Preventing Alzheimer's Disease

By E Douglas Kihn, OMD, LAc, CPT
www.drkihn.com

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that causes a gradual and as yet irreversible decline in memory, language skills, perception of time and space, and, eventually, the ability to care for oneself. First described by German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer in 1906, Alzheimer’s disease was initially thought to be a rare condition affecting only young people, and was referred to as pre-senile dementia. Today late-onset Alzheimer’s disease is recognized as the most common cause of the loss of mental function in those aged 65 and over. Alzheimer’s in people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, called early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, occurs much less frequently, accounting for less than 10 percent of the estimated 4 million Alzheimer’s cases in the United States.

Alzheimer's disease accounts for two-thirds of all dementia cases. The disease is two to three times more common in women, a situation not explained by the fact that women live longer on average than men.

Alzheimer’s disease is not well understood by Western science.

In the next decade or two, as researchers reverse-engineer the human brain, all will become clear. But here are some facts that we do know.
· There is a genetic propensity for the disease. Geneticists have learned that people who are carriers of specific genes are several times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s as they age.
· As the disease progresses, the brain shrinks in size. Computer graphics comparing the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and normal, healthy brains, the Alzheimer's brains are noticably smaller.
· The Alzheimer’s brain suffers from inflammation. Strong evidence supports this contention. For example, several studies report that post-menopausal women who have undergone estrogen replacement therapy to control heat flashes are far less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. It is thought that estrogen’s anti-inflammatory abilities prevent the formation of a dangerous protein that destroys brain neurons.
· The brain becomes clogged with “gunk”. The brains of patients with Alzheimer’s have distinctive formations—abnormally shaped proteins called tangles and plaques—that are recognized as the hallmark of the disease. Not all brain regions show these characteristic formations. The areas most prominently affected are those related to memory. Scientists have found that tangles and plaques cause neurons in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients to shrink and eventually die, first in the memory and language centers and finally throughout the brain. This widespread neuron degeneration leaves gaps in the brain’s messaging network that may interfere with communication between cells, causing some of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
· The Alzheimer’s brain begins to malfunction like the body of a diabetes patient. Like body cells in diabetes, brain cells become resistant to nutrition and start to atrophy (shrink) and lose function.

Chinese medicine explains Alzheimer’s this way.

Any kind of dementia is seen as phlegm blocking the shen. Shen is the substance that determines behavior and resides in the heart/brain. The shen determines appropriate behavior first by collecting as much information as possible about the internal and external environment. When something blocks that information and prevents the shen from reading it accurately, behavior becomes inappropriate. A substance called phlegm will cause extreme blockage, which will lead to extremely inappropriate behavior – all of the symptomatic behavior of Alzheimer’s patients.

What are the causes of this theoretical phlegm? One cause is a damp spleen. This is a Chinese term indicating a digestive system clogged with calories, usually evidenced by excess body fat, no hunger, digestive difficulties with specific foods, and diabetes 2. Excess damp transforms into all kinds of phlegm, including the phlegm that blocks the shen. An interesting side note is that both obesity and Alzheimer’s show evidence of brain shrinkage.

Another cause is qi stagnation. Qi moves everything in the body, including fluids. When the qi gets stuck, the fluids don’t move well, and sometimes the fluids can turn to phlegm, which can block the shen. What most often stagnates the body’s qi is mental stagnation, when people are obsessing about the future or the past, which of course do not exist. This chronic worry and anxiety will tighten muscles and thus decrease overall circulation.

A third cause of phlegm is excessive heat. Heat, also known as inflammation, will dry out the fluids, especially in the upper body where heat rises to. Dry fluids do not flow well, and can transform into phlegm, especially the sticky blocking variety.

Preventative steps

First, let us recognize that most of the time, Alzheimer’s is a disease of aging with a genetic proclivity. Logic suggests that slowing the aging process – the proof of which lies in the preservation of the chromosomal telomeres – can keep those Alzheimer’s genes dormant for a very long time. So far, the only three factors known to speed up the aging process – the three things we want to avoid - are:
1. Chronic anxiety.
2. Excess body fat.
3. Not exercising on a daily basis.

Next, let us recognize that there are no “oral” preventative measures – no foods or drugs or supplements – that will forestall the development of Alzheimer’s.

From a Chinese medical point of view, we want to prevent excess heat, qi stagnation, and excess damp. This means in a practical sense that we need to stop behaving like typical Americans, to stop hurrying, worrying, and overeating. A life of hurrying will cause too much friction, which causes heat and inflammation. Too much speed, too much activity, and not enough sleep and rest will lead to all kinds of inflammatory health problems. Worrying is a habit that can be dropped completely, regardless of external circumstances. There are many means to help you stop worrying, such as Asian philosophy, religion, exercise, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Overeating directly causes excess damp. Under-eating clears out damp and restores health to the digestive system. There are many methods for backing off of food and getting lean and clean.

Then there is a common sense perspective, which mainstream science might consider “touchy-feely pseudo-science”, since it isn’t backed by studies just yet.

All living organisms must conform to an immutable maxim: Grow or die. All life is either growing or dying. A flower is either blooming or dying. A growing brain is one which is growing in size and abilities. A dying brain is shrinking in size and abilities. If an arm is unused for a long time, it will gradually become atrophied and paralyzed. If a brain is underused – not pushed to its limits on a regular basis – it will shrink and die.

What are the brain functions that are lost in an Alzheimer’s brain? They are:
· Worsening memory problems – mental deficiencies.
· Trouble with spatial direction and timing – physical deficiencies.
· Language difficulties – social deficiencies.

We must all our lives keep developing in all three areas - mental, physical, and social. I know of several older people with Alzheimer’s who seemed to be pushing the limits in one of three areas, or two areas, but none who were growing in all three dimensions when their dementia symptoms started.

In which mental/cognitive areas are you expanding? Do you read? People who read a lot are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Do you watch films that make you think? Do you play thinking games? Are you currently studying some area of history, science, or other intellectual subject? Are you learning a new art form? Are you learning to play a musical instrument? Are you studying a foreign language?

What physical abilities are you improving? Are you engaged in progressive fitness training? Strength, endurance, and flexibility can be increased at any age. Are you learning a new sport? Are you increasing your skills in a particular athletic activity? If you have injuries or other physical limitations, are you working around them anyway?

How are you improving your social skills? What social groups do you belong to? Are you making new friends? Are you keeping old friends? Are you communicating successfully with yourself? With those who are close to you? Have you used talk therapy or other means to increase your communication abilities? Are you generally transparent, easy-going, and forgiving with other people?

From my knowledge and experience, people who are constantly growing in all three dimensions remain mentally sharp past 100 years of age. Let all of us aim for that target.