Can Alzheimer's Be Reversed?

Being diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease is frightening.  The victims suffer for years with continuous mental decline, resulting in forgetting their loved ones, their memories, and even who they are.  It is eventually fatal.

Alzheimer's has no effective treatment.  The medications may improve brain function temporarily but do nothing to halt the cognitive decline and the progression of the disease.  In a span of ten years, between 2000 and 2010, scientists have tested 244 experimental Alzheimer's drugs, with only one being approved, and that gave only temporary improvement.  Some of the major pharmaceutical companies have stopped doing Alzheimer's research because of this.

Dale Bredeson, MD, a researcher at UCLA (he has recently opened his own clinic to treat Alzheimer's patients), realized that Alzheimer's is not a single disease, and discovered that it can be prevented.  His team discovered that Alzheimer's is the brain's protective response to certain threats:  inflammation from infection or other causes, decline and shortage of supportive nutrients and brain-supporting hormones, and toxic substances.  They felt the brain was producing amyloid plaques as a protection.  Once the threats are removed, the body begins to remove the amyloid plaques and rebuild the synapses destroyed by the disease.  This takes time.

Dr. Bredeson looked at multiple factors and treated each one as needed.  He published the first study that showed reversal of early Alzheimer's.  It is a lot of work for the patient but definitely worth the results when done carefully and consistently.  The following are some of his suggestions (along with shameless plug-ins for our SpringTree supplements:

Reversing Cognitive Decline

Identify the factors contributing to synaptic destruction

• Have your genetics tested for ApoE 4, which increases the risk of Alzheimer’s.
• Consider quantitative neuropsychological testing, brain imaging, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, electrophysiology testing which can better show the cause of cognitive decline.
• Other mitigating factors:  head trauma, general anesthesia, dental amalgams, use tobacco, other life-style or environmental factors.

Test for the following concerns

• Homocysteine levels greater than 6.
• Take Methylation Factors
• Elevated Hemoglobin A1c (pre-diabetes or diabetes)
• Sugar Stabilization Program up to Ketogenic diet depending on level
• SpringTree Glucose Balance and/or Metformin
• Insulin resistance, found by 4 hour glucose tolerance test, or insulin and C-peptide levels 1 hour after eating.
• Sugar Stabilization Program up to Ketogenic diet
• Fast at least 12 hours between dinner and breakfast.  Don’t eat for 3 hours before bedtime.
• Regular exercise—I recommend a combination of interval exercising for 12 minutes and resistance exercise for 15 minutes, 4-5 days a week.
• SpringTree Glucose Balance and/or Metformin
• Lack of sleep (7-8 hours a night)/Sleep apnea
• Treat sleep apnea with CPAP or dental device
• Try not to take sleeping pills.  Ask your doctor about safe supplements such as SpringTree Sweet Repose if needed.
• Avoid blue lights (computers and phones) before bed or get blue light blocking glasses.
• Stop caffeine past 10 am
• Excessive stress increases cortisol which is toxic to our brains.  Alzheimer’s also increases anxiety and it becomes a vicious cycle.
• Get emotional work to deal with past or current trauma or relationship issues if necessary.
• Learn the relaxation technique and practice it daily
• Let go of activities that aren’t absolutely necessary that increase stress.
• SpringTree Adrenaquell
• An inactive brain.
• Make sure to keep your brain stimulated through mental exercises, especially new learning.  
• Learn an instrument or a new language, or learn about a subject you’ve always wanted to know more about.
• Increased inflammatory markers (highly specific C-reactive protein greater than 1.0, alb/glob ratio less than 1.8, Omega-6/Omega-3 ratio lower or higher than 0.5-3.0, Interleukin-6 less than 3.0 pg/ml, Tumor necrosis factor-alpha less than 6.0 pg/ml)
• Anti-inflammatory supplements such as SpringTree Inflamasol and SpringTree Omega Gold.
• Anti-inflammatory diet.
• Treat tooth and gum infections, a large source of inflammation.
• Treat leaky gut.
• Treat chronic infections.
• Intestinal permeability and other signs of inflammation.  If your gut lining has been compromised it can trigger inflammation.
• Identify food, food-additives, medication and supplement triggers and avoid as much as possible.  Test for food allergies. 
• Avoid sugar, gluten, GMO foods, herbicides, pesticides, alcohol, unnecessary antibiotics, antacids, aspirin, NSAIDS, and stress.  Use organic as much as possible.
• Your practitioner may recommend for you to drink bone broth, use fiber such as SpringTree More Than Fiber, probiotics, digestive enzymes, glutamine, candida cleansing program, use acid such as Betaine HCL or apple cider vinegar with meals, etc.
• Work with your practitioner to wean off and stop any long-term antacids you may be on.
• Hormonal imbalance. 
• Studies have shown an association in reduction of Alzheimer’s with women who are taking estrogen.  Work with your practitioner to create a healthy balance between estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA.
• Optimal Estrogen for women is between 50-60 pg/ml, Progesterone between 5-20 ng/ml, with an E/P ratio around 10:40. 
• Optimal Testosterone for males is between 500-900 ng/dL, free testosterone between 6.5-15 ng/dL
• Optimal Pregnenolone is between 80-110.
• Optimal DHEA is 350-430 in women, 400-500 in men
• Low thyroid decreases brain functioning.  Test to see if your TSH is about 2.0.  Test to see if your Reverse T3 is elevated above 20, which increases the need for T3.  Optimal free T3 is between 3.2-4.2 pg/ml, free T4 between 1.3-1.8 ng/dL.
• Toxins.  Heavy metals have been associated with brain damage.  Other toxins such as pesticides, herbicides and petrochemicals may also be implicated.
• Get tested for heavy metals, chronic pathogens, chemical toxins and mycotoxins from mold.
• Get IV Chelation Therapy if heavy metals are very elevated.
• Otherwise use a safe oral detox supplement such as SpringTree Detox & Chelate.
• Restore optimal intestinal microbiome.
• Use non-toxic cleaners, facial and hair products, deodorizers, etc.
• Use glass rather than plastic as much as possible.
• Use organic as much as possible.
• Mitochondrial function, the organelles in the cells which produce energy.  Consider testing.
• SpringTree Cell Fuel to support mitochondria.
• Inadequate Vitamin D.
• Optimal levels between 50-60 ng/ml
• Mineral imbalance
• Copper/zinc ratio between 0.8-1.2
• Zinc level between 90-110 mg/dL
• RBC magnesium 5.8-6.5 mg/dL
• Cholesterol too low.  When the level of total cholesterol is  less than 150, it increases the risk of brain atrophy.  Cholesterol is important for cell membranes and brain cell growth and maintenance.  It is also important for adequate hormones, immune health, and the ability of the body to deal with stress.

Other vitamins, minerals and supplements shown to support brain and memory health:

• Vitamin E, esp. mixed tocopherols with gamma-tocopherol. (SpringTree SuperMulti Plus)
• B1 or Thiamine is critical for memory formation. (SpringTree SuperMulti Plus)
• Bacopa Monniere has been shown to improve thinking skills and memory over time (in SpringTree Adrenalquell)
• Fish oil such as SpringTree Omega Gold Concentrated Fish Oil improves brain health, has anti-inflammatory effects.  DHA has been linked with improved thinking skills, memory and reaction times.  EPA has been associated with improved mood.  Taking both has been shown to reduce the decline in brain function associated with aging.
• Resveratrol may prevent deterioration of the hippocampus, a part of the brain associated with memory.
• Caffeine from coffee, tea, green tea, yerba mate, guarana, caffeine pills (NOT through soda) temporarily improves memory, reaction times and general brain function.  Between 200-400 mg per day.  However, too much caffeine increases stress response, insomnia, anxiety and nausea.
• Phosphatidylserine may help reduce age-related decline in brain function (in SpringTree Cell Fuel)
• Ginkgo biloba may increase blood flow to the brain
• Oxaloacetate—activates brain mitochondrial biogenesis; protects neurons from glutamate, an excitatory neurotoxin and decreases neuroinflammation in the brain, and decreases brain damage stemming from ischemic attacks.

By following this program early Alzheimer's has improved and even reversed. 

For more information get Dr. Bredesen's book "The End of Alzheimer's".

Until we meet again,

Dr. Judi

PQQ--The Super Anti-Aging, Anti-Chronic Fatigue Supplement

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is a B vitamin-like cofactor that occurs naturally in plant foods and in most organs and tissues. It is found in fermented soy beans called natto, in tea, green peppers, parsley, kiwi, and human milk.

It has been demonstrated to function as an antioxidant by scavenging free radicals and subsequently protecting the mitochondria (the energy producing organs in the cell) from oxidative stress‑induced damage.

As discussed in an earlier blog, mitochodria are important because they are the source of 95% of the body's energy.  The average cell has about 200 of these power plants, and important organs such as the heart and brain can have more than 10,000 mitochondria per cell.

However, as you age or deal with illness, the mitochondria become damaged and there are less of them per cell, thus reducing energy.  According to The Journals of Gerontology, you have lost up to 80% of the mitochondria you had at age 25 by the time you are 67!  (Which will be my age in 2 weeks.) 

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in nearly all disease conditions, including cancer.

PQQ is a nutrient like no other.  Besides its excellent anti-oxidant properties, it has been shown to restore mitochondrial function AND create new mitochondria to replace the old ones that have died.  This is something that other nutrients such as CoQ 10 and Omega 3s can't do.  CoQ 10 is like the fuel to your cell energy, while PQQ fixes and grows new engines that use the fuel.

Researchers at the University of California at Davis, as reported in the Journal of Nutrition, found that mice who were deficient in PQQ had growth impairment, suppressed immune systems, reduced fertility and mitochondrial dysfunction.  When they were fed a diet supplemented with PQQ, there was a 55% increase in the number of new mitochonria in their cells, and the mice with the strongest mitochondria showed no signs of aging.

Besides increased mitochondria making new energy, PQQ reduces inflammation and free radical damage.  In one study, healthy people who took 20 mg of PQQ experienced an up to 45% decrease of the inflammatory markers CRP and I6 in three weeks.  It is 5,000 times more powerful as an anti-oxidant than Vitamin C.

PQQ also stimulates the production of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) in your brain.  In a study by M. Nakano, healthy adults who supplemented PQQ showed significant improvements in word memorization and recall tasks, far better than those who did not take PQQ.  And it may protect your brain from plaques which cause dementia.


Besides increasing the number of functioning mitochondria in your heart cells, PQQ also protects your heart from low blood flow, protects your heart from oxidative stress, and reduces the damage to your heart muscle from a heart attack.  It can reduce the LDL cholesterol.

PQQ is able to improve sleep quality and duration.  Studies have shown it may improve vigor, fatigue, tension-anxiety, depression, anger-hostility and confusion.

If you diabetes, pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome, PQQ has been shown to decrease insulin resistance by increasing new mitochondria in your muscle cells, similar to the benefit you get from exercise.

We have felt that PQQ is such an important discovery that we have added it with other mitochondrial support nutrients to our SpringTree supplement "Cell Fuel." (www.springtreehealth.com)  We are receiving positive compliments on increases of energy in our patients with Lyme disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia Syndrome, as well as improvement in our aging patients (including myself!).

One of our patients wrote, "After starting Cell Fuel the “bite” was taken off of my constant chronic pain. I was able to stand all day in the kitchen – barefoot – on hard floors – without numbing pain. Now, 3 bottles later, my pain is gone. Combining Cell Fuel with the Glucose Balance has been a life saver!!"  K.S.

For prevention we recommend 2 capsules of Cell Fuel a day, providing 10 mg of PQQ plus many other mitochondrial support ingredients, including CoQ 10.  For treatment of fatigue and aging, no matter what the cause, we recommend 2 capsules twice a day.  That is what I take.

Until we meet again,
Dr. Judi

Detoxing: Necessity or Hype?

In previous blogs I discussed how toxins are now ubiquitous to our environment (food, soil, air, water, medications and vaccines, non-tested supplements, skin and hair products, etc.)
, and how many toxins can create major health problems.  But do the multiple touted detox diets work?  Are they just hype or do they make a difference?

EFFECTS OF TOXINS ON THE BODY

Most of us equate detox with deprivation.  Detoxing has also become the umbrella term for a lot of different diets. Sometimes the word may be used positively, as in feeding your body a healthy diet of natural, whole foods, and other times the word typically means drinking nothing but a fluid concoction of lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper or some such for days, which is supposed to flush poisons from the body. 

The fact is we have a natural detox system in our body that works very well when treated well. The liver does a great job of flushing out waste every day, our lungs breathe out pollutants, our kidneys filter out toxins, and our digestive system lets things pass through that we don’t need.

But some of us have genetics that reduce our ability to remove toxins from our bodies, including the MTHFR mutation (see previous blogs).  Others have diseases which reduce their ability to detoxify.  And others have been overwhelmed with toxins and the body doesn't have the capacity to remove them all. With the amount of toxicity currently in our environment, this is more common that we would like to admit.


In our office at Diamond Springs Wellness Center, we encourage all of our patients to get at least a test for heavy metals, either for prevention or as part of their treatment for a chronic illness.  We have found through previous testing that those dealing with increased levels of heavy metals also have increased levels of chemical toxins.  All of these can damage your health.  Sometimes one toxin will show up extremely high, such as arsenic or mercury, but most often there are mild elevations of multiple toxins, which is just as bad when looking at the toxic load on the body.

Steps to detoxification:

1.  Remove toxins as much as possible from your body and your environment.  Remove heavy metal fillings from your teeth by a qualified dentist; use organic foods as much as possible with a healthy diet; use natural skin and hair care products; reduce use of plastic for food and water, etc.  Sweating through exercise and sauna helps.

2.  Support your filters: your kidneys, liver and GI tract.  I usually recommend supplements such as Dr. Christopher's Kidney-Bladder Formula, Liver-Gallbladder formula, and Colon Cleanse, but there are many out there that are effective.

3.  Use GI binders that bind toxins in the intestinal tract such as charcoal (binds mold toxins), clay (binds aflatoxins), chlorella (binds heavy metals), zeolite (binds radiation, heavy metals and some chemicals) and modified citrus pectin (binds heavy metals and many other toxins).

4.  Address detoxification biochemistry:  N-acetyl cysteine increases glutathione, alpha lipoic acid, glycine, etc.  There are many products that assist with this.

SpringTree has developed a product called Detox & Chelate, which uses both GI binders and addresses detoxification biochemistry (www.springtreehealth.com).  It also contains moderate amounts of EDTA to reduce biofilm in which heavy metals accumulate.

5.  Balance necessary minerals:  High copper and low zinc increases synergistic toxicity with heavy metals in the system. High calcium and low magnesium stops detoxification by restricting magnesium dependent transporters and increasing inflammation.  You must also have adequate molybdenum, selenium and lithium to detoxify.  SpringTree SuperMulti Plus carries good amounts of all of these in balanced levels except lithium.  We usually recommend Lithium Orotate, 5-15 mg/day.

4.  Use chelating agents such as EDTA, DMPS and DMSA.  If your toxic load is high, IV chelation by a qualified practitioner may be necessary.

5.  Other types of detox processes may include frequency generators or pulsed-electromagnetic frequency (PEMF), homeopathics, foot baths, etc.  These are not yet scientifically proven, but many feel they have worked for them.

Remember  that detoxification takes time.  A one time detox juicing or treatment will not remove all of the toxins.  It often takes consistent work for a year or more.  Start slow and work up if detoxing causes negative symptoms.  Some people do better by taking breaks from their detox process every month or so. Preferably work with a  qualified health care practitioner familiar with the detoxification pathways of the body and how the various treatments work.

I do believe that in today's environment periodic detoxification is necessary.  But most important is removing as many toxins from our own personal environment as possible.

Until we meet again,
Dr. Judi

Mitochondrial Dysfunction--the Root Cause of Your Chronic Illness?

 

   If you have any of the following symptoms you may be experiencing mitochondrial dysfunction:

• unexplainable fatigue, easily winded 
• generally don’t feel well
• feel pain after moderate exercise
• headaches for no known reason
• impaired sense of smell and taste
• depression, anxiety or mood disorder
• no motivation or ambition·       
• feel older than you are
• brain fog, forgetful
• sensitive to noise, light, etc.
• when you get sick it is hard to get better
• age pigments and liver spots

 

Mitochondria are cellular organelles that are the “energy packs of the cell.”  Within the mitochondria ATP, the energy currency of the cell, is produced.  But we may not realize that the health of the mitochondria is the underlying foundation to both our physical and our mental health, and learning how to treat mitochondrial dysfunction may be one of the best ways to help treat the underlying cause of chronic physical and mental illness and fatigue.

Mitochondria are found in every human cell except mature red blood cells.  20% of our weight is mitochondria.  Each mitochondrion has a half-life of only 5-12 days, therefore turnover is high.  A single cell may contain 200 to 2000 mitochondria.  A female egg cell contains over 100,000 mitochondria—we inherit our mitochondria from our mothers.

Mitochondrial dysfunction may cause:

Systemic                     Chronic fatigue, failure to gain weight, allergy, autoimmunity

Muscles                      Weakness, cramping, muscle pain

Brain                           Developmental delay, mental retardation, autism, dementia, seizures, neuropsychiatric disturbances (including major depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia and personality changes), atypical cerebral palsy, atypical migraines, stroke, stroke-like events, Parkinson’s disease, ataxia, headaches

Nerves                         Neuropathic pain and weakness (may be intermittent), acute and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, absent deep tendon reflexes, fainting, absent or excessive sweating, aberrant temperature regulation

Gastrointestinal           Neuropathic disorders such as gastroesophageal reflux, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome

Lungs                          Frequent lung infections, air hunger

Kidneys                      Proximal renal tubular dysfunction; loss of protein, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and other electrolytes

Heart                           Cardiac conduction defects (heart blocks), cardiomyopathy which can lead to congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, hypertension.

Liver                           Hypoglycemia, nonalcoholic liver failure, primary biliary cirrhosis

Eyes                            Optic neuropathy, ptosis (weak eyelid droops over eye), eye pain and retinitis pigmentosa

Ears                             Sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, aminoglycoside sensitivity

Pancreas                      Diabetes and exocrine pancreatic failure

Thyroid                       Increase in Reverse T3, decrease in thyroid function

Mechanism of destruction of mitochondria

• ·         Genetic and congenital disorders
• ·         Membrane destruction by toxins (including environmental toxins, metabolic by-products and many medications
• ·         Oxidative damage by free radicals.  Stress, adrenaline, elevated blood glucose, toxins all increase free radical production in the body and the brain.
• ·         NAD depletion from low nutrients such as Vitamin B3, CoQ-10, Alpha Lipoic Acid, carnitine, etc.
• ·         Inflammation increases free radicals, metabolic toxins and nutrient depletion.
• ·         Chronic infections increase inflammation, free radicals, metabolic toxins and nutrient depletion

These all cause mitochondrial dysfunction and self-destruction.

Testing for mitochondrial dysfunction may include (be aware that insurance doesn’t pay for most of these):

• ·         D-Lactate (nl: 4-16mg/dL)
• ·         serum coenzyme Q10
• ·         copper/zinc ratio (should not be greater than 1.1)
• ·         carnitine (may be low)
• ·         pyruvic acid (shouldn’t be higher than 1.50mg/dL)
• ·         An elevated alanine along with an
• ·         alanine-to-lysine ratio: > 3 suggests true hyperalaninemia (of long-standing pyruvate accumulation)
• ·         MTHFR genetic analysis – Coq10 production needs methylation
• ·         Next level: muscle biopsy and genetic screening,

Treatment:

1. Remove offending toxins (see SpringTree Detox & Chelate)
2. Anti-inflammatory, low glycemic diet with whole, nutrient rich foods
3. Reduce inflammation (see SpringTree Inflamasol)
4. Treat infections (chronic infections such as Lyme disease should also have mitochondrial support treatment) 
5. Improve gastrointestinal health and support the liver
6. Improve elevated levels of glucose and insulin (see SpringTree Glucose Balance)
7. Balance thyroid, especially T3, necessary for mitochondrial biogenesis and function (elevated Reverse T3 should be treated with mitochondrial support)
8. Healthy sleep, the time for recycling mitochondria
9. Interval exercise, which stimulated mitochondrial biogenesis
10. Relaxation techniques to reduce adrenaline
11. Supplements:·        

• Fish oil keeps membranes free flowing  
• Magnesium, zinc, selenium, adequate B-vitamins including active B-12, antioxidants (all found in SpringTree SuperMulti Plus) 
• SpringTree Cell Fuel, mitochondrial support with PQQ

Cell Fuel was created to give the mitochondria all the nutrition and co-factors they need to function, to repair membranes and to grow new mitochondria. See www.springtreehealth.com

Until we meet again,
Dr. Judi