Alzheimer is a tragic occurrence and it’s becoming more frequent every day. There is no known cure and the alarming fact is that there are more than 413,106 Australians affected.

The financial implications Alzheimer has are significant in Australia, expected to grow up to  $18.7 billion by 2025. This is mostly due to the fact that people with this illness, need medical care for extended periods of time, from the moment this disease first begins to manifest until the death of the patient.

Mother and child: the roles reverse

The struggles are real and they vary, from financial difficulties to emotional and psychological torment for both the ailing person and their families. A simple thing as a walk can be fatal to a person suffering from Alzheimer. Because this illness usually sets in after the age of 65, and less frequent before that, the children become the care takes. Sons and daughters go through the painful experience of witnessing their parents which were once strong, the care givers, lose themselves, their memories and succumb to this horrible affliction.

Remembering the loved ones

Being forgotten by you mother or father is always very difficult on top of the other problem this disease causes for both the patient and their family. A lot of people that suffer from Alzheimer end up being dropped off to asylums for the sole reason that it is unbearable to see your loved one not being able to recognize their family and friends.

What causes Alzheimer’s disease?

There is no official cause but there are some theories. One of them is that Alzheimer is caused by an infectious protein called TDP-43. Other infectious components have been linked to this disease, such as: viruses, fungus and bacteria.

Another theory is that Alzheimer’s is connected to insulin resistance; high blood sugar is associates with a higher risk of getting dementia.

Diabetes and heart disease also increase the chance to get this disease; both of these affections are rooted in insulin resistance.

Atherosclerosis or arterial stiffness is a buildup of beta-amyloid plaque in your brain and is also thought to somehow influence the development of Alzheimer.

Doctors have overall concluded that lifestyle choices and insulin resistance will increase one’s chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease.

Preventing Alzheimer

At the moment there are no known prevention methods but doctors say that you can control the risk factors to minimize your chances of getting this disease.

Vitamin D insufficiency will increase the chance of getting dementia by 125%. Dementia is thought to be an Alzheimer trigger. Keeping vitamin D levels normal will not only keep your body healthy but also prevent brain disease.

Exercising can also help prevent this disease as well as make treatment more efficient for patients who suffer from Alzheimer. A study shows that patients with moderate to mild Alzheimer had fewer neuropsychiatric symptoms, after participating in a four month supervised exercise program compared to the patients that did not exercise.

Risk lowering lifestyle strategies

Until a cure is discovered, preventing this disease stays crucial. Staying away as much as possible from carbs and sugars is a very good start. add to that a good intake of healthy fat will not only help in preventing Alzheimer’s but will also help with heart disease.

Below are 14 suggestions that can help in minimizing your chances of getting Alzheimer’s:

1. Eat real natural foods instead of processed foods. Most processed foods contain genetically enhanced grains which in turn contain glyphosate, an herbicide said to be worse than DDT.

2. Stay away from refined fructose and sugar. As mentioned before, Alzheimer’s is somehow connected to insulin resistance. So staying away from sugar excess will help. Make sure daily sugar and fructose intake does not exceed 25 grams, and in case of insulin or leptin resistance, it should not be over 15 grams per day.

3. Healthy fats ratio optimization. Your brain needs healthy fats to function properly, so make sure you eat plenty of foods that contain those fats. Omega 3 fats are known to prevent cell damage caused by Alzheimer’s slowing down the progress of this illness. Other healthy fats can be found in: egg yolks, meat, coconut oil, olives and olive oil, avocado, nuts and butter. Make sure all these foods are natural and organic. You should stay away from industrial omega 6 oils such as sunflower and safflower oils as well as soy and corn oils.

4. Keep away from gluten and casein. Gluten makes your gut more permeable and allows proteins to get into your blood stream. That will sensitize your immune system and lead to inflammation and autoimmunity which are known to play a role in developing Alzheimer’s. Casein is found in pasteurized dairy so consume full fat, raw dairy products. The cream is the most important component of raw milk because it contains all the energy needed to digest casein and it is also responsible for regulating sugar absorption in your blood minimizing the likelihood of insulin spikes.

5. Eat organic grass-fed meats. Most of the meat served in restaurants or sold in storesare not. Look for the products that are labeled organic or grass fed.

6. Optimize your gastrointestinal flora. Eat fermented foods such as yogurt or take pro-biotic supplements.

7. Reduce the number of calories you consume and fast intermittently. Replacing carbs with healthy fats and fasting intermittently (avoiding foods at certain times during the day) will help burn fat and repair insulin/leptin resistance.

8. Optimize your magnesium levels. Magnesium is known to decrease Alzheimer’s symptoms.

9. Increase folate intake. Folate is found in fresh vegetables, making it very accessible. Avoid folic acid supplements which is the synthetic version of folate.

10. Exercise regularly. As mentioned in this article, people with Alzheimer’s that exercise feel and are much better than those who don’t. Exercising also increases the levels of a protein called PGC-1alpha which is found smaller quantity in Alzheimer patients.

11. Eliminate aluminum and mercury from your body. Dental amalgam fillings have mercury in them and are one for the major sources of heavy metal toxicity. Following a mercury detox protocol before removing your amalgams is essential. Aluminum can be found in antiperspirants, non-stick cooking pots and aluminum beverage cans. Avoiding all of these is not only simple but good for your health.

12. Avoid statin drugs and anticholinergics. The chance of getting dementia increases if you take drugs that block acetylcholine. Anticholinergics can be found in pain relievers, sleep aids and antidepressants. Statin drugs deplete your brain of coenzyme Q10 as well as the well needed fats that make your brain function well.

13. Mental stimulation. Make sure you challenge your brain daily. Try to learn something new. Constant building up your brain makes it less susceptible to lesions which are suspected to be linked with Alzheimer’s disease.