Hutchinson,

Thought you might enjoy the below.

Brain Starvation As We Age

Glucose is the form of sugar that travels in your bloodstream to fuel the mitochondrial furnaces responsible for your brain power. Glucose is the only fuel normally used by brain cells. Because neurons cannot store glucose, they depend on the bloodstream to deliver a constant supply of this precious fuel.

Glucose from carbohydrates is the fuel your brain uses to produce the energy that moves and motivates you.

This blood sugar is obtained from carbohydrates: the starches and sugars you eat in the form of grains and legumes, fruits and vegetables.

Too much sugar or refined carbohydrates at one time, however, can actually deprive your brain of glucose – depleting its energy supply and compromising your brain's power to concentrate, remember, and learn.

Perhaps moderation in our carbohydrate aversion would be beneficial in Alzheimer’s avoidance?

Bo

Dietary supplementation with resveratrol reduces plaque pathology in a transgenic model of Alzheimer's disease.

Resveratrol, a polyphenol found in red wine, peanuts, soy beans, and pomegranates, possesses a wide range of biological effects. Since resveratrol's properties seem ideal for treating neurodegenerative diseases, its ability to diminish amyloid plaques was tested. Mice were fed clinically feasible dosages of resveratrol for forty-five days. Neither resveratrol nor its conjugated metabolites were detectable in brain. Nevertheless, resveratrol diminished plaque formation in a region specific manner. The largest reductions in the percent area occupied by plaques were observed in medial cortex (-48%), striatum (-89%) and hypothalamus (-90%). The changes occurred without detectable activation of SIRT-1 or alterations in APP processing. However, brain glutathione declined 21% and brain cysteine increased 54%. The increased cysteine and decreased glutathione may be linked to the diminished plaque formation. This study supports the concept that onset of neurodegenerative disease may be delayed or mitigated with use of dietary chemo-preventive agents that protect against beta-amyloid induced neuronal damage.

Source: Department of Neurology and Neurosciences, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Burke Medical Research Institute.

Antipsychotic drugs double risk of death among Alzheimer's patients

9th January 2009

New research into the effects of antipsychotic drugs commonly prescribed to Alzheimer's patients concludes that the medication nearly doubles risk of death over three years. The study, funded by the Alzheimer's Research Trust, was led by Prof Clive Ballard's King's College London team and is published in Lancet Neurology on 9 January. The study involved 165 Alzheimer's patients in UK care homes who were being prescribed antipsychotics. 83 continued treatment and the remaining 82 had it withdrawn and were instead given oral placebos.

Findings showed a significant increase in risk of death for patients who continued taking antipsychotic medication. The difference between the two groups became more pronounced over time, with 24-month survival rates for antipsychotic-treated patients falling to 46% versus 71% on the placebo and at 36 months it was 30% versus 59%. It means that after three years, less than a third of people on antipsychotics were alive compared to nearly two thirds using the dummy drug.

As many as 100,000 people with dementia are routinely prescribed antipsychotic drugs in UK care homes. It could mean 23,500 people dying prematurely, according to a 2008 report by Paul Burstow MP.

http://www.alzheimers-research.org.uk/

Not trying to beat this Alzheimer’s to death. However, this is important new information if you know someone taking these medications.

Bo

Without wishing to be unduly provocactive Which is worse an assisted euthansia plan that works fast or slow.

The brains natural detoxifying agent, the brains natural anti inflammatory agent is being withheld from people in institutionalised care (the amount of Vitamin D3 deficiency in care homes for the elderly is a disgrace) when they do try to correct it 99 times out of a100 they use the form D2 least well absorbed and least well utilised by older people on top of that when they know Alzheimers is associated with glucose malabsorption they stuff carbs into them throughout the day. That's the slow way of assisted euthanasia for Alzheimer's patients (standard treatment for all)

The quicker way is to aid that process with antipsychotic drugs. Bearing in mind that vitamin D deficiency leads to constant pain and loss of even more cognitive functions which is the kinder option?

Vitamin D 'is mental health aid'

When reading the response to these articles from the charities and health professionals you can see them working out the cost implications if their client base was significantly lower and the impact this would have on their career prospects/earnings potential. It's perfectly clear they are not putting the best interests of patients first.

Restoring the level of 25(OH)D to the natural levels our bodies would attain and maintain given access to regular full body sun exposure is risk free.

Clearly we cannot strip old folk naked and forcibly expose them to the midday sun for around half an hour each day but we can provide the biologically identical substance Cholecalciferol, that the skin makes itself. (albeit in smaller amounts as the skin thins as we age, or consume statins) With less cholesterol in the skin their is less potential for converting this to Vitamin D3.

It has been shown there is no risk to consuming 10,000iu/daily and the cost of this to the UK is roughly 10p daily, though bulk buying and the use perhaps a 50,000iu capsule every 5 days could bring the cost down to around 4p daily. Surely what we are currently doing by locking old people up away from access to natural sunlight and not replacing the vitamin D3 their skin would naturally make is tantamount to assisted euthanasia. The fact we know that low vitamin D status is associated with increased levels of chronic pain makes it even more unjustifiable that 25(OH)D levels are never checked in the elderly and when they are the only form of Vitamin D replacement made available is the synthetic form D2 Ergocalciferol, that we know isn't well utilised by elderly people.

How to cheat the undertaker! (and the brain-taker)


The glucose metabaolism problem is most likely insulin resistance in the brain.

The experiments were performed on dogs, so as I read about the improved mitochondrial function of the dogs in the article I kept thinking, "I should really give some of this stuff to my dog."

So you're still taking MCT Nancy? I bought some after reading a couple of your posts but haven't started yet. How much do you use?

I'm not. Someone told me it was rough on the gut and I was going through a bad period with my gut so I stopped. I haven't restarted to test it out again. I sort of forgot I had it.

Over all, my brain is actually feeling pretty sharp thanks to my good diet and great sleep. So I'm not really sure I need it right now. Then again, I kind of wonder if I'd even recognize if I did need to take it!

Lo-Carb and the Brain
Do please follow the above link back to Dr McCleary's site. You may have to read it through a couple of times to understand the importance of what is being said.
Where he says
there are other ways to enhance brain insulin signaling, which include calorie and carbohydrate restriction.
consider
Vitamin D3 is positively associated with insulin sensitivity That means the higher your 25(OH)D status the better your insulin sensitivity is likely to be. How many old people do you know who have had their 25(OH)D checked and raised to above 50ng 125nmol/l with effective strength (5000~6000iu/daily) D3?

Low Carbohydrate Paleo based diet improves insulin senstitivity.

20 g apple cider vinegar, improves insulin sensitivity

Omega 3's EPA and DHA improve insulin sensitivity.

above-average serum magnesium intake associated with reduced diabetes risk in prospective epidemiology, and with greater insulin sensitivity

Vitamin K associated with improved insulin sensitivity

Cinnamon may help insulin sensitivity

Sauna's may help improve insulin sensitivity

Short duration high intensity activity may help improve insulin sensitivity

Carbohydrate restriction is better than low fat diet for improving insulin sensitivity

Hutch,

That was an interesting article about Type 3 diabeties, my dad is getting around that age and I was thinking after having some more visible success, I would share a lot of what I have learned here and in my travels on the information highway. I have some success already, just nothing so dramatic yet as a 50lb loss. My mood, my thinking, my sleeping, my energy, and my muscle function has already improved to the point, I am going to be able to return to work.

Neurologist Dr. Larry McCleary On Healthy Low-Carb Brain Foods And Type III Diabetes (Episode 229)Very good Jimmy Moore interview with Dr Larry McCleary.

He discusses Vitamin D, Krill oil Magnesium, Omega 3 ,B Vitamins, Co Q10, A lipoic Acid, and MCT oil as well as low carb diets for brain health. It's a good overall summary of the basics for Alzheimer's. Dr McCleary talks about 2000iu/d but for most people that simply will not be sufficient. You'll note that when Jimmy points out that he takes 10,000iu/d Dr McCleary does not protest or even sound surprised. Don't forget when you listen to Dr M talking about antioxidants that Vitamin D is itself an antioxidant that works in the brain.

If you think Dr McCleary's list of supplements is a bit expensive then do remember that IHERB are usually pretty competitive and the more you buy the bigger your VIP discount and the more you share your rewards code again the bigger your credit so the lower the price. My code is ~~~~~~ if you haven't used IHERB yet and want a $5 starter code.

Dr. Cannell: I am a physician in Georgia. I have a nursing home patient with Alzheimer's who did not speak for over a year. Months after starting on vitamin D3 5000 IU/day, she started answering 'yes' and 'no' questions appropriately. While not generally initiating, she can now carry on a conversation that is appropriate and in sentences. She has not been on any prescription meds. You may know of others that have done this, but I was sure impressed. Should I increase the dose? Peter, Georgia

Yes, increase the dose to 7,000 IU per day and test 25(OH)D levels until her level gets to 70–90 ng/mL. More aggressive treatment is indicated in aggressive diseases. While several studies have shown an association between dementia and vitamin D, two recent studies showed cognition in dementia patients is better in those with higher 25(OH)D levels. As a physician, I'm sure you know the difference between a treatment effect and a cure. Oudshoorn C, et al. Higher serum vitamin D3 levels are associated with better cognitive test performance in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2008;25(6):539–43. Llewellyn DJ, Langa K, Lang I. Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentration and Cognitive Impairment. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2009 Feb 4.
Ultraviolet Light Produces Vitamin D

Thanks to Nancy for posting this elsewhere. I thought this section worth preserving here. Full text with active links here

Thanks for the link, Hutch. My dad is getting to the age where alzheimers is a concern, he is diabetic for some reason I feel they are linked. My daughter has asthma, I will make sure she adds a couple more vitamin D3 tablets to her suppliment regime.

They are for sure. Alzheimer's appears to be an inability of the brain to regulate glucose. Some researchers are calling it Type 3 diabetes.