Much research has been done on the potential underlying cause or causes of Alzheimer’s disease, both in the fields of allopathic medicine and alternative remedies. Amyloid protein build-up in the brain was thought for many years to be the cause of Alzheimer’s disease, yet more recent research suggests that this is not the case.
Treatments developed based on this assumption have not been proven to work over the long-term and drug companies are now looking beyond amyloid. Biomarker research has shown that there are multiple possible triggers and causes for the condition, which makes it virtually impossible to treat with one specific drug.
The infographic attachment looks at some of the statistics for Alzheimer’s disease in the United States.
Allopathic and Alternative Approaches
Dr. Carolyn Dean tracks the ways in which both Big Pharma and alternative therapists are investigating Alzheimer’s disease and the potential treatments for it.
The allopathic approach of pharmaceutical companies focuses on multiple disciplines, including genetics, biomarkers, clinical imaging and proteomics. For the patient, this results in a high cost of treatment as some of these approaches are not covered by insurance, being still in the research phase and due to the potential dangers of exposure to radiation.
Alternative medicine is also using a multidisciplinary approach, but one which encompasses different key points. The alternative approach to treating Alzheimer’s today involves looking at toxicity from heavy metals, particularly mercury and aluminum, as well as nutrient deficiencies, mold toxicity, subclinical viral, fungal and bacterial infections, excessive cortisol production due to stress, and other possible triggers.
Magnesium Supplements
Magnesium deficiency has been cited as one of the potential causes of Alzheimer’s, based on evidence to show inflammation in the brain, which Dr. Carolyn Dean states is caused in part by a lack of magnesium. Taking a magnesium supplement could therefore reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s setting in.
Findings have also shown that older people who regularly take medication the help them sleep are as much as 40% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Lowered levels of magnesium are associated with insomnia, so taking an easily- absorbed magnesium supplement such as ReMag can reduce the requirement for dependency on sleeping pills, thereby reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
Magnesium plays a vital role in mitochondrial function within the human body – mitochondrial dysfunction has been suggested as one of the root causes of inflammation in the brain present in Alzheimer’s patients.
Memory
One of the most commonly recognized and difficult to live with symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease is memory loss. A 2004 research study from MIT found magnesium to be a memory enhancer, a key component in the body’s system for maintaining strong and healthy memory receptors. Magnesium is recognized as helping to maintain and even improve brain plasticity, which helps older people retain short-term memories and improves their capacity to learn. More information about the results of MIT studies on the effect of magnesium on the brain can be viewed in the embedded PDF.
Magnesium Deficiency
There is a certain amount of evidence to suggest that magnesium deficiency could in fact be the sole cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Several research studies have shown that extremely depleted levels of magnesium in the brain can cause a variety of severe neurological conditions. These can present as delirium, seizures, psychosis or coma, which can be reversed quickly when a large dose of magnesium is administered intravenously. As we age, our bodies’ ability to absorb magnesium becomes weaker. Elderly people are therefore more likely to suffer from magnesium depletion.
The short video attachment offers some more examples of the importance of magnesium for the elderly.