Any dementia-causing neurological condition can slowly rob you of things you take for granted-like language, memory, judgment, even your ability to make sense of what you see or where you are. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and perhaps the deadliest. The estimated four million American adults who have it suffer any combination of those cognitive losses, usually starting off with seemingly insignificant memory lapses.
There are genes that predispose you to Alzheimer’s. A family history of any kind of dementia puts you at higher risk. Other risk factors include a history of depression, alcohol abuse, or thyroid disease. Here are some ways to bolster your odds against this ailment.
Get smart. An idle mind is Alzheimer’s playground. “Well-educated people seem to show signs of Alzheimer’s less often,” says Linda Hershey, M.D., Ph.D., professor of neurology at the State University of New York at Buffalo and chief of neurology at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, also in Buffalo. “Education has a protective effect.”
But even if you dropped out of school, it’s not too late to build up your brain against Alzheimer’s. Dedication to mind-challenging hobbies like music, cards, or drawing will help, according to the Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia at the University of California, Irvine, College of Medicine. The only requirement is an active mind.
Relieve brain pain. A toxic protein in Alzheimer’s patients’ brains actually stimulates inflammatory reactions that contribute to cell loss. “You could possibly slow that process by taking an anti-inflammatory pain remedy like ibuprofen,” Dr. Hershey says. “Just like this drug helps reduce inflammation in your joints, it helps the same way in your brain.” In fact, studies have shown that any of the non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (that is, aspirin, ibuprofen, and the like) help. But Dr. Hershey cautions that you should ask your physician before taking these drugs, as they can cause serious side effects.
Take vitamin E. When Columbia University researchers looked at Alzheimer’s sufferers, they found that those who took vitamin E in the middle stages took about a year longer before requiring institutionalization. That doesn’t mean that vitamin E can prevent Alzheimer’s. Also, this study’s dosage was much higher than what most doctors would recommend. In fact, taking high doses of vitamin E has the potential to cause neuropathy, according to Dr. Hershey.
“Vitamin E presumably works because it’s an antioxidant and, therefore, the enemy of free radicals that can damage brain cells in people with Alzheimer’s,” Dr. Hershey says. “A free-radical scavenger like vitamin E can slow down the process.” And so can other antioxidants, research indicates, including ginkgo and vitamin Ñ. But again, before you add a vitamin E supplement to your diet, Dr. Hershey advises that you speak with your doctor.
Watch your head. Trauma, especially combined with a predisposing gene, increases your risk for Alzheimer’s. It can happen from one severe head injury or various blows to the noggin over the years. “If you have the gene, head trauma can make the symptoms show up earlier,” Dr. Hershey says.
Check the pressure. High blood pressure is usually associated with other kinds of dementia, but at least one study at the University of Illinois has found a hypertension-Alzheimer’s link. Fifteen years after having their blood pressure tracked at age 70, those in the study group who developed Alzheimer’s turned out to be those with higher blood pressure readings.
*92/36/5*
In bulimia, over-control produces lack of control. Trying to govern something that is ungovernable—the need to eat—just leads to the feeling that one is out of control. That feeling in turn drives a woman to exert even more control—and so the vicious cycle continues.
How does this happen? In several ways. After a binge-purge episode, a woman usually skips the next meal or two. Her hunger increases. Her body’s cry for food grows stronger, pushing her closer to the inevitable binge.
Unrealistically strict diets have the same effect. Under such regimes a woman sets up rigid rules. She believes she must follow these rules perfectly. There is no margin for error. The trouble is that such rules are impossible to follow all the time. Once she breaks a rule, as she inevitably will, her thoughts spiral out of control. She thinks, “All is lost! I might as well go ahead and eat anything I want now, since I’m such a failure anyway.” And voila-a binge.
Some women go a step further. They try to hold off bingeing by distracting themselves through abuse of alcohol or illicit drugs. Unfortunately, these substances cause the woman to “let her guard down.” Once she surrenders her willpower, the urge to binge takes over. Now she not only binges and purges, she suffers from substance abuse as well.
One last point: Many women create strict rules about their personal appearance. As one patient said, “If I weigh more than a hundred pounds I can’t go out. I’ll call in sick at work. And I won’t be lying either – weighing more than a hundred pounds is sick!” The more such women stay home, the more isolated they become from other people. Lonely, depressed, and bored, they succumb to the temptation to binge.
The bulimic process, like the process of anorexia, eventually takes on a life of its own. The metabolic damage of purging impairs the ability to think clearly. Patients may describe themselves as being “in a fog” all day long. In time, the illness produces devastating feelings of depression, sometimes leading to thoughts (or even acts) of suicide.
There is much more to say about these illnesses, their patterns, and the impact they have on those who suffer from them. I include these brief sketches here hoping that you will recognize whether your own pattern, or that of someone close to you, reflects an eating disorder—and, if so, that you will recognize the stage the illness has reached.
Remember: The sooner you seek help, the greater the chance of recovery.
*23/35/5*
Do you remember what you were doing on November 4,1980? Sharon Turrentine of Monroe, Louisiana, does. It made her the slim, strong woman that she is today
On that particular day Sharon was lying in bed, watching TV and eating candy. At age 36, she was unhappy and feeling sorry for herself. Her son was about to get his driver’s license, and she felt that she wasn’t needed anymore. Then there was her weight: At 5 foot 2 and 132 pounds, she dressed in the closet to avoid looking at her body.
As Sharon nibbled on her candy bar and brooded about her life, the images on the TV screen grabbed her attention. It was the first-ever Ms. Olympia Bodybuilding Competition. As she watched the women show off their strong, shapely physiques, Sharon snapped out of her funk. “I announced to my husband, ‘I’m going to be a bodybuilder,’” she recalls.
The very next day, Sharon—who had not exercised in years— dug out an old leotard and headed for the local gym. Gradually, she established a regular workout routine using information she had gathered from books and magazine articles on weight training.
“When I first started out, I couldn’t climb a flight of stairs without being out of breath. Five pounds was the most I could lift,” Sharon says. “Now, I bench-press more than 100 pounds.”
To support her exercise program, Sharon made some changes in her diet, too. “I remembered all the nutrition information that I had learned from third grade on, such as the basic food groups and proper portions,” she says.
Within 3 years of starting her exercise program, she dropped four dress sizes. And Sharon, a woman who had once hidden in her closet to get dressed, was ready to show off her 109-pound body in competition. Over the next 7 years, she entered a number of bodybuilding contests. She collected a total of 15 trophies, never placing less than second. “I was old enough to be my competitors’ mother,” she adds.
Now age 55, Sharon runs her own business, teaching other women how to lift weights and shape their bodies. “I want to set an example,” she says” I want them to know they can do this.”
W IN N ING ACTION
Show off your accomplishments. Sharon’s quite an achiever! But don’t feel you have to try out for the Ms. Olympia competition to get a sense of accomplishment. Training for any special event—a 5K, a swim meet, a bicycle race—will give you something to strive for. It will also motivate you to stick with a regular workout routine. If you’re not into competition, do it for charity. Many nonprofit organizations raise money through noncompetitive athletic events.
*77\89\8*
Maurice, aged thirty-seven, found it difficult to establish a normal sleeping pattern after frequent business trips to America. Mogadon was prescribed and he found the jet-lag easier to cope with. After three months he was not travelling so much and felt he did not need the tablets. His insomnia became worse than he had ever known it. He had palpitations and a tight feeling in his chest, and also had digestive problems.
His doctor was kind and sympathetic but said he did not think Maurice had been on the tablets long enough for dependence to have developed. The doctor suggested going back on the full dose to see what happened.
Maurice’s symptoms were much improved when he visited the surgery a week later. His doctor said that he had discussed the case with his partner who had two patients who had experienced similar problems, although they had taken the tablets over a longer period.
Complete withdrawal took six weeks. For the following three weeks Maurice felt ‘off colour’ but did not have any dramatic symptoms. After that he was back to normal.
*67\49\8*
Skin Problems
These should always be investigated in case there is another cause. The ones most commonly reported are: dryness, itching, a dry scaly rash (often on the hands or over the bridge of the nose and on to the cheeks), spontaneous bruising and skin breaking easily. Minor cuts often take a long time to heal. Many people notice a change in skin colour. It can have a slightly jaundiced or pale brown appearance. Often a dramatic improvement can be seen in the condition of the skin even in the early days of withdrawal.
Dental Problems
The high incidence of premature tooth loss (apart from extractions because of the jaw pain) in people who have been on tranquillizers for years is another pointer to inadequate nutrition. (The same may be said for split nails.)
*51\49\8*
You may feel delighted that you have managed to cut down or stop taking your pills, but be puzzled by how down you feel. This is another temporary state to endure. It will improve or disappear altogether when you are through withdrawal. Many people who have loving families and no financial worries, or stress of any kind, feel guilty about being so down.
Withdrawal blues do not single out people with life problems, many people have a temporary ‘down’. Sometimes the depressive symptoms are delayed and appear when the sufferers feel they are coping well. Try not to get discouraged if this happens—it will pass. If it gets too much for you to cope with, your doctor may want to give you an anti-depressant for a short time. Many find this a help, but realize it is a temporary measure. Gradual reduction from these drugs is advisable.
Depression may manifest itself in ways other than extreme sadness. Here are some of them: sighing; sluggishness; headaches; nausea; constipation; heavy limbs; feeling bloated; needing more sleep; time passing slowly; losing interest in people; feeling that people do not want to see you; isolating yourself; losing interest in appearance; loss of appetite; compulsive eating (particularly sweet foods); being annoyed out of proportion to the situation; feeling a black cloud or shape over your head or on your shoulders; finding mornings are worse and having to force yourself from the oblivion of sleep; people you love seeming far away—you know you love them but cannot feel it—you feel guilty and worry about this; the smallest task seems beyond you; you feel worthless—how could anyone love you; you feel a burden.
Many people are slow to accept the physical symptoms they have as depressive symptoms. That is not to say that it is ‘all in the mind’—far from it. It usually starts in the mind and then affects the body.
Suppressed emotions such as fear, anger, hurt and jealousy, actually cause chemical changes to take place. It is the altered body chemistry that is responsible for the physical changes. It can happen the other way too. A physical change can cause depression. Influenza, anaemia, bad nutrition, food allergies, certain glandular disorders, and hormonal changes such as at puberty, the menopause, and after childbirth, are all common causes of altered emotional states.
So often the sufferer will say ‘If I did not feel exhausted, sick, heavy-limbed, etc. I would not be depressed.’ In fact, it is often the other way around. If they were not depressed, they would not have the physical symptoms. So until you recognize that you are depressed, you cannot do anything about it.
*30\49\8*
It will take time for the body’s normal chemicals to be produced again. When you understand that there is a definite physiological reason why you may feel more anxious during withdrawal, this will give you the confidence to ignore the ‘pull yourself together’ brigade. This point is also illustrated by the large numbers of people who are prescribed these drugs for a physical reason who also have anxiety symptoms on withdrawal.
When you have a major problem or upset in life, it is often necessary to relieve anxiety for a short time, but it is a great mistake to carry on for months or years. Not only does the user run the risk of dependence, but also because the emotions are dulled, he or she is unable to adjust to the loss or altered situation. This is particularly so in bereavement. The user has to face the grief again when medication ceases, and may feel severe guilt about not grieving at the appropriate time. Because the suppressed emotions of years come to the surface in withdrawal, many people are able to face old conflicts and traumas, and in doing so, lose some of their fears, and gain self-respect.
To illustrate how many (although it is agreed not all) of the withdrawal symptoms are due to rebound anxiety, here are anxiety symptoms listed under ‘Anxiety Neurosis’ from the Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry (1983), Ed. Gelder, Gath and Mayou. Some people have found this section rather technical, others were finally convinced (because the source was beyond dispute) that they were not suffering from some serious physical illness.
Anxiety neuroses have psychological and physical symptoms. The psychological symptoms are the familiar feeling of fearful anticipation that gives the condition its name, irritability, difficulty in concentration, sensitivity to noise, and a feeling of restlessness.
Patients often complain of poor memory when they are really experiencing the effects of failure to concentrate.
*14\49\8*
How immune complexes affect the blood vessels depends very much on what sort of antibodies they contain – there are five different isotypes. In the healthy person, the main antibody formed to food is immunoglobulin A, or IgA, which has special protective properties. Unlike most other antibodies it does not activate the defensive proteins in the blood known as the complement system.
The products of the complement system cause inflammation, a reaction designed to mobilize the body’s protective forces. The effects of inflammation are to make the blood vessels in the vicinity more leaky and to attract other immune cells into the area – the leaky vessels make it easier for the immune cells to gain access to the surrounding tissues. What appears on the outside as a swollen, red, tender area is in fact a microscopic battleground, where the body’s own cells and tissues are unfortunate casualties of the general mayhem.
The purpose of inflammation, in the healthy individual, is to fight off infection. The body assumes that the antibodies have attached themselves to an invading bacterium or virus and sends in the troops. Obviously the body needs to have control systems that tell it not to react when the antibodies are bound to something innocuous – such as a food protein which happens to have wandered into the blood through the gut wall. This is the function of IgA. Because it does not activate the complement system it can quietly mop up non-harmful antigens for disposal by the phagocytes, without setting off a damaging episode of inflammation.
For this system to work, the body must somehow distinguish food from other sorts of antigen. And it must make sure that IgA – rather than IgG, another more inflammatory type of antibody – is manufactured to fit the food molecules. The details of how the body does this are still far from clear, but a general picture is emerging from current research, and this is described in Chapter Twelve. The process is known as ‘the induction of oral tolerance’.
What, if anything, goes wrong with this system? There is only a limited amount of evidence available, but it does seem that the system for producing IgA rather than IgG to food molecules breaks down in some people. Where this occurs, the immune complexes circulating in the blood after a meal will be potentially inflammatory. If they are deposited in a blood vessel, damage to the walls of the vessel will follow.
Such people may also have IgE in their food-molecule immune complexes, so mast cells could be triggered to add to the inflammation. Whether this actually happens is not clear. But if it does then there are important implications for the way we think about allergies: the dividing line between Type I (IgE) food allergy and Type III food allergy may not be as sharp as is often assumed.
*84\180\8*
As long ago as in April 1956, at the Second International Biogenetic Congress held in Baden-Baden, Germany, under the chairmanship of Dr Galeazzi, many of the papers presented dealt with the research findings in connection with royal jelly.
Then there were the articles written by Professor Belvefer of Paris, who had been conducting research on royal jelly for decades. It is amazing to read his references to the findings made by a number of researchers, for example the fact that the queen bee is able to lay 300,000—450,000 eggs a year as a result of her feeding on this remarkable nutritive complex. This feat cannot be matched by any other creature on earth.
Further reports explained that royal jelly not only vitalises and rejuvenates through its effect on the endocrine glands, but also successfully combats whooping cough and asthma, especially in children. It has been found that children with a weak constitution soon pick up and have better appetites when given royal jelly. Benefits can also be obtained in cases of bronchitis, migraine, stomach and gallbladder troubles, digestive disorders, bad nerves and the peculiar kind of fatigue resulting from weak functioning of the endocrine glands. These and many other health problems can be improved considerably, if not cured, by taking royal jelly regularly. Moreover, it is maintained that people with a predisposition to cancer will benefit from a regular intake of royal jelly. It is also good for the skin when taken orally and when used for massage. For the latter, dilute some royal jelly with honey and water and massage the solution into the skin.
*891/28/1*
In many cases the orthodox doctor goes to no end of trouble to help a patient, but unfortunately, without success. Then, when a simple natural remedy like cabbage leaves produces a cure, we are astonished at how natural active forces, without depending upon laboriously collected human knowledge, can bring about almost miraculous results.
The case of a 62-year-old patient, who suffered considerably, serves as a good example. An infection, aggravated by eating sprayed cherries, resulted in the development of a fungus the size of a small coin on the lady’s tongue. The doctor removed it with cautery (silver nitrate) and found it necessary to prescribe, in addition, eight days of radium treatment. After three weeks the patient left the hospital with a paralysed tongue.
Five weeks later, a large swelling appeared on her neck. It seemed that another operation would be necessary to remove it. Discouraged by the prospect of more surgery, the patient kept postponing it. Eight weeks later the pain had become almost unbearable but now an operation was considered out of the question. Instead, she received forty-three radiation treatments. Afterwards, the patient felt weak and thought death was inevitable.
*855/28/1*
