Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are among the scariest diseases we face at a rapidly accelerating rate in this society. And there are undoubtedly functional ways this can be prevented, via supporting the body and simply giving it what it needs to naturally heal itself and function properly. Equally as important as ingesting the right nutrition, is avoiding the wrong or harmful ingredients.

One of the main blatant reasons for dementia and memory problems, as widely discussed by a former neurosurgeon and current researcher and nutritionist, is excitotoxicity. This is basically when the cells of the body and mainly the brain get overly active. This leads to, as indicated by the name, overexcitation, and subsequent damage. This is due to overactive microglia, which are the monitoring, police like cells, which are in charge of who stays and who goes. So, when a person consumes something like MSG which molecularly leads to this overexcitation (the same mechanism by which the appetite gets increased and food tastes better– which is made evident by Chinese food, this actually leads these microglia to go ahead and kill off these overly excited cells. This causes brain cell damage and can even lead to imbalances in the brain. This is a much more physiologically sensical mechanism buy which brain disorders arise– essentially inflammation that leads to brain damage and cell death. Aspartame is another excitotoxin which leads to this same form of excitation. Glutamine is the main amino acid which enables this excitatory mechanism, hence the significance of MSG– monosodium glutamate.

But the foods you consume can make a major difference when it comes to turning on and off switches in the DNA and brain, allowing for proper expression and an optimal quality of life. The first I’d recommend particularly for dementia and Alzheimer’s is coconut oil. This is known for it’s ability to help build the brain and more specifically, coat the myelin sheath. This sheathing is the protective barrier around your brain cells and all of the other neurons which send signals throughout your body. So when people come down with illness and diseases like multiple sclerosis, neuropathy and even muscular dystrophy, commonly known as ALS, this is actually a myelin sheath issue. Myelin is a waxy material which acts like a protective shield, similar to the outer protective coating on a wire. When that starts to deteriorate, then, is when we often see some of the worst, most life threatening neurological diseases, as well as musculoskeletal ones. The nervous system is the conductor of the whole orchestra of the body, after all. If you’re interested in learning more about the efficacy of this, there’s this article of someone who actually stopped the rapid decline he had been experiencing as a result of Alzheimer’s disease. This makes perfect sense when you consider the anatomy and physiology of it all.

Another fundamental nutrient for rebuilding the myelin sheath, which becomes frayed and deteriorates, resulting in well-known symptoms like alarm, anxiety, and forgetfulness is vitamin B12, particularly the methylcobalmin form. I enjoy taking this form sublingually, as due to the abundance of blood vessels below the tongue, anything taken this way can go directly into the bloodstream rather than having to go through the process of digestion which can easily hinder B12’s digestion. This is because of it’s specific lability in the stomach depending on the pH, due to intrinsic factor.

 Balance blood sugar– this is entirely necessary given Alzheimer’s new, more modern term of a name being “type 3 Diabetes” by researchers and prominent physicians. Some of the best ways to balance blood sugar are to increase B vitamins, which are needed to properly process carbs and turn them into energy. Another substance that can help with this is an herb called gymnema. This actually has the potential to curb sugar cravings. Believe it or not, somehow this herb has a physiological mechanism of achieving this. It can actually make it so, when applied to the tongue, afterwards sugar no longer tastes good or is desirable. This is pretty miraculous if you ask me. One critical component of blood sugar balance, is giving your body plenty of fats to help balance the carbs with fat. In short, fat acts like the slow burning logs on the fire that is your energy while carbs are more like the kindling. Protein is required but it must be eaten in moderation for optimal effects, and conveniently, nature packages most protein with fat naturally, just as required for optimal health. So don’t be afraid of the skin on those chicken wings, given that they aren’t fried in canola oil (which isn’t actually digestible by the body and will lead to stagnation in the gallbladder and subsequently be harmful to the brain, myelin, and blood sugar). Just as anything in nature in it’s whole and perfect form, it’s there for a reason. An optimal ratio of macros to aim for is 30-30-40 fat-protein-carbohydrates. While everybody is different and may need to adjust that number some according to their body type and reaction, this is a good baseline. In the carbohydrate realm, highlight as many colorful, sulfur rich, and green leafy vegetables as possible. For protein, focus on organic, grass fed, naturally raised meat or animal products, ideally from a local farm or pasture. This is as good as it gets. If you’re not sure how to source these, you can go to bluevalleymeats.com, USwellnessmeats.com, or Butcherbox.com to find high quality meat and have it shipped directly to your door, or dropped off at a local drop-off location near you depending on what works for you. Price will vary accordingly.

Bacopa– this has shown in studies to be capable of instilling neurogenesis, otherwise known as brain cell growth. This also protects against excitotoxicity in the brain cells which leads to brain cell degeneration and can lead to demyelination. Bacopa has shown in numerous studies to be very beneficial for memory, and even those losing it including because of stroke. Amazingly, this plant is capable of raising glutathione in the brain cells! The mechanism by which bacopa works to benefit memory is by increasing acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that enables memory recollection processes. This study found that “300-450 mg bacopa monnieri could improve memory recall and other functions” (R). And this study shows it’s benefits for cognitive- related decline, and it’s ability to strengthen synaptic connections which is a critical factor for combatting cognitive decline.

Increase Nerve Growth Factor or BDNF– These substances are produced by the brain and can have unique effects for improving the nervous system with near miraculous healing mechanisms. Specifically, a compound in a mushroom called Lion’s Mane that can have surprising effects on the brain, nervous system and body. The compound that was tested, called Hericium erinaceus, has shown capable of facilitating new neuronal growth. Furthermore, and even more fascinatingly, it has a way of not only reducing self- defeating microglia activity, but also reducing the mysterious amyloid plaque that we’ve found to be responsible for this horrific disease in recent years.

BDNF can be made available in the brain, at no cost to you, simply by fasting, or in other words, not eating for allotted periods of time. You can do this either by block fasting, or not eating for a day or more, or intermittent fasting, a new trend that makes fasting a lot more accessible to just about everyone. Intermittent fasting is when you don’t eat for 16+ hours in between your final meal the day prior, and your first meal the next day. And even more conveniently, if you have blood sugar issues and would like to transition to intermittent fasting more easily, you can also use ketogenic methods to achieve this. This means, according to Dr. Darren Schmidt, that the grams of fat of whatever you’re eating is equal or greater to a ratio of 2:1 in comparison to carbs + protein. To achieve this, a lot of people make an easy, delicious and life-changing switch to something called bulletproof coffee in the morning. Then they delay their meal until the 16 hour mark. You can even work up to this if you’re having trouble starting or are unsure with regard to sustaining yourself. For example, if you’re used to only having 8 hours in between meals, work your way up starting by adding an extra hour and increasing incrementally each the day or week; there’s no right or wrong here, simply listening to your body and making progress with health and optimal wellbeing in mind. From my experience though, enjoying bulletproof coffee in the morning makes intermittent fasting extremely easy, even a treat. Make it simply by adding a little bit of coconut oil, grass-fed butter, or coconut butter to your coffee and blending it. As odd as this might sound to some, the blender whips this up into something dreamier than you could ever imagine. It comes out like a frothier latte than you could even expect from some chemical cocktail at Starbuck’s or any other coffee shop for that matter. Ketosis and intermittent fasting work because they both stimulate autophagy in the body, a built- in repair mechanism for self- healing that can be done simply and cheaply, no health gurus needed. Another way you can increase BDNF and stimulate neuronal growth and brain cell protection is by taking a mineral called lithium orotate. It’s an incredibly inexpensive, widely unknown mineral that can have amazing affects on your sleep, stress levels, and mood. Read more about it here. Just make sure you’re not lithium toxic or severely hypothyroid as this could have counterproductive effects if so. It’s always best to get functional, mineral specific or kinesiology testing done to evaluate this accurately before starting any regimen.

Yet another important nutrient necessary for protecting oneself from the deterioration– leading to Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or even mere forgetfulness– is Vitamin D. This has even shown capable of reversing such symptoms. Because Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a much greater chance of Alzheimer’s disease (R) as well as dementia and similar subsequent symptoms, restoring one’s supply of this in the body can seemingly miraculously diminish the symptoms, even making a person feel normal again. This story includes one person who started to reverse her symptoms and improved mental acuity by including a very important nutrient for cooling down the inflammation which over-activates them (Omega 3’s) , as well as following Dr. Perlmutter’s rule of cutting out gluten, and focusing on fermented foods, in addition to including Vitamin D. Similar actions can be seen in neuropathy that results not from diabetes but rather from nutrient deficiencies. A person who starts experiencing sensations like burning, pins and needles, tingling or numbness, may become concerned and think their condition is worsening irreversibly, when they’re actually simply deficient in B-vitamins and things like potassium, magnesium, zinc, selenium and maybe even calcium. Restore their supply of these nutrients, and they’ll be back to normal. Amazingly, many seeming doom- and- gloom diseases are actually very similar to this manifestation of a mere nutrient deficiency.

The process of disease can work the other way around too, when the problem is simply that of a toxicity rather than some undefeatable disease that you have no chance against. In this case, aluminum exposure is critical to be aware of. The antithesis of aluminum is silica, you can find it in forms like Diatomaceous Earth which will bind to and carry this aluminum out of the body, and even other pathogens, too, like fungi, parasites, and maybe even viruses and bacteria. This is because of the charge Diatomaceous Earth holds. Like many other healing aspects of nature, DE has a negative charge. This neutralizes toxins because, conveniently, toxins tend to have a positive charge. It’s almost as if our Creator knew what He was doing. Therefore, many things that are healing can do so in many different ways and cover several toxic burdens for you, especially in this case. The same can be said for walking out in nature, grounding, or being by a river or stream. Anyone can attest to the healing feeling one experiences in these situations. This is because of the negative ions that are emitted. So, as anyone should, those with dementia or Alzheimer’s, as well as those with mild to severe memory problems, should absolutely make it a priority to get outside and discharge those built-up, disease causing positive ions.

There’s another theory that Alzheimer’s disease actually comes from Lyme Disease or other past or present brain pathogens (R). I found this to be specifically highlighted in a video interview done by Dr. Jay Davidson and Kenneth Stoller discussing brain infections and resultant complications. As they mention in the video, one doctor who studied this by analyzing the brain tissue of those who had passed away as a result of Alzheimer’s Disease (or so they thought) found evidence of Lyme or coinfections in every single sample he analyzed. Some natural ways to address Lyme are surprisingly simple, ranging from a plant called stevia which you can easily grow in your backyard, a plant called cistus, particularly that from Sardinia which is made into a tea. Dr. Klinghardt has talked about this extensively and seen very positive results with his thousands of clients that come in from all over the world. A caveat, though, of Klinghardt’s, which any Lyme, memory loss, or dementia/ Alzheimer’s diseased person needs to consider, is that WIFI routers, as well as cellphones and other forms of EMF radiation exposure need to be closely monitored. This is so much the case that Klinghardt won’t even begin to work with a patient who doesn’t follow that advice. At minimum, one needs to turn off their router at night, preferably by unplugging it or even better, by turning off the breaker switch to the entire house, the bed and living rooms if possible. Keep cellphones or other electronic devices away from the head, a minimum of 3 feet or so, and try to keep the phone on airplane mode as much as possible. As far as Bluetooth headsets go, they are an absolute disaster waiting to happen for anyone with or wanting to avoid memory problems. These set off excitotoxicity in the brain, leading to an extremely unhealthy upsurge in calcium voltage gated channels in the brain, which can let pathogens into the cells, and nutrients out. This can have poor indications for Lyme, as well as the nutritional sufficiency which is so needed as we’ve previously discussed.

Sleep is critical– If you’re struggling with Alzheimer’s disease or any inherent memory problems, you can be sure that whether you’re aware of it or not, your sleep is not meeting the standards for optimization of brain health. This is so important due to the presence of the glymphatic system, which is the main detoxification method of the brain! The vast majority of the detoxification done by this system occurs during sleep (R). This is to an extent that impaired sleep absolutely leads to more brain issues, from dysregulated appetite, to anxiety, paranoia, depression, forgetfulness, Alzheimer’s and dementia. Even hallucinations can occur when this happens extensively— which makes perfect sense due to the effect on the pineal gland. Also, since we already know that buildup of pathogens like Lyme and toxins like aluminum are common in this situation– then clearly your sleep- dependent detoxification pathways are not working properly. One of the best ways to enhance this is by increasing GABA and melatonin. GABA is actually what allows these drainage pathways to open and flow naturally. This makes perfect sense because one, GABA is the relaxation molecule of the brain and it happens during sleep, and two, because detoxification is a parasympathetic, or relaxed, process. When melatonin and GABA are sufficient, pathogens are combatted and drainage occurs so the immune and detoxification systems can do their jobs, so you can be happy and healthy with mental acuity. So one thing you can do easily to combat the vast majority of the above factors, is simply taking melatonin and modifying your lifestyle in a way that’s more conducive to sleep. This means putting on blue blocking glasses– the ones that look orange, taking 5HTP, or eating foods like grass-fed cheese, figs or peanut butter which can help produce more GABA naturally. You can also eat foods rich in B6 like bananas and plantains, and Glycine, another necessary nutrient to help encourage this detoxification and relaxation process which can be found in foods like grass-fed, preferably organic bone broth, or collagen powders. Once it’s time for bed, be sure to block out as much light as possible in your room. This is easily one of the most important factors of all. Blackout curtains can be useful for this purpose, whereas others prefer using an eye mask.