UCLA Alzheimer’s Study

It has been two years since UCLA published a study that is the only research project to date that has shown a reversal of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) with very little press coverage. The problem is that the treatment is not a pill that allows you to continue with your favorite habits and magically fixes your sick brain but requires some lifestyle changes. If any drug company had achieved even half of what this study accomplished, you can bet that it would be on every newswire along with endless press releases and talk show appearances by drug company-sponsored doctors and perpetual TV, radio and print ads.

But alas, that is not how it works, not that I need to remind you as you are well aware of the games played with your health.

Much of Brain Degeneration Can Be Prevented

We like this pilot study because this is the way we, at OVitaminPro, look at health. To solve health issues, we usually don’t find one wondrous bullet. On the contrary, we need to look at many factors and begin problem solving to get to any meaningful solution. This is how we approach our own health picture and when you call us for help with your own health challenges, we will gather as much information and our recommendations will often involve several lifestyle modifications.

Bredesen Approach To Brain Health

So let’s get into the meat of the UCLA study. Dr. Dale Bredesen used a complex program that involved dietary changes, brain stimulation, exercise, sleep optimization, specific supplements and other modalities. Bredesen wanted to try a different approach in light of the universal failure of AD to respond to drug trials of various kinds. He noticed that many chronic conditions respond well to a multi-faceted approach so why not AD.

Prevailing theories of AD revolve ideas such as an accumulation of plaques called beta amyloid proteins and some say that it could be due to a response from specific pathogens. Neither of these theories has led to meaningful treatment.Bredesen states that: “existing Alzheimer’s drugs affect a single target, but Alzheimer’s disease is more complex. Imagine having a roof with 36 holes in it, and your drug patched one hole very well. The drug may have worked, and a single hole may have been fixed, but you still have 35 other leaks, and so the underlying process may not be affected much.”

Examples of treatment plans in the Alzheimer’s study include:

• eliminating all simple carbohydrates, gluten and processed food from the diet, and eating more vegetables, fruits and non-farmed fish
• meditating twice a day and beginning yoga to reduce stress
• sleeping seven to eight hours per night, up from four to five for many of the subjects
• taking melatonin, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, fish oil and coenzyme Q10 each day
• optimizing oral hygiene using an electric flosser and electric toothbrush
• hormone replacement therapy in some cases
• fasting for a minimum of 12 hours between dinner and breakfast, and for a minimum of three hours between dinner and bedtime
• exercising for a minimum of 30 minutes, four to six days per week

Despite the success rate of the program, the downside is the need to make lifestyle changes and the relative complexity of the program. Adding multiple pills a day and adding in things like meditation and yoga don’t come easily to many people so the idea of rolling this plan out to a donut-munching, hot dog-eating general public isn’t too likely.

But if you are one of those people inclined to do whatever it takes to improve your brain health, you might take a look at this type of approach.

Helpful Links

Bredesen Protocol Link

NuMedica Liposomal Hydroxy B12

Pure Encapsulations Adenosyl/Hydroxy B12