Spilling The Green Tea

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, in 2023, 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s.

That number is expected to greatly increase to 13.8 million by 2060.

So what is causing Alzheimer’s? What exactly is it? Let’s look at the history…..

Alzheimer’s disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a doctor who, in 1906, noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman (his patient) who died of an unusual mental illness. The woman’s symptoms included memory, language and behavior issues.

Upon further examination, Dr. Alzheimer found amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary in her brain.

Emil Kraepelin, a German psychiatrist, published Dr. Alzheimer’s research in his well-known psychiatric textbook and was responsible for calling this new and unusual disorder, Alzheimer’s Disease.

Alzheimer’s happens when brain cells and their connections slowly die which not only affects memory, but other mental functions as well. It is a progressive disease with no cure. Symptoms include:

• memory loss
• trouble problem solving
• difficulty in familiar tasks
• confusion in time and place
• vision changes
• difficulty speaking or writing
• misplacing items and forgetfulness
• poor judgement
• withdraw from work or social activities
• mood changes

For years, there have been numerous reports that aluminum, a chemical element, had a direct link to Alzheimer’s. Studies have shown that traces of aluminum were found in the brain of Alzheimer patients.

So why aluminum? Well, did you know that aluminum is present in our foods, water and toiletries? Here are some items that list aluminum as an ingredient:

• soda cans
• pots and pans
• cooking foil
• baking powder
• cake mixes
• self-rising flours
• antacids
• food additives
• cosmetics
• anti-perspirants
• processed cheeses
• beer

Noticed I bolded “anti-perspirants”? Aluminum is used as a drying agent so that is why it is prevalent in anti-perspirants; it helps to keep you dry. And where do these anti-perspirants go? In your armpit, next to your lymph nodes. Just keep that in mind as you read further…..

Over the years there have been many studies conducted about the relationship between aluminum and Alzheimer’s:

1965: when rabbits were injected with high doses of aluminum, they reportedly began to show symptoms of early stage Alzheimer’s. Doctors and scientists refute this due to the rabbits being injected with a much higher dose of aluminum rather than the small amount we, as humans, ingest.

2011: scientists conducted an examination looking at their own studies and historical research. They concluded there was growing evidence of a link but could not confirm anything beyond that

2011: scientists in Canada, concluded that due to previous research, aluminum significantly contributes to the cause of Alzheimer’s.

2017: scientists concluded that extreme exposure to aluminum can cause dementia-like symptoms but could not associate it with Alzheimer’s; however, they did confirm that individuals with Alzheimer’s did have higher traces of aluminum in their brains.

2021: Canadian scientists performed a study on aluminum found in drinking water and if it had any effect on Alzheimer’s; they concluded there was no evidence to support that theory

Scientists and doctors may or may not agree on aluminum having a connection to Alzheimer’s, but, as always, there is no smoke without fire. Try avoiding products that have aluminum and, most importantly, start by throwing away your anti-perspirant and use a deodorant. Witch Hazel, baking soda, cornstarch or coconut oil are excellent natural replacements for anti-perspirants as well.

Now onto the latest and greatest study…..

Reports are surfacing about how an unhealthy gut microbiome can be linked with Alzheimer’s.

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis states:

People in the earliest stage of Alzheimer’s disease — after brain changes have begun but before cognitive symptoms become apparent — harbor an assortment of bacteria in their intestines that differs from the gut bacteria of healthy people.

Gautam Dantas, professor of Laboratory and Genomic Medicine, said, ““We don’t yet know whether the gut is influencing the brain or the brain is influencing the gut, but this association is valuable to know in either case. It could be that the changes in the gut microbiome are just a readout of pathological changes in the brain. The other alternative is that the gut microbiome is contributing to Alzheimer’s disease, in which case altering the gut microbiome with probiotics or fecal transfers might help change the course of the disease.”

Apparently when there is an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut, with the bad bacteria outnumbering the good, it may be a cause for the onset of Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Chinta Sidharthan, biologist, wrote an article for News Medical highlighting some hard facts:

• there is an association between specific gut microbes and varying levels of Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid
•  there is a link between the composition of the gut microbiome and levels of amyloid peptide in the brain.
• studies found significant improvements in the cognitive function of Alzheimer’s disease patients after specific dietary patterns such as the ketogenic diet, Mediterranean diet, and diets targeting hypertension and neurodegeneration.
•  the use of pre and probiotics and combinations of the two can modify Alzheimer’s disease progression and related neuropathology.

University of Nevada in Las Vegas, conducted their own research as well. They found a significant correlation between 10 specific types of gut bacteria and the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s. Keep in mind that there are anywhere between 500 to 1,000 types of bacteria in your gut at any time.

Of the 10 specific types of bacteria they studied, six of them were found to be protective (good bacteria) and the remaining four were found to be associated with a risk of Alzheimer’s. Those four are:

• Collinsella
• Bacteroides
• Lachnospira
• Veillonella

Per UNLV: Certain bacteria in humans’ guts can secrete acids and toxins that thin and seep through the intestinal lining, interact with the APOE (a gene identified as a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease), and trigger a neuroinflammatory response — affecting brain health and numerous immune functions, and potentially promoting development of the neurodegenerative disorder. 

Now that more and more attention is being focused on how the gut and the brain are always “in touch” and how one affects the other, there is also attention focused on the relationship between constipation and cognitive decline.   

Chaoran Ma, Professor of Nutrition in Massachusetts, conducted a study analyzing bowel movements and cognition over the course of six years and and studying 110,000 people.

He found that people suffering from chronic constipation (one bowel movement in three or more days) had significant worse cognition that people who had a bowel movement at least once a day.

Ma explained, “People with chronic constipation also had more bacteria that cause inflammation in their guts and less bacteria that break down dietary fibers.”

So now that you know, or at least we are on the verge of knowing, that your gut health directly affects your brain health, you may want to know what you can do to prevent any cognitive decline or mental disorder.

Here are some tips:

• eat a clean diet
• take probiotics and prebiotics
• eat fermented foods like kefir and kombucha and yogurt
• eat less sugar and artificial sweeteners
• eliminate inflammatory foods like processed meats, commercial baked goods, and deep-fried items
• stop smoking and lessen drinking alcohol
• sleep at least 8 hours every night

I am excited to see how these studies regarding the brain/stomach axis will go and what will come of them. It is fascinating and just affirms that God made our bodies so wonderfully and uniquely.

And with all the other toxins and poisons we come into contact with every day, it is always best to eat, drink and use what God has already provided us here on His great Earth. Keep this in mind: