ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE is a mental deterioration in the elderly that can't be explained by normal aging.
Discovered in 1906, it was once thought to result from hardening of the arteries, but is now known to involve degeneration of nerve cells. It is characterized by twisted, tangled nerves and hardened deposits of chemical plaque, containing beta-amyloid, in the brain. It is the fourth leading cause of death in America and afflicts nearly half of people over 75.
SYMPTOMS include gradual memory loss, disorientation, loss of language ability, and personality changes that can extend over a number of years, devastating not only the patient but the entire family.
CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE has no cure for Alzheimer's disease. The only available treatment, a drug call tacrine (Cognex), can slow deterioration somewhat, but it can also cause uncomfortable and dangerous side-effects, and is expensive and hard to administer ($260 a month for the drug and weekly blood monitoring). Other drugs can ease pain, agitation, and paranoia. But conventional treatment for the most part consists simply of helping the patient and the family cope with the disease.
A NATURAL APPROACH - ELIMINATE HEAVY METALS: Mounting evidence points to accumulation in the brain of heavy metals, including mercury, aluminum, and lead. The blood/ brain barrier is intended to keep toxins out of the brain, but those that do get in are prevented by it from getting back out. They build up over the years, progressively blocking brain and nerve function. The greatest exposure to mercury seems to be the standard silver/mercury amalgam dental filling. Alzheimer's disease is reported to have been reversed in some patients by removing all amalgams.
Homeopathic chelation may help remove brain tissue metal.
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