1.
Coconut Oil
The connection between
coconut oil and Alzheimer’s may be one of the most well
known dietary connections publicized today, as coconut oil is
among the most promising solutions for those suffering from
Alzheimer’s.
One story in particular reveals just
how powerful coconut oil can be for repairing and restoring the
brain. In the story, a man named Steve Newport tried numerous
pharmaceutical solutions, all of which failed miserably.
Not able to remember how to draw the
face of a clock or get water out of the refrigerator, Mr.
Newport was becoming more and more lost. Finally, his wife found
out about some promising information. What’s known as ketones provide
an alternative energy source for brain cells when they have
trouble using glucose - as they do in patients with dementia.
And when the body metabolizes
medium-chain triglycerides derived from coconut oil, it forms
ketones that may protect against and even reverse Alzheimer’s.
After taking coconut oil twice
daily for a year,
Mr. Newport’s dementia had reversed itself.
2.
Marijuana
While this treatment may seem
far-fetched,
marijuana has actually been found to outperform
drugs for Alzheimer’s disease.
One
study
from Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology (A
Molecular Link Between the Active Component of Marijuana and
Alzheimer's Disease Pathology) that
was published in the journal Molecular Pharmacology,
found that the psychoactive component of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),
both,
“competitively inhibits the
enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) as well as prevents AChE-induced
amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) aggregation”.
In plain English, cannabinoid
molecules found in cannabis could halt the progression of
Alzheimer’s disease and prevent plaque buildup in the brain.
“Compared to currently approved
drugs prescribed for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease,
THC is a considerably superior inhibitor of Aβ aggregation,
and this study provides a previously unrecognized molecular
mechanism through which cannabinoid molecules may directly
impact the progression of this debilitating disease,” says
study author Lisa M. Eubanks”.
3.
Coffee
A
paper published earlier this year in the Journal of
Alzheimer’s Disease (High
Blood Caffeine Levels in MCI Linked to Lack of Progression to
Dementia) demonstrated that higher plasma
caffeine levels were associated with a reduced or delayed onset
of dementia in 124 individuals, aged 65-88 years.
This is presumed to be indicative of
coffee intake.
The study abstract concludes with:
“This case-control study
provides the first direct evidence that caffeine/coffee
intake is associated with a reduced risk of dementia or
delayed onset, particularly for those who already have MCI.”
4.
Cinnamon
In one
study from Tel Aviv University (Orally
Administrated Cinnamon Extract Reduces β-Amyloid Oligomerization
and Corrects Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease Animal
Models), cinnamon bark was shown to
inhibit the compounds found in the plaque formations of
Alzheimer’s patient’s’ brains.
These filaments are actually
“disassembled and eliminated” when cinnamon is taken with food
or as a supplement.
For the study, scientists extracted
a compound in cinnamon called CEppt and mixed it into the
drinking water for mice and flies. Both the mice and flies were
genetically forced to experience Alzheimer’s symptoms. After
four months, the scientists found that the disease slowed in
progression and the animals experienced almost normal longevity
and activity.
And this isn’t the first study to
look at cinnamon’s effects on the brain.
Two studies
from Wheeling Jesuit University found that the scent and
flavor of cinnamon affected attention, memory, and other
intellectual qualities nearly instantly.
