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Alzheimer’s Therapies
Recent research has also reported that curcumin ameliorates cognitive decline and improves synaptic functions in mouse models of AD.
Is Alzheimer’s or dementia in my future?
I’m a long-term cancer survivor. I underwent aggressive toxic therapies for my FDA approved “safe and effective” induction chemo followed by an autologous stem cell transplant… Big mistake… After 4 years of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, remission, relapse, remission, relapse, my oncologist told me that she could do nothing more for me.
Interestingly, Sir Anthony Hopkins won the Oscar for his performance in the movie “The Father” as a senior slipping into dementia. I mention this fact because, while I enjoyed the movie, it scared me. Or I should say, Anthony’s portrayal of a senior living life with dementia scared me.
I highly recommend seeing “The Father” if you haven’t already. Be careful. Anthony’s portrayal of life with senility is frightening. The Father is not a “feel good” movie…
I have no idea if “chemotherapy-induced cognitive dysfunction” aka chemobrain increases my risk of dementia. But I think it is logical to see not only a connection between the two, but an increased risk of dementia caused by the brain damage from the high-dose toxic chemotherapy that I underwent.
The solution? Non-toxic therapies shown to
- enhance brain health
- protect my brain against amyloid-beta
At the age of 61 currently, I can report that my chemobrain has greatly improved. I have no idea if the same therapies will protect me again dementia but I’m trying. I will continue to blog on the topic.
If you have any questions or comments about non-toxic therapies to boost brain health please scroll down the page, post a question or a comment.
Hang in there,
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Recommended Reading:
- Multiple Myeloma-“Your Brain after Chemo”
- Brain Training, Lifestyle Therapies Effectively Combat Dementia
- Multiple Myeloma Side Effects- Heal Chemobrain, Prevent Dementia
- Alzheimer’s in your future? Maybe Not…
Protective Effects of Indian Spice Curcumin Against Amyloid Beta in Alzheimer’s Disease
“The purpose of our article is to assess the current understanding of Indian spice ‘Curcumin’ against amyloid-β (Aβ)-induced toxicity in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis.
Natural products, such as
- ginger,
- curcumin and
- gingko biloba
have been used as diets and dietary supplements to treat human diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular, respiratory, infectious, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndromes and neurological disorders.
Products derived from plants are known to have protective effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-arthritis, pro-healing and boosting memory cognitive functions. In the last decade, several groups have designed and synthesized curcumin and its derivatives and extensively tested using cell and mouse models of AD.
Recent research on amyloid-β and curcumin has revealed that curcumin prevents amyloid-β aggregation and crosses the blood brain barrier (BBB), reach brain cells and protect neurons from various toxic insults of aging and amyloid-β in humans.
Recent research has also reported that curcumin ameliorates cognitive decline and improves synaptic functions in mouse models of AD.
Further, recent groups have initiated studies on elderly individuals and patients with AD and the outcome of these studies is currently being assessed…
Physical exercise and healthy diets have been reported to have implications to delay disease progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in elderly individuals and improved cognitive functions in subjects with mild cognitive impairment and early AD patients [3, 4].
There are a large number of natural products and herbs currently available, including
- curcumin,
- green tea and
- vitamin C,
- vitamin E,
- beta carotene,
- Gingko Biloba,
- Ginseng,
- Rosemary,
- Sage, and many others [1–3].
Curcumin and Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia in elderly individuals and is the sixth leading cause of death in United States. AD is an age-dependent and progressive neurodegenerative disease, characterized by the loss of memory, cognitive functions and changes in behavior and personality [16–20]. According to 2015 World Alzheimer Report, it was estimated that 47.5 million people have dementia worldwide, and the numbers are estimated to go up to 75.6 million by 2030 and to 131.5 million by 2050. Dementia has a huge economic impact and the 2015 total estimated healthcare cost is about $818 billion [21]…
Green Tea Intake and Risks for Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review
“Dementia has become a major issue that requires urgent measures. The prevention of dementia may be influenced by dietary factors. We focused on green tea and performed a systematic review of observational studies that examined the association between green tea intake and
- dementia,
- Alzheimer’s disease,
- mild cognitive impairment, or
- cognitive impairment.
We searched for articles registered up to 23 August 2018, in the PubMed database and then for references of original articles or reviews that examined tea and cognition.
Subsequently, the extracted articles were examined regarding whether they included original data assessing an association of green tea intake and dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, or cognitive impairment.
These results seem to support the hypothesis that green tea intake might reduce the risk for dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, or cognitive impairment. Further results from well-designed and well-conducted cohort studies are required to derive robust evidence…”
Neuroprotective Mechanisms of Resveratrol in Alzheimer’s Disease: Role of SIRT1
“Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and neurodegenerative disorder of the cortex and hippocampus, which eventually leads to cognitive impairment. Although the etiology of AD remains unclear, the presence of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides in these learning and memory regions is a hallmark of AD…
Many studies have shown that resveratrol has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties and can decrease the toxicity and aggregation of Aβ peptides in the hippocampus of AD patients, promote neurogenesis, and prevent hippocampal damage.
In addition, the antioxidant activity of resveratrol plays an important role in neuronal differentiation through the activation of silent information regulator-1 (SIRT1). SIRT1 plays a vital role in the growth and differentiation of neurons and prevents the apoptotic death of these neurons by deacetylating and repressing p53 activity; however, the exact mechanisms remain unclear.
Resveratrol also has anti-inflammatory effects as it suppresses M1 microglia activation, which is involved in the initiation of neurodegeneration, and promotes Th2 responses by increasing anti-inflammatory cytokines and SIRT1 expression.
This review will focus on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory neuroprotective effects of resveratrol, specifically on its role in SIRT1 and the association with AD pathophysiology…”
Choline as a prevention for Alzheimer’s disease
“The neuropathologies in AD include, Amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuronal loss, which are associated with cognitive impairments [1]. Notably, microglia, the brains resident immune cells, are specialized to rid the brain of deleterious debris. Although microglia keep the brain healthy, if they are overactivated, brain inflammation and neuronal death occurs [2]. To date, no treatments have been developed to effectively slow the progression of AD. A multitude of factors are believed to contribute to the development of the disease, including genetics (e.g. APOE status), age and lifestyle [2]..
Before recommending a lifelong regimen of choline supplementation in humans, a controlled clinical trial will be needed to ultimately determine the effectiveness and optimal dosage of choline to prevent or slow the progression of AD.
Nonetheless, the current literature creates optimism that choline may be an avenue to ensure a graceful aging process without cognitive decline.”