The topic of this diary is epigenetics, and Alzheimers Disease (aka AD) — it's about neuroplasticity, nutrition, supplementation, and self care.
If this interests you, you join me through the orange portal. Because in the thickness of all this horrible darkness, to me this is a tiny but significant light that shines for a lot of people in the world.
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Some of you have already been reading on the MSM outlets about a study in which all but one participant were able to reverse their AD declines. And in those stories, the press listed 6 or 7 things. CNN: We may be able to reverse signs of early Alzheimers disease. This was also covered on Science Daily in September of this year: Memory Loss Associated with Alzheimer's Reversed: Small Trial Succeeds using a System's Approach to Memory Disorders.
Well I read other stories that stated there were at least 36 individual causes or cofactors in the development of this disease, and I don't know about you, but I wanted the whole list, thank you very much. And in uncovering that, I found a lot more than I bargained for (but in a good way).
Those factors include 36 potential deficiencies, imbalances and sources of inflammation. "Each one of these things contributes a small piece of the puzzle," said Bredesen. "It's like a roof with 36 holes in it. Some people have a big hole in, say, exercise, and maybe a smaller hole in another area." CNN
The name you want to know is Bredesen (Dr) And the whole paper can be accessed at
Aging. Reversal of Cognitive decline: A Novel Therapeutic Program. Where I quote the Bresden Paper, I have added the word (cancer) next to his chosen terminology, Neoplasia or oncogenesis to make the reading a bit easier. Otherwise the quotes have not been altered.
It's 17 pages long and I suggest if you have a family member with Alzheimers or if you are at risk for this disease yourself, you print this up. It's a step by step list of things you can do to take your care into your own hands.
What I love about this paper is that Dr Bredesen makes no secret that there are complicated cofactors that lead to the condition we know as Alzheimers, and that this doctor observes that by addressing those cofactors, an individual in the early stages of the disease, that some patients can halt the progression and in some cases reverse the condition entirely. Some have described it as a "Systems Approach" to treatment and all I can say is, "Its about damn time!" The irony is, I have been reading an older book on Living Systems: The Web of Life by Fritjof Capra, and have been fascinated by his explorations of culture, deep ecology, and study of life. So his description of autopoiesis immediately connected in my mind, to the Bredesen paper.
Autopoesis: The pattern of organization of living systems., A defining characteristic of life; Self-making (therefore self-perpetuation?) a network of patterns in which the function of each component is to participate in the production or transformation of other components in the network. (Fritjof Capra, The Web of Life pp162)
This quote makes me think of the cellular processes, but also how that affects not only cognition, but self awareness, and how structurally, these manifest as the body self-making and perpetuating the components that sustain and project the mind and personality--our unique cognitive identities. Processes that are disrupted and corrupted in Alzheimers which leads to the loss of the self which is outwardly manifested as loss of memories. Everything we are, is premised on our memories outwardly.
Another quote from Capra also stood out as I read Bredesen:
Moreover, recent research indicates strongly that in the human organism the nervous system, the immune system, and the endocrine system, which traditionally have been viewed as three separate systems, in fact form a single cognitive network. (Fritof Capra, The Web of Life pp176).
Like I said--it's about damn time that we start seeing our bodies and self care in terms of a systems approach. Bredesen is specific in his paper that mono-therapies do not work, meaning single issue treatments do not work. That this takes an approach that not only acknowledges but utilizes the system of the body-brain-mind as a whole in order to turn back the clock of cognitive decline.
Most people imagine Alzheimer's as this memory issue, Grandma and Grandpa can't remember your name and get lost in the neighborhood, while retrieving the mail. That's just the middle stages of the progression of the disease. As it goes on, the patient will forget how to swallow their own food. Their cognition will be reduced beyond that of even an infant, and a feeding tube will have to be installed. The millions of processes and knowledge you take for granted every day, are whittled away until you are immobile, speechless and incapable of feeding yourself. Simple things like holding a spoon or fork, how to use the toilet, tying your shoes, what is good to eat or okay even to put in your mouth. The disease attacks us at our most basic cognitive-levels. Not just the loss of self, not just institutionalization, but being reduced to an adult baby in every sense of the word. This is what frightens people. I have relatives who have died of this in that state. I have other relatives who have openly discussed suicide if they are diagnosed with Alzheimers. It frightens people to such a degree.
So the Bredesen paper with it's system's approach is hopeful indeed, especially for those of us who have this in their families, who carry various risk factors, but who have not manifested outward signs of decline.
This is epigenetics in action. What exactly is epigenetics?
Epigenetics literally means "above" or "on top of" genetics. It refers to external modifications of DNA that turns genes "on" or "off". These modifications do not change the DNA sequence, but instead, they affect how cells "read" genes. (LiveScience)
Some thing(s) have gone wrong over time that have disrupted the cellular processes in the body, that lead to the build up of Amyloid Beta and Tau Proteins in the brain, which in turn, have damaged structures in the brain leading to memory loss and cognitive decline. This process, because it is a systems malfunction, is self-making, or autopeitic meaning that your body is going to perpetuate this malfunction until there are modifications that either mitigate these malfunctions or stop them altogether. We know that diet, exercise, sleep, and stress-reduction are all methods in which we can modify some of the body's epigenetic expressions in a positive direction, putting some of those interconnected systems back into balance within themselves and possibly within their interconnections to wider systems functions. We also know this to be true for conditions other than Alzheimers Disease.
You see, you cannot change your genes. But you can sometimes encourage your body, through various means, to switch bad genes off and good genes on. I suspect that those of us who are environmentally sensitive, have epigenetic switches that are simply easier to reposition. Epigenetics is all about tipping points. Tipping your body's functions enough to switch those good genes on and those bad or defective genes off. What makes this so amazing is that these switches can be moved several times in the course of a lifetime. So this happens while you are living and breathing. This process doesn't have to necessarily be activated with some exotic or expensive drug, or life threatening surgery. Things as simple as altering your diet, quitting smoking or other bad habits, getting more exercise, reducing stress and improving the quality of your sleep can all be factors in flipping these genetic switches in a more positive direction.
Let that sink in for a second.
Now make way Neuroplasticity, for BioPlasticity. Our bodies, if treated properly, are incredibly resilient. This might not work for every single person on the planet, but if this even halted 20 percent of future cases--wouldn't that be something? If the results of this study are any indication, it will be a larger percentage of cases halted by far.
What is Neuroplasticity?
It's the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. Neuroplasticity allows neurons (nerve cells) to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to new changes in their environment. Medicinenet.com
Amyloid plaques stop neuroplasticity dead in it's tracks. It's the crap blocking the drawer from opening from the inside, it's the goat tracks of crap in our brain, like plaques in an artery, it blocks everything. But we can encourage the body to clear those plaques, and if caught early enough, even prevent those plaques from forming.
By encouraging the body to clear out the plaques associated with Alzheimers, the brain is able to resume and preserve it's neuroplasticity. The brain is able to resume it's self-healing capabilities.
What is truly exciting to me, is that much of this is the same "alternative" approaches used by cancer patients, and those with MS, and Autism Spectrum Disorders, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Type II Diabetes and TILT. And Dr Bredesen actually points this out in the paper. A pattern that has emerged, one known witnessed and utilized by many people in the alternative healthcare community, that has been catching on, in conventional care slowly over time.
"The therapeutic success for other chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and HIV, has been improved through the use of combination therapies...Extensive studies from numerous laboratories have identified multiple pathogenic targets for potential intervention. These include in addition to amyloid-Beta (AB) oligomers and tau, inflammatory mediators, apoliprotients and lipid metabolism factors, hormonal mediators, trophic factors and their receptors, calcium regulatory pathways, axoplasmic transport machinery, neurotransmitters and their receptors, prion protein and a host of other potential targets. (Bredesen pp3 of 17)"
I am especially excited where Bredesen compares cancer and AD--
"Furthermore, just as for neoplasia (cancer), positive feedback selects and amplifies the disease process, however whereas in oncogenesis (cancer), the positive feedback occurs at the cellular level, in Alzheimer's diease, the positive feedback occurs at the molecular species level, in the form of prionic loops (ibid)."
The last quote---genetic transcription errors form a positive feedback loop that causes abnormal cells to proliferate uncontrollably, and become self sustaining, and not die. This is cancer or as Dr Bredesen refers to it, neoplasia.
In the brain, this loop happens in protein folding, creating amyloid beta and tau to proliferate when they are not regularly swept out of the brain by regular, normal cellular processes disrupted by molecular irregularities. (or at least that's my best if limited layperson's understanding of the statement)--still very interesting comparison.
Both of these abnormal states can be mitigated by diet, exercise, sleep-therapy, stress-reduction, and supplementation. (think back to earlier Capra quotes in this diary).
Its a big wow moment if ever there was one.
This is exciting because much of this could happen at home. Lowering healthcare costs considerably in both the long and short term.
In the following quote Dr Breseden openly discusses supplementation and exercise as minimally successful, but ultimately in need of a more systematic approach in order to address a "network" of malfunctions. Remember there are 36 potential holes in that proverbial roof, so when we undertake a program we need to address that by creating a multifaceted approach, rather than a monotreatment, i.e., no magic bullet (note singular):
"...the minimal success with each of many potentially therapeutic agents (e.g., estrogen, melatonin, exercise, vitamin D, curcumin, Ashwagandha, etc.), the pathobiology of AD dictates a system or program rather than a single targeted agent. Successes with other chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, neoplasia, and HIV support the efficacy of multiple-component systems (Bredesen 5 pf 17)"
HRT is used for women who sometimes suffer mental decline in menopause. Even after menopause the ovaries create small amounts of estrogen and estradiol for 30 years, that offer protection for mental function/cognition, and protect the lungs, bones, and heart. So Estrogen plays a role in brain health for aging women or those who have had hysterectomies. And if the regular pharmaceutical type of HRT is not well tolerated, many women go for Bio-Identical hormones derived from other substances.
Melatonin is a substance produced by the body that regulates our circadian rhythms; it is a cofactor in the production and release of hormones, and is a powerful antioxidant that can actually slow the growth of tumors or prevent their genesis. It's also an OTC treatment that people utilize as a sleep aid. Normally this hormone is produced by the pineal gland, but normal levels can be reduced by chronic stress and sleep deprivation or other factors. Specifically Melatonin protects the mitochondria in cells from free radical damage. (Balch pp65)
Exercise: Exercise gets the body to circulating better, to detox better, to form muscle mass, to produce hormones in the correct amounts, and minimize bone loss even as one ages. It oxygenates the tissues too, including the heart and the brain and stimulates the liver. And it can also help people achieve better sleep, by reducing stress and causing the body to become physically tired enough to ignore the chattering, anxious brain.
Vitamin D--it's really more like a hormone, expecially D3. Its produced by our bodies when our skin is exposed to sunlight. It assists calcium and phosphorous absorption, and can affect bone density and it's absence or low levels is highly associated with increased risks of cancer, reduced cognition, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and low levels may also be associated with MS and Type I and II Diabetes. You will notice that a lot of these vitamins are involved in fat metabolism, or are fat soluble like Vitamin D. D3 is the favored form which is cholecalciferol, this form of Vitamin D is considered the most active. One super cheap way to get you D3 for free, is to expose your the face and arms to the sun (with no sunblock) for 15 minutes per day. However people with very dark skin may still need to supplement this vitamin, because they do not produce as much Vitamin D naturally. People who live in the North, also because the sunlight is weaker. Food that carries Vitamin D: Mushrooms. If you like fungus, then eat up, the fresher the better. Real Butter, contains vitamin D, egg yolks, cod liver oil, oatmeal, salmon, sweet potatoes, alfalfa, parsely, horsetail and nettle. Keep in mind you can over dose on supplemental D. So in addition to doing your research, always read the directions on the bottle too, and if you have any special medical conditions, consult a doctor and a pharmacist to check for other counter-indications. Vitamin D needs to be taken with calcium; it helps with the absorption process, but also helps to prevent toxicity due to the Vitamin D. It's best if you can get most of this from food and sunlight if at all possible. The best way to get your vitamins and nutrients is in food if at all possible. Supplementation is really for people who have conditions that cause them to have a deficit of a substance in their body. (Balch pp24-25) FYI--here are more symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency. There is even an app to help you get optimum sun exposure to produce Vitamin D--See D-minder. It is recommended that Vitamin D be taken with Vitamin K2. Keep in mind if you are on anticoagulants, your doctor will tell you to avoid K-rich foods or supplements. So don't forget to find out what is safe for you, given your medical history and that means double and triple checking with a doctor and a pharmacist about possible drug interactions or counter-indications.
Curcumin is an herb found in curry with fantastic anti-inflammatory properties, and has been shown in vitro to stop cancer cells from dividing, much like ginger and parsley. Studies have emerged showing that curcumin disrupts the creation of Amyloid plaque creation.
One aspect of this paper that excites me is that many of these substances can be accessed by anyone who is reasonably informed. If you have other pre-existing medical conditions, it's good to consult your doctor(s) first, but if you don't have a doctor, if you are otherwise healthy and not on any additional drugs or treatments, many of these remedies are OTC (Over The Counter).
If you have the money and access to a sympathetic and progressive doctor, you can always have labs run on your blood to check for certain vitamin deficiencies, heavy metal poisoning, and other conditions that might contribute to, or mimic alzheimers.
Much of what is listed can be incorporated long before AD is even a matter to worry about. Habits can be built in childhood that could prevent many if not most cases of AD. If you have ever watched loved ones die from this disease, then you know what miracle that can be.
I was always taught in the alternative healthcare community, whatever good thing you do for your heart, you also do for your genitals and your brain. And the reverse is also true in a general sense.
The Bredesen paper states that there is a threshold of success. That once a patient has positively impacted enough of the "network components," that the "pathogenic process would be halted or reversed." And because there are so many components identified in this work (36) it's also easy to personalize care for each individual patient, by addressing via process of elimination, the lacks in their profile that contribute to their mental decline and the pathology that drives it. That is also very exciting news. I don't know about you, but I am tired of the hit or miss with various "magic bullets" in medicine. I am very happy to see doctors making a more holistic, systems approach.
If you want to read the entire list of components that need to be addressed, scroll down to page 7 of 17. That's where it starts. Don't be afraid to get online and look up the words and the acronyms, because this is some obscure stuff. There are lots of big words and jargon in this paper. You have a keyboard and computer at your disposal, just look it up.
The paper even mentions the use of prebiotics and probiotics to improve gut health. We now know that the gut biome can also significantly impact one's mood or mental health. And this could help eliminate or at least mitigate one risk factor of AD which is Depression. See also WebMD on this topic. This excites me because probiotics are fairly easy to access in regular stores now. You can dose yourself with probiotics by eating cultured or fermented food such as buttermilk, cheeses, kefir, miso, sauerkraut, tempeh, umeboshi or yogurt. And now, many grocers carry probiotic shots in the milk section of the store as well. Probiotics help you utilize Vitamin K and Vitamin D, they control the growth of yeast and other pathogens in the GI, and when considered in conjunction with the whole GI Biome inside your body, comprise 70 percent of your immune system. Little things mean a lot here. Remember we are looking for a tipping point to reverse pathology and increase optimization. (Balch pp89)
I bet you are wondering what a Prebiotic is? It's often a fiber, ingested, but not immediately digestible that creates a food source for good bacteria in the human GI. One common pre-biotic is Innulin often taken from Jerusalem Artichokes. Other sources: Bananas, whole grains, onions, and leeks are an example. Prebiotics also help with magnesium and calcium absorption in the body. (wikipedia) Innulin is sold in supplemental form by many vitamin companies as a powder that can be mixed with juice.
The very basic points of the Bredesen Paper:
Low Glycemic Diet aka Anti-Inflammatory Diet, in addition to reducing insulin resistance.
Fasting to increase autophagy, and to reduce insulin resistance. Now when Dr Bredesen states fasting, this isn't about fasting for a day or days like some people do. This is about waiting 3 hours between lunch and dinner, and waiting 12 hours between Dinner and the following breakfast (when you are sleeping).
So no eating after 8 pm.
What is autophagy? It's the controlled digestion of damaged organelles within a cell, and the maintenance of bodily nutrition by metabollic breakdown of some bodily tissues. The inference in the Bredesen Paper is that autophagy acts like the garbage collectors in the body and this process helps clear out amyloid beta plaques in the brain.
Remember this isn't a magic bullet, this paper details processes that can be impacted and reversed to create optimization of normal functioning in the body and brain that affects./mitigates the pathological cofactors that lead to AD. So if someone were already in the advanced stages of AD, this might not work very well or not at all, because the build up of plaques in the brain would be too great. But on new cases, or people at risk, ensuring they embrace some or most of these preventative behaviors, could reverse the beginnings of AD or prevent plaque build up entirely. Others have written about the benefits of the autophagy process.
Autophagy is the way your cells “clean house” and “recycle the trash”. Along with the ubiquitin proteasome system, autophagy is one of the main methods that cells use to clear dysfunctional or misfolded proteins. Autophagy can clear any kind of trash: intracellular viruses, bacteria, damaged proteins, protein aggregates and subcellular organelles. Autophagy--the housekeeper in every cell that fights aging.
It is amazing to me, that to activate this process is so stupid-simple, but the advantages are so amazing and beneficial.
The Bredesen paper indicates that stress reduction via meditation, yoga or music is to reduce cortisol production, and something called CRF or Cortocotropin Releasing Factor. Increased levels of CRF are associated with Alzheimers and Depression. It's released by the hypothalamus as part of the stress response.
... CRH can suppress appetite, increase subjective feelings of anxiety, and perform other functions like boosting attention. Although the distal action of CRH is immunosuppression via the action of cortisol, CRH itself can actually heighten inflammation, a process being investigated in multiple sclerosis research (Wikipedia)
A little off topic here, but I bet this is part of the process that leads to premature births in females with PTSD. But note that it suppresses immunity and heightens inflammation. This would be two gigantic factors in a whole host of medical conditions, including cancer.
The paper also indicates that Heavy Metal Toxicity should be eliminated. This requires blood tests. It's well known that lead makes people stupid and mean. But what a lot of people do not know is that heavy metals have a tendency to replace beneficial minerals at the molecular level in the body, leading to all sorts of problems, including cellular transcription errors. Cadmium replaces Zinc, Lead replaces Calcium, Mercury has terrible effects on the brain and nervous system Remember this process is similar to cancer except that this happens at the molecular level and involves misfolded proteins. Heavy metal poisoning also happens at the molecular level, hence their similarities in symptoms at times, because heavy metal poisoning affects the brain and nervous system initially.
Mercury irreversibly inhibits selenium-dependent enzymes (see below) and may also inactivate S-adenosyl-methionine, which is necessary for catecholamine catabolism by catechol-o-methyl transferase. Due to the body's inability to degrade catecholamines (e.g. epinephrine), a person suffering from mercury poisoning may experience profuse sweating, tachycardia (persistently faster-than-normal heart beat), increased salivation, and hypertension (high blood pressure). (Wikipedia) Selenium is very important for cellular transcription and immunity and it prevents the oxidation of fats. It also regulates the thyroid . A deficiency in selenium is associated with cancer and heart disease. But judging from it's function in the pancreas, and prostate, throwing mercury in where selenium should be, would probably cause bigger problems than that. The fact that it affects fat oxidation, we need fats for our brain and nervous system. So mercury would be a potent poison for the brain. Mercury among other heavy metal pollutants are ubiquitous these days. These substances are found in everything from seafood to air and water pollution, dust, paints, etc.,
The instructions in this paper will help a lot of people, but it could be used to mitigate more than just Alzheimers. It is a glaring indictment against the American Processed Food Diet, and one more piece of evidence that we need to be more careful about which pollutants we tolerate in our world. Most importantly, it can give the families and patients some control over their lives again. Maybe just a bit hope and a happier, healthier better quality of life.
Nothing in this diary is meant to replace professional medical advice. The diary is however, meant to inform and empower people. I strongly urge interested parties to read the paper.
Balch references were taken from Prescription for Nutritional Healing (4th ed) by Phyllis A. Balch CNC.
4:44 PM PT: Congratulations to Martha Ture, a fellow Kossack whose diary on this same subject--published a couple days ago, made it onto Alternet. http://www.alternet.org/...
This is an important subject and deserves all the attention and awareness we can generate.
Here is her original diary at the Kos:
Alzheimer's Disease Reversed for the First Time
I couldn't find that this morning--the computer I have was being slow.
In a related vein, I found the first morning of 2015: A company tried to force a switch from an Alzheimer's drug that was due to lose its protective patent, for a slightly changed version that will have a protective patent for the next 10 years. A judge ruled against this. The drug is called, Namenda. You can read the whole story at CBS News.
One more story highlighting the terrible need we have to control Drug manufacture, patent and distribution in the US, so that affordable, safe, and potent drugs are kept available to all us peasants and peons.