Let's Talk About Alzheimer's
I have done some studying on the subject of Alzheimer's and here are some interesting finds I wish to share with you, my readers.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), named after the German psychiatrist who discovered it, is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of memory and cognitive function. Beta-amyloid plaques form inside the brain, destroying brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking, and behavior severe enough to affect everyday life. Alzheimer’s gets worse over time and is fatal. Life span following the diagnosis averages about eight years.
Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, affecting approximately 18 million people worldwide. Approximately one out of ten Americans over the age of 65 has the disease. About half of the Americans over the age of 85 are affected. Alzheimer’s related medical complications are among the most common causes of death in the elderly population.
AD is a devastating disease in that it affects not only the victim, but also his or her family in a tremendous way. The victim in time becomes a body, seemingly without a mind, and requires total care by other family members or professional nursing staff. If you have ever visited an Alzheimer's unit you come away thinking that Alzheimer's is the very worst thing that can ever happen to an individual; it is as though a thief came and stole one's mind, leaving just an empty shell. You can see intelligent, active people reduced to pure nothingness! I think of it as the "Living Death"!
Common symptoms of AD include:
• Memory Loss
• Difficulty performing familiar tasks
• Problems with language
• Disorientation to time and place
• Decreased judgment
• Changes in mood or behavior
• Loss of initiative
• Problems with thinking
• Misplacing things
A cure for AD has not yet been found by the medical profession. Should that occur, it should make the headlines of every newspaper in the world! Wouldn't you agree?
Well, some researchers at the University of California at Irvine, have made a fantastic discovery in relation to Alzheimer's. For four whole months they treated mice which had AD with daily doses of Niacinamide. Cognitively, the mice were actually cured, performing like they never had the disease at all! Dr. Kim Green, one of the researchers, stated that Niacinamide not only prevented further decline (as is seen in Alzheimer's disease), but, in addition, it restored the lost memory function! It also brought about memory improvement in mice which did not have AD.
This is nothing short of amazing! Why haven't we all heard of this? Of course further studies will need to continue using Niacinamide on "people" with Alzheimer's.
Niacinamide is simply a water-soluble vitamin, a form of vitamin B3 (Niacin). It is inexpensive and safe. Suggested dosage would be 250 mg. every three hours while awake. That would be 6 doses daily. In very advanced AD that dose could be increased to 250mg. every 1 and 1/2 hours, up to a total of ten doses. (Total would be 2,500mg daily) It is important that Niacinamide be given in these divided doses and not all at once. These divided doses keep the blood level consistent. STAY AWAY from time-released Niacinamide and other time-released B vitamin products. These have the potential for creating liver problems.
Any time you take one B vitamin you should be taking B-complex also. There are several different B vitamins, and they all work in conjunction with each other. Take a B-complex supplement that has at least 50 mg for most of the vitamins listed on the label. Always buy preservative free vitamins whenever possible.
Always check with a doctor whom you trust before you begin some new addition to any current treatments.
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