Newsletter » Alzheimer’s disease

Age-related memory loss is one of the most prevalent conditions  in the developed world. It’s estimated more than 5 million Americans suffer from this debilitating condition, with as many as 1 in 11 seniors believed to be in various stages of its progression. Here’s the good news: Recent research has shown there are a handful of different activities as well as health habits you can maintain to help either lessen or eradicate your chances of developing the disease. Things like eating more fruits and vegetables, consuming omega-3s (EPA/DHA), participating in brain-building exercises, creating strong social bonds, and much more have all been shown to help fight age-related memory loss. But, what many people, scientists included, weren’t sure about was who exactly is going to succumb to this...

Perhaps you’re familiar with Mediterranean diet. It’s a diet consisting primarily of vegetables, olive oil, and is low in dairy and meat. The Mediterranean diet was one of the first diets to be shown scientifically to help reduce the incidence and the risk of heart disease. And now, new research has shown it can also work to help fight Alzheimer’s disease. Spanish researchers recently had their findings published in the Journal of American Medicine Association (JAMA). Dr. Emilio Ros of the Institut d’Investigacions Biomediques at Hospital Clinic, Barcelona was able to show the Mediterranean diet acted as a neuro-protectant as much as it worked to reduce the risk of heart disease. He said “Our results suggest that, in an older...

Researchers at Duke University performed an experiment they believe might point to what causes Alzheimer’s to gain a foothold and begin to ruin people’s lives. The study was conducted with lab mice, and it showed when Alzheimer’s begins to develop, the brain’s natural protective agents actually go M.I.A. allowing the degenerative neurological disease to become exacerbated and more destructive. In particular, they noticed immune cells called mircoglia work in “reverse.” Normally tasked with helping to protect the brain, they instead begin to dampen the immune system which allows the disease to progress. CBS News notes: “The study, published today in the Journal of Neuroscience, opens up the possibility that two of the main suspects in Alzheimer’s development — amyloid plaques...