*  Eat Low-Fat Foods to Reduce Alzheimer's Risk

Eating a high fat diet during early and mid adulthood could increase your risk for Alzheimer's. Stop eating fried foods and those with saturated fats (meats, cheese, pastries, cakes and pies.) Start eating more low-fat foods including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Read labels of processed foods for the amount of saturated fat, and choose low-fat options.

* Get enough Vitamin B-12 to Protect Against Alzheimer's

A deficiency in vitamin B-12 and an over-abundance of homocysteine (a type of amino acid, a building block of protein that can injury blood vessel linings) can cause dementia and severe nerve damage. Foods high in Vitamin B-12 include sardines, mackerel, trout, herring, eggs, some cheese, nutritional yeast, crab, crayfish, clams, oysters, sea vegetables (kombu, dulse, kelp, wakame), and fermented soyfoods (tempeh, natto and miso). Limit your coffee intake. One or more cups of coffee or caffeinated beverages robs you of vitamin B (positive moood, brain function). Five or more cups of coffee a day raises homocysteine significantly, producing negative effects for your heart.

* Eat More Vegetables, Fruits and Grains Every Day to Reduce Alzheimer's Symptoms

Oxidative stress probably plays a key role in the dementia that occurs in Alzheimer's disease. Plant foods contain flavonoids, powerful antioxidant substances. To protect yourself against harmful oxidative stress, eat at least five fruits and vegetables a day and whole grain cereal.

*Get more Folate Every Day to Prevent the Development of Alzheimer's

A lack of folate may also be involved in the development of Alzheimer's, so it makes sense to eat foods rich in this substance. Foods to concentrate on include asparagus, desiccated or fresh liver, fresh dark green uncooked vegetables, wheat bran, turnips, potatoes, orange juice, black-eyed peas, lima beans, watermelon, oysters, and cantaloupe.

*Drink more green tea to Protect Against Alzheimer's

Green tea exerts a protective effect against brain injury, according to a study reported in Brain Research Bulletin.

*Stop Aluminum or Fluoride Exposure to Reduce Alzheimer's Symptoms

Aluminum in drinking water is correlated with Alzheimer's disease, and fluoridated drinking water is especially bad because it can alter nerves and blood vessels in the brain. Drink distilled water or reverse-osmosis filtered water. Also stop using aluminum-containing antacids and buffered aspirin, and stop using aluminum cookware. Avoid deodorants that contain aluminum and never cook in aluminum pots or pans.

Minerals compete with each other in your body. So, by increasing your consumption of magnesium and/or magnesium-rich foods, there will be less chance of aluminum absorption. Magnesium-rich foods include whole grain breads and cereals, fresh peas, brown rice, soy flour, wheat germ, nuts, Swiss chard, figs, green leafy vegetables, and citrus fruits.                                        

Aluminum that you inhale may be completely absorbed because the olfactory nerves in the nasal cavity lead directly to your brain. For this reason, discontinue the use of spray-on antiperspirants, hair sprays, cleaning solutions, hobby sprays, and paint and glues.

*Supplements that May Prevent or Treat Alzheimer's

Pycnogenol is a supplement that may help. Research reported in the Biological Pharmacy Bulletin reports that the supplement may be useful to prevent and/or treat neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease.

Acetyl-L-carnitine is another supplement to consider. A report in Molecular Psychiatry summarized the importance of this supplement: it contains both acetyl and carnitine, both of which have neurobiological properties that have been shown to have beneficial effects in Alzheimer's disease.

Antioxidants can function as powerful protectants. A study in The New England Journal of Medicine concluded that the progression of Alzheimer's in patients with moderately severe impairment is slowed equally well with vitamin E or selegiline, a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. According to a report in the Journal of Neural Transmission, Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) in both its natural and synthetic form has been shown to protect neurons against the oxidative cell death caused by Alzheimer's disease. (Antioxidants are also available naturally in fruits and vegetables. Another reason to eat more of them!)                             

Vitamin C is another antioxidant that can help. A report in Free Radicals in Biological Medicine reported that supplementation with vitamin C and E together significantly decreases oxidation, a factor in Alzheimer's disease.

A study of older men (aged 71 to 93) reported in Neurology found that participants who took both vitamin C and E supplements at least once a week were 88 percent less likely to have vascular dementia (speech, language and visual disturbances, paralysis and mental impairment) and a 20 percent greater chance of having better cognitive (thinking) function than those who didn't even four years later! You might be best off taking the supplements in an ongoing fashion to prevent or treat Alzheimer's because participants in the study who took the supplements over a six year period showed a 75 percent greater chance of better mental performance.

*Acetylcholine

Alzheimer's is associated with deficiency of a brain chemical, acetylcholine. Lecithin (made from soy) and choline (a supplement) are precursors to this chemical, so taking them daily could help.

Herbs

*Gingko biloba     

Gingko benefits Alzheimer's patients, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The ginkgo extract improved thinking and social function. Note:

The use of any herbs needs to be carefully coordinated with other medications you are taking. Be sure to consult with a health care practitioner who is an expert in herbs, since ginkgo can interact with aspirin and antiplatelet drugs and can increase clotting time. Follow the dosage directions on the bottle.

*Lower Blood Pressure to Enhance Memory

Although most age-related dementia is due to Alzheimer's, the second most frequent cause is high blood pressure. If you're overweight, lose weight by eating low-fat foods and increasing exercise. Make sure you eat breakfast so you'll eat less in the evening when you won't be as active and it can turn to fat. Also, take a stress reduction class to learn how to control stress and anger, and consider getting massage, which can lower the body's level of cortisol, an indicator of stress.

*Keep Your Mind Stimulated to Protect Against Alzheimer's

Adults with hobbies that exercise their minds, such as reading, jigsaw puzzles or chess, are protected more than twice much from Alzheimer's disease as those whose leisure is limited to TV watching. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that unused brain power is lost brain power. Every day, be sure to read, do a puzzle, play a musical instrument or a board game, knit or do woodwork. Physical activities such as baseball, football, bike riding, swimming, walking, or skating also stimulate your brain and may help ward off Alzheimer's. One study reported in the American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, that even playing Bingo did the trick!

*Stop Smoking to Protect Your Brain Against Alzheimer's

Smoking raises homocysteine and depletes antioxidant vitamins that may protect the brain. So, find a way to stop smoking if you don't want to develop Alzheimer's.

*Play Music to Calm Alzheimer's Agitation

Listening to music you prefer can work better than medication for agitated movement according to reports in the Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, International Psychogeriatrics and  the Journal of Gerontological Nursing. Find out what kind of music is preferred and play that at the first sign of agitation.

*Exercise Can Improve Memory Loss Due to Alzheimer's

Exercise can help improve energy, circulation, stamina, and mood according to a report in Gerontology. If you or a family member have Alzheimer's, you may have the desire, but not the wherewithal, to plan it. Someone else may need to lead the exercise. Many nursing homes have seated range of motion programs. Even frail people can participate in these, and memory loss, mobility, balance, flexibility, and knee and hip strength has been shown to improve in a three-times a week program, according to reports in the Journal of Gerontology and the American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. At home, dancing, walking and mild stretching can be employed. It is best to complete the activity regularly, at the same time of day and in the same vicinity, to minimize confusion.

Consider Touch to Reduce Alzheimer's Agitation

Nurses have long used touch and massage to help patients relax. It is important to approach an agitated person in a gentle, unhurried manner. Sometimes just holding hands and talking softly will reduce agitation. Gently stroking the patient from ear lobe to chin in an unhurried manner can bring calm and may stimulate memory, according to a report in the Journal of Gerontological Nursing.

Massage is one touch measure that can enhance relaxation as well as reduce blood pressure. A study in the International Journal of Nursing Practice showed massage could also lessen anxiety and lower the body's level of cortisol, an indicator of stress.

Gentle hand massage using lotion with a scent familiar to the patient can reduce anxiety and agitation according to a study reported in the International Journal of Nursing Practice. If the patient is at home, use a lotion familiar to the person with Alzheimer's. Hold some in your hands to warm it, and then gently massage the back. If a family member is already in a nursing home, bring in lotion that is familiar for the nurse to use.  Massage with lotion can increase alertness and contentment, reduce stress levels and agitation, and improve sleep. Family caregivers providing massage reported that their sleeping patterns improved too, and that they felt more calm and less stressed.

Foot massage with acupressure reduced Alzheimer patient wandering and increased periods of calm according to a study in Image: Journal of Nursing Scholarship. If a family member is a resident in a nursing home, ask that he or she receive foot massage. If there are no nurses or massage therapists available to give a foot massage, investigate having one come into the nursing home on a consultant basis. You may have to coordinate this with your doctor. If the family member is at home, you can have a massage therapist come in, or try using lotion yourself to gently rub the family member's feet.

Slow stroking massage has also been used to reduce Alzheimer symptoms. A report in the Journal of Gerontological Nursing found that slow stroke massage reduced pacing, wandering and resisting in individuals with Alzheimer's.

Consult the source of this article for more information and ideas:

Clark, CC. (2003). THE AMERICAN HOLISTIC NURSES' ASSOCIATION GUIDE TO COMMON CHRONIC CONDITIONS: SELF-CARE ACTIONS TO COMPLEMENT YOUR DOCTOR'S ADVICE. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. www.wiley.com

copyright, 2006, Carolyn Chambers Clark

www.carolynchambersclark.com