vegetarian diets can improve your health or at least not kill you, and I support controversial research into resurrecting the (brain)dead. Well today I bring you research on how moderate champagne consumption may help prevent cognitive decline in elderly people. Of course, I always say that everyone is different, as some people such as former alcoholics and those with no ancestral history of alcohol consumption should probably avoid all alcohol.

Why champagne, when more research has been on red wine? While there have been many studies on flavonoid-rich foods and beverages, those high in hydroxycinnamates and phenolic acids have been largely neglected. This study was conducted on rats, which are genetically very similar to humans, and would not be the only one showing benefits of moderate wine consumption (usually red) for preventing chronic disease. "Moderate" in this case means three glasses of champagne a week, not three a day like some news articles have misrepresented it. In comparison to alcohol- and calorie-matched controls, six weeks of champagne "supplementation" resulted in an improvement in spatial working memory among aged rodents. The champagne group also had improvements in the "distance" and "walking speed" aspects of the motor skills tests, but they weren't seen as "significant" (almost definitely caused by the champagne). The memory improvements were linked to changes in the levels of proteins involved in neuroplasticity (the brain remodelling to fit what you need to learn), cellular communication and cell division, in the area of the brain that deals with memory. These changes were how the phenolic acids, such as gallic and caffeic acid, were able to improve spatial memory. The higher levels of phenolics in champagne compared to other white wines comes from the type of grapes used to produce it, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, which are used alongside Chardonnay grapes. ((Image: Pinot Noir grapes. Image Source: PRA/Wikimedia Commons))

Champagne has previously been observed to improve vascular (blood vessel) function in a similar manner to red wine. Caffeic acid, gallic acid and tyrosol, which champagne is relatively rich in, have also been shown to protect against cellular damage at "physiologically relevant" (not unreasonable) levels. Tiny amounts of tyrosol, caffeic acid and p-coumaric acid have been found to protect the cortical neurons against 5-S-cysteinyl-dopamine induced damage. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in motor control and mood, which has to be augmented in Parkinson's Disease. Caffeic acid, known as a hydroxycinnamate, has been shown to protect neurons against damage by reducing the production of inflammatory substances. However, these have been ignored in the world of animal and human research until recently. Actually, any benefit of anything to do with alcohol is often ignored in "my" world of natural health, with many of us not drinking at all, so it is no surprise. However, it was a surprise to learn in the Vienna schnapps museum that liquor has saved many lives from infection in the days before clean water and plumbing. So in conclusion, many "bad" things often have a good side, you just have to use them in the right way.

PS: I'm now on Instagram! Search for alexandraspringchick

Exercise Can Grow Your Brain

As this blog focuses on antiaging and longevity, I have previously covered interventions that may at least somewhat reverse age-related cognitive decline. But what about the prevention of issues such as Alzheimer's disease? Of course, particularly in situations as dire as neurological decline, prevention is better than any treatment, which brought me to a new study that I want to share with you.

Source: Mike Baird

This new study, published this year in The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, discusses a "supplement" that may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease by half. By "supplement", I mean exercise. Over 30 years, researchers followed 876 adults over the age of 65 and recorded the amounts and types of exercise that the participants reported. They also agreed to brain imaging under MRI. The researchers found that among those who engaged in higher levels of exercise, there was a 50% reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease compared to those who were sedentary. In the orbital frontal cortex of the brain, there was an approximately 55% lower risk of cognitive decline. There was also a substantial increase in the amount of grey matter in multiple regions of the brain. The lead author of the study stated that this is the first study where the predictive benefit of various types of physical activity could be associated with protection against Alzheimer's through specific relationships with increased brain volume. So if you were considering beginning a regular exercise routine this summer (or winter, if you're in the Southern hemisphere with me), I would definitely recommend it.

Individualised Treatment Able to Reverse Alzheimers?

One of the worst things about the aging process is how it affects the nervous system, as it stops being just about physical degeneration and mutates into something that can seemingly erase an individual's personality, memories, and everything else about them that is non-physical. But instead of "inspirational" (how?) movies etc. documenting these horrible diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, such as the awfully depressing Still Alice, we can get actually inspired by this: a recent study where 9 of the 10 patients involved experienced significant cognitive improvement after taking on individualised treatment protocols designed to correct metabolic defects.

The long history of failure in treating neurodegeneration suggests that these conditions are caused by failures in the body's systems or programs, not a need for a specific, targeted treatment. Treatments such as oestrogen replacement, exercise, melatonin, vitamin D, curcumin, ginkgo biloba and ashwagandha have so far shown minimal effects in research, often because they are prescribed alone. Research and treatment often only considers normalising metabolic parameters instead of optimising them; for example, a homocysteine level of 12umol/L is seen as "normal", but it is not optimal, and so many people with this reading will not be healthy. "Normal" is usually defined as "90%+ of people are in this range" or "you will live to see tomorrow, barring accidents". In systems such as naturopathy, optimal levels are the primary concern, as treatment is individualised to the patient. This is also why many of us have issues with health food store "consultations", where you have to generalise because you only have a few minutes with them and are often pressured to sell as much as possible by often unqualified owners (I was in one of these places for a while).

Despite individual variations, all patients' treatment plans followed a selection of the following rules:

-Reduce simple carbohydrates and inflammatory aspects of their diets, while increasing anti-inflammatory, whole foods (several low GI, low inflammatory, low grain diet options were given)
-Enhance the clearing of cellular garbage and temporarily induce ketogenesis (all patients were instructed to fast for 12 hours a day, which was sleeping + 3 hours before bed)
-Reduce stress (patients' own choices of methods)
-Optimise sleep to around 8 hours of unbroken sleep
-Exercise for 30-60 minutes a day for 4-6 days per week
-Brain stimulation if required
-Keep homocysteine under 7. Homocysteine is quite damaging to neurological health. Methylated folate and B12 were required for this, along with B5 and trimethyl-glycine if necessary.
-Keep serum B12 levels to over 500
-Keep CRP, an inflammatory marker, under 1, with an anti-inflammatory diet, curcumin, EPA/DHA and/or hygiene
-Keep insulin under 7 and HbA1c under 5.5
-Optimise thyroid, stress and "sex" hormones
-Repair GIT health with pre- and probiotics as needed
-Reduce A-beta protein with curcumin and/or ashwagandha
-Enhance cognition with Bacopa monniera and/or magnesium threonate
-Keep vitamin D3 between 50 and 100ng/mL with vitamins D3 and/or K2 supplementation
-Increase nerve growth factor with H. erinaceus and/or acetyl-l-carnitine
-Provide synaptic structural components with citicoline and/or DHA
-Optimise antioxidants with any of: mixed forms of vitamin E, selenium, blueberries, N-acetyl cysteine, vitamin C or alpha-lipoic acid
-Optimise zinc:copper ratios
-Treat sleep apnoea if necessary
-Optimise mitochondrial function with any of: CoQ10 forms, alpha-lipoic acid, N-acetyl cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, selenium, zinc, vitamin C or B1, or resveratrol
-Increase focus with vitamin B5
-Increase SirT1 function with resveratrol
-Treat any heavy metal toxicity
-Consume medium-chain fats, which are in coconut oil and are an alternative energy source for the brain besides sugar.

For example, the treatment plan of a 55 year old woman with cognitive impairment and early onset Alzheimer's disease consisted of:

-Fasting for a minimum of three hours between dinner and bedtime, and for a minimum of 12

hours between dinner and breakfast
-Eliminating simple carbohydrates and processed foods from her diet;
-Increasing consumption of vegetables and fruits, limiting consumption of fish to non-farmed, and no meat
-Exercising 4-5 times per week
-Taking melatonin 0.5mg orally at bedtime, and trying to sleep as close to 8 hours per night as her schedule would allow
-Trying to reduce stress in her life with meditation and relaxation

-Taking methylcobalamin (vitamin B12) at 1mg 4x/wk and pyridoxine-5-phosphate (vitamin B5) at 20mg each day;

-Taking citicoline at 200mg each day

 -2000IU vitamin D3 daily and CoQ10 at 200mg each day

-700mg of DHA and 500mg EPA twice daily-Bioidentical oestradiol with oestriol and progesterone
-Reducing her bupropion from 150mg daily to 150mg  3 times weekly.
bioidentical estradiol with estriol
 Regardless of the authors' positions on various systems of medicine, they are essentially stating that naturopathy as a system of medicine is superior in treating these issues, as opposed to pharmaceuticals or the "green allopathy" that characterises the research where only one substance such as ginkgo biloba is given. However, it is important to see a qualified naturopath for a full consultation.