Whilst researching this subject further, I accidentally came across this. Nattokinase is another proteolytic enzyme (like serrapeptase and some of the enzymes contained in Wobenzym). I think this is yet another indication of the as yet unrealized potential of proteolytic enzymes. If you combine a low-carb diet with extra supplementation of proteolytic enzymes (take your pick from those mentioned above), I think you might make yourself "Alzheimer's-proof".

My google search on "nattokinase Alzheimer's" netted quite a few results. Have a look yourself (as I said, for some reason, I have to hand-write in links, and it is very time consuming) and you might be surprised!

amanda

That is a very interesting paper, Many thanks.

I like the way they say The discovery of an enzyme which can be safely taken orally and can degrade amyloid fibrils could be very useful in the therapy of amyloid-related diseases

I think actually it's free full text online

here is an article on the subject.
Nattokinase Enzyme Reduces Alzheimer's Risk

No probs, glad to be of assistance!

My experience with taking Wobenzym is that it can cause a little GI discomfort, but this is because you're supposed to take it between meals, on a totally empty stomach, which is difficult to stick to. I now take my daily ration after I've been for my middle-of-the-night loo visit and no longer have any GI issues.

What I have also found is that fibrin, the anti-blood-clotting enzyme in our bodies, decreases in amount in our bodies as we age and may thus contribute to many diseases of ageing, such as heart attack, stroke and so on.

By taking proteolytic enzyme supplements (properly), you can boost your own body's supply of these enzymes and reduce clots etc.

I found some other stuff, too, which I'm compiling in a word doc. I could send it to your email address (it's on the Swaby Manor pages somewhere if I'm not mistaken) if you're interested.

My dad has had a TIA, and also has a furred-up carotid artery. I was compiling this stuff for him to read and to take to his doc in the hope that he might be able to get it prescribed. If not, I'll buy him some nattokinase for his next birthday!!!

Take care,

amanda

This is very interesting information.
Makes you think. There is an epidemic of people with AD and may be a result of pushing high carb low fat for the last few decades.
wow

CADDYM

It's perhaps a little more complex than you may think.
There may be a role for infection in the story and the lowering of Vitamin D status is a further player.
But the pattern is familiar in several conditions.

Regulated Proteolysis of RAGE and AbetaPP as Possible Link Between Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Alzheimer's Disease.

Now who would have guessed there was a similar pattern in Prostate cancers?
Amyloid Formation by the Pro-Inflammatory S100A8/A9 Proteins in the Ageing Prostate

The results provide strong support for the prediction that the generic ability of polypeptide chains to convert into amyloids could lead to their involvement in an increasing number of otherwise apparently unrelated diseases, particularly those associated with ageing.


{beta}-Amyloid, Blood Vessels, and Brain Function.Cerebrovascular disease and Alzheimer disease are common diseases of aging and frequently coexist in the same brain. Accumulating evidence suggests that the presence of brain infarction, including silent infarction, influences the course of Alzheimer disease. Conversely, there is evidence that beta-amyloid can impair blood vessel function. Vascular beta-amyloid deposition, also known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy, is associated with vascular dysfunction in animal and human studies.

I sometimes get the feeling the researchers are beavering away at finding out more minuscule details in their own particular specialty and not seeing that the same pattern of disease response is occurring elsewhere in the system.

I just finished watching HBO's Alzheimer's Project and couldn't help but notice that all of the patients were eating sugar-loaded foods and several had diabetes. Several were cookie monsters and they showed one 63-year old at the grocery store buying two bags full of cookies & cakes. The show, however didn't comment on it. They did show the 30-40 lb overweight doctor conducting the "MEAL" study comparing high-fat high-carb diets to low-fat low-carb diets and blamed the fat for the amyloid deposits, not the sugar. As usual, I was yelling at the TV that they should have tried a high-fat low-carb diet - one that the patients and doctor would actually be able to stick to.

Originally posted by Hutchinson:



ABSOLUTELY!!! They can't see the wood for the trees.

On the papers/abstracts you posted: I read some product reviews in German posted by people taking Wobenzym. Some of them posted that their C-reactive protein levels were markedly lower after taking Wobenzym. Another wrote that all visible signs of a previous heart attack disappeared after he (without telling his doctors) had put himself on Wobenzym. He returned to the doctors for a check-up and the doctor who checked him thought they had got the wrong person!!! This guy even left a phone number on the product review, and I found his website but the email address wasn't correct.

Proteolytic enzymes also help with cardiovascular disease in general. So, if they help with "cleaning up" the vessels of the heart, it doesn't seem to me to be a huge leap of faith to assume that they could help elsewhere in the body, too. I seriously believe that the therapeutic benefits of these enzymes are underestimated.

The first abstract you posted was very technical and I didn't really follow it seeing as I don't know half of the words. But what came across - if I'm not totally stupid - was that these disorders are also related to proteins getting to places that they shouldn't. If there are enough proteolytic enzymes in the body, then these will be automatically dealt with. However, it seems that our supplies of enzymes also diminish with age (this is certainly true of amylase). By supplementation we can perhaps slow down this ageing process and help our body get rid of proteins that may cause damage if not eliminated or restructured.

amanda

Here in the supplementary films section It's possible to comment on some of the sections of the film.
Like you I was shouting "It's the carbs that raise insulin, not the fat" at the video as I saw the comparison diet foods set out. I've made a few comments on other sections of the film so I don't want to appear to be critical of the whole series. I thought it was very moving and the research was interesting and I've learnt a lot BUT, I am absolutely convinced there is stuff we can do now, without further research, to apply the knowledge we have to reduce Alzheimer's incidence, Reducing obesity by cutting down on sugar and fructose intake and lowering the refined carbohydrate content of our diets is one thread, and improving the anti inflammatory vitamin D/omega3/magnesium side is the other combined with a lower intake of omega 6 pro inflammatory fats.
While I think a lot of the research is fascinating I'm cross it's all geared to high tech, expensive, drug related interventions when what we need are simple inexpensive changes to diet and lifestyle to prevent AD.

I'm copying this post from another forum just in case it goes missing.

This study Dietary Enrichment with Medium Chain Triglycerides (AC-1203) Elevates Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Parietal Cortex of Aged Dogs: Implications for Treating Age-Related Cognitive Decline. shows us that that adding MCTs (that are found in coconut oil) to the diet of dogs with “age-related cognitive decline” increased the levels of omega-3 fatty acids in the parietal cortex of the brain. This is the part of the brain severely affected in Alzheimer’s disease.

Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish, but they are not in coconut oil however coconut oil is a good source of MCT's and MCT oil is made from coconut oil.

They think the MCTs liberated omega-3s from fat stores already present in the body so they could then be used in the brain. MCT's because they are more readily broken down get your body more used to burning fat rather than glucose.

It could also be that Changing the oil in your diet changes the adverse impact some oils have on your omega 3 levels

It looks likeThose oils highest in omega 6 are best avoided so that's another good reason for using coconut oil instead.

Stephan Whole Health Source has written a lot about omega 6 and the omega 3 ratio, and it's relatively easy to understand his explanation of what can be a complicated story.

Because Coconut Oil is not patentable there is absolutely no money to be made in promoting it's use. (hence the need to patent ketone agents)

In the UK, "Ethnic" type grocers serving the Asian Community sell coconut oil for around £2 a pot. If you go to the high street health food shops you can pay £12 for the same size pot albeit the health food version is "Organic" and may have a more coconutty flavour. (this may/may not be an advantage if you want to use it in cookery)

However, if you search online you should be able to find suppliers who offer BULK BUY containers 10 litres for £75 delivered in the UK. Jimmy Moore in the USA also buys his CO in bulk. The stuff I buy works out about £3.50 a pot (delivered) and it's organic, cold pressed and very tasty. I'd also buy the Indian grocers CO as well but we live in an area where there aren't any Indian/Pakistan grocers so I have to wait till I'm in Nottingham or Leicester.

Most people with Alzheimer's will die from infection.

Coconut oil is antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial. It attacks and kills viruses that have a lipid (fatty) coating, such as herpes, HIV, hepatitis C, the flu, and mononucleosis. It kills the bacteria that cause pneumonia, sore throats, dental cavities, urinary tract infections, meningitis, gonorrhea, food poisoning and many, many more bacterial infections. It kills the fungus/yeast infections that cause candida, ringworm, athletes foot, thrush, jock itch, diaper rash and more.

I'm happy to produce the science papers that back each of those claims but I realise the bombarding the site with links may be hard work for the mods and make the brains of readers suffer from undue fatigue.

But we can also consider whether CO MAY be useful in prevention?

It seems sense to me, as you have the choice about whether to choose Coconut oil or an Omega 6 vegetable oil that is likely to cause inflammation, to choose the oil that is most likely to help the brain/body deal inflammation and infection is common sense. This isn't new information. We've known since 1999 That Coconut Oil and Fish Oil diminish production of proinflammatory cytokines.
This indicates these fatty acids might be useful therapies in acute and chronic inflammatory diseases.
If it turns out that APP and Aβ are damage response proteins produced in response to low grade inflammation, then the key to prevention will be a diet/supplement/lifestyle that keeps inflammation at bay. Hence my interest in Coconut oil, fish oil (omega 3) and Vitamin D3. All good anti inflammatory agents known to work in the brain.

A small clarification about VCO from my reading on the matter...

Hutchinson posted the following:



My DH and I recently suspected that our eldest daughter had mono and, having an inkling that mono could be killed by VCO, I looked it up in my Bruce Fife book and found that the experiment (I do believe it was just the one) "proving" the claim that lipid-coated viruses are killed by VCO were in vitro experiments, not in vivo ones, i.e. that they were done in test tubes, petri dishes or whatever, and not in actual living animals or humans. Now, of course, it is good news and does indeed seem very promising that VCO dissolves the lipid coating of viruses and bacteria in glass containers, but, we shouldn't get our hopes up unduly: whether the same reaction happens in the completely different conditions of the human body is another matter entirely. Equally, in the case of my ED when she had mono (or whatever it was, we never found out for sure), a body which contains a compromised immune system may react differently to VCO than a healthy body, or an ageing body.

Nonetheless, when my ED was ill (she was off school for 2 months), I insisted that she have VCO in her morning tea! I knew it wasn't going to do her any harm, which is a heck of a lot more than you can say for most things produced by Big Pharma.

Hutchinson also quotes the following:



These claims have been backed up by my own experience and you'll see many testimonials on the internet in which people praise the properties of VCO. I strongly believe that VCO has strong anti-bacterial properties. The active ingredient, caprylic acid, is what you need to look for in supplements which will help with yeast infections, not just use VCO in its oil form.

I used it the other day - on the off chance - for tooth ache!!! I have a somewhat problematic tooth and wondered whether the pain was bacterial, so I swished for five minutes with VCO and it went away!

VCO ROCKS!!!

amanda

Hypometabolism as a therapeutic target in Alzheimer's disease

This is a full text paper explaining the use of ketones to help those with Alzheimer's.

Is vitamin D deficiency linked to Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia?
Hypothesis explored in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, May 26, 2009 – There are several risk factors for the development of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Based on an increasing number of studies linking these risk factors with Vitamin D deficiency, an article in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (May 2009) by William B. Grant, PhD of the Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center (SUNARC) suggests that further investigation of possible direct or indirect linkages between Vitamin D and these dementias is needed.

Low serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] have been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, depression, dental caries, osteoporosis, and periodontal disease, all of which are either considered risk factors for dementia or have preceded incidence of dementia. In 2008, a number of studies reported that those with higher serum 25(OH)D levels had greatly reduced risk of incidence or death from cardiovascular diseases.

Several studies have correlated tooth loss with development of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia. There are two primary ways that people lose teeth: dental caries and periodontal disease. Both conditions are linked to low vitamin D levels, with induction of human cathelicidin by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D being the mechanism.

There is also laboratory evidence for the role of vitamin D in neuroprotection and reducing inflammation, and ample biological evidence to suggest an important role for vitamin D in brain development and function.

Given these supportive lines of evidence, Dr. Grant suggests that studies of incidence of dementia with respect to prediagnostic serum 25(OH)D or vitamin D supplementation are warranted. In addition, since the elderly are generally vitamin D deficient and since vitamin D has so many health benefits, those over the age of 60 years should consider having their serum 25(OH)D tested, looking for a level of at least 30 ng/mL but preferably over 40 ng/mL, and supplementing with 1000-2000 IU/day of vitamin D3 or increased time in the sun spring, summer, and fall if below those values.

Writing in the article, Dr. Grant states, "There are established criteria for causality in a biological system. The important criteria include strength of association, consistency of findings, determination of the dose-response relation, an understanding of the mechanisms, and experimental verification. To date, the evidence includes observational studies supporting a beneficial role of vitamin D in reducing the risk of diseases linked to dementia such as vascular and metabolic diseases, as well as an understanding of the role of vitamin D in reducing the risk of several mechanisms that lead to dementia."

Plaques and Tangles May Not Doom the Very Old to DementiaHey, there may be some hope that if you can slow the progression of plaques/tangles sufficiently your brain may actually learn to adapt by allowing compensatory processes, and interaction with coexisting illnesses.

Looks like we've got to add curry into the anti-Alzheimer's diet, too!

amanda

This list of recent Curcumin Alzheimer's related research shows a lot of interest is being shown.

Do take note of the fact that nobody is suggesting that a failure to eat curry is the cause of dementia, or curcumin deficiency status is the cause of Alzheimer's and consuming turmeric daily offers a cure.
That said Curcumin can reduce inflammation and neurodegeneration because it has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-amyloidogenic effects.

Remember the cost of turmeric is low, the risk of using it is nil (it's a part of the daily diet in some countries) so if you use some daily you MAY benefit.

If you don't believe turmeric (or vitamin D for that matter) helps and don't supplement, then one thing is certain you cannot benefit from them. If ,when the research comes in that actually proves they do help, you will have experienced unnecessary degeneration that could have been avoided.

Obviously with some supplements the cost is prohibitive for daily use particularly if the potential benefit is debatable, other strategies that MAY be of benefit may have other risks attached to them that require professional judgement but for curcumin and vitamin D cost and risk aren't factors that come into the equation so it's a win win situation.