Alzheimer's and Oxidized Cholesterol

I have mentioned many times that oxidized cholesterol is 500 times more atherogenic or promotional of blocked arteries than non-oxidized cholesterol. Recently, researchers have begun to note that oxidation of cholesterol and other fats in the brain is associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. A study by Testa concludes, "these results strongly support the association between changes in oxysterol levels and AD progression." Research by Marwarha suggests that oxidized cholesterol also plays a role in the development of Parkinson's disease. Measuring oxidation products in the spinal fluid can ever serve as a marker for the development of Alzheimer's and impairment of brain function.

Non oxidized cholesterol does not appear to cross the blood-brain barrier, but oxidized cholesterol can. It then can promote inflammation of the nerves and brain cells that leads to brain deterioration. Oxidized fats are hard on the brain and can lead to death of brain cells.

Oxidized cholesterol can enter the body through a diet high in oxidized fats. The cholesterol within the body can also oxidize, particularly if the diet is deficient in fat and water soluble antioxidants. Key fat soluble antioxidants include carotenoids, CoQ10, and vitamin E. Research on the NeoLife Carotenoid Complex suggested that it significantly reduced fat oxidation in the blood when levels were high due to poor diet. Water soluble antioxidants like vitamin C, tea, and berries can also reduce the risk of auto-oxidation of fats in the brain.

Sources of oxidized fats in the diet include highly heated fats in fast food, powdered eggs and aged cheeses.

References:

Testa G, et al. Changes in brain oxysterols at different stages of Alzheimer's disease: Their involvement in neuroinflammation. Redox Biol. 2016 Dec;10:24-33. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2016.09.001. Epub 2016 Sep 16. PMID: 27687218; PMCID: PMC5040635.

Marwarha G, Ghribi O. Does the oxysterol 27-hydroxycholesterol underlie Alzheimer's disease-Parkinson's disease overlap? Exp Gerontol. 2015 Aug;68:13-8. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2014.09.013. Epub 2014 Sep 28. PMID: 25261765; PMCID: PMC4377123.

Wang HL, et al. Cholesterol, 24-Hydroxycholesterol, and 27-Hydroxycholesterol as Surrogate Biomarkers in Cerebrospinal Fluid in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: A Meta-Analysis. J Alzheimers Dis. 2016;51(1):45-55. doi: 10.3233/JAD-150734. PMID: 26836015; PMCID: PMC6110663.

Gamba P, et al. Oxidized cholesterol as the driving force behind the development of Alzheimer's disease. Front Aging Neurosci. 2015 Jun 19;7:119. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2015.00119. PMID: 26150787; PMCID: PMC4473000.

Alzheimer's

 Alzheimer's as an Autoimmune Disease

A new model of Alzheimer's disease is beginning to be talked about in the medical literature. It is being suggested that the disease is autoimmune in nature and associated with infection, trauma, ischemia, and pollution. The beta amyloid associated with Alzheimer's in this model is part of the immune response of the body trying to cope with the problem rather than a causative factor in the disease. The immune system in this model attacks the neurons in the brain including the lipids which are their primary structural component.

This new model for the disease can provide some guidance with regard to prevention.

Omega-3 versus Omega-6

One of the main drivers of Alzheimer's is inflammation. The regulation of inflammation in the body is accomplished by the quality of fats in the diet. Omega-6 fats are pro-inflammatory. A diet over-weighted in these fats will run the risk of promoting or driving the development of Alzheimer's. Omega-3 fats such as salmon oil are anti-inflammatory. As a matter of fact, The resolvins and protectins which resolve the inflammatory response in such situations as trauma or infection are manufactured from the high quality omega-3 fats found in fish. A clinical trial on NeoLife Salmon Oil Plus was shown to reduce the inflammatory index by 68% in 8 weeks.

Berries and Tre

Tre is a concentrate of the anthocyanins in berries. These compounds have been noted to have a specific anti-neuroinflammatory role. Cognitive decline decreases as berry intake increases in women with Alzheimer's. Berry intake also appears to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's. One ounce of NeoLife Tre contains the amount of anthocyanins found in 20 ounces of pomegranate juice. The beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract increase the effectiveness of anthocyanin intake so using a product like Acidophilus Complex may also be helpful for preserving brain function.

Altered Fats and Proteins

The American diet is high in fats and proteins. Fats are often oxidized due to exposure to oxygen and long term storage. Application of high temperatures to foods alters fats and proteins. This is particularly so when high temperatures are applied to foods causing them to turn brown or black. That barbecue tastes great but many abnormal fats and proteins are produced. When these are eaten, they can become incorporated into brain tissue. When the immune system looks at these abnormal fats or proteins, it can decide to attack the cells into which these substances have become incorporated. This new model suggests this can lead to Alzheimer's.

Aluminum

Neurons can also have their structure altered by pollution. Mercury, aluminum, and lead have all been researched with regard to their ability to damage the brain. Researcher Christopher Exley, a world famous aluminum researcher, found elevated levels of aluminum in the brains of those with autism and Alzheimer's. Chapter 14 of his book is titled, "Alzheimer's Disease and the Aluminum Elephant in the Room." He concludes the chapter by writing, "I am convinced that aluminum is a cause of Alzheimer's disease and that if there were no aluminum in the brain, there would be no Alzheimer's disease within a human lifespan of at least one hundred years." Aluminum is found in cookware, baking powder, antacids, deodorants, vaccines as an adjuvant, and in many other places. Exley is particularly concerned about vaccines because this bypasses the gut barrier and delivers the aluminum directly into the bloodstream. Exley found that silicon and silicic acid (found in some water and beers) is protective against aluminum.

Mercury

A number of years ago mercury fillings were placed in the teeth of sheep and the aluminum showed up within the brain within 24 hours. The University of Calgary produced a video (see the link below) which illustrates how mercury causes brain neuron degeneration. Mercury and other heavy metals can interact with tissues in the body changing structure and resulting in autoimmune attack. The immune system looks at the cell with mercury or aluminum attached and says to itself. This is wrong and begins an attack.

Selenium is protective against mercury. A number of years ago chickens were fed mercury contaminated tuna. Scientists found that the mercury was not as toxic as expected because of the high levels of selenium in the tuna. Selenium is toxic in excess. The amount in a good multiple vitamin should be adequate to provide protection from mercury exposure in the environment.

References:

Weaver, Donald, Alzheimer’s disease as an innate autoimmune disease (AD2): A new molecular paradigm, Alzheimer’s Dement. 2023;19:1086–1098.

Henriques, Joana,F., et al., The Anti-Neuroinflammatory Role of Anthocyanins and Their Metabolites for the Prevention and Treatment of Brain Disorders, Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 8653

Cole, Greg M., et al., Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease: Omega-3 fatty acid and phenolic anti-oxidant interventions, Neurobiology of Aging 26S (2005) S133–S136

Exley, Christopher, Imagine You are an Aluminum Atom, New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2020, p. 102.

Video on Mercury and Brain Neuron Degeneration

Kern, Janet k., et al., Mercury as a hapten: A review of the role of toxicant-induced brain autoantibodies in autism and possible treatment considerations, J Trace Elem Med Biol, 2020 Dec:62:126504. doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2020.126504. Epub 2020 May 19.

The Toxic Puzzle

 Individuals are always shocked when diagnosed with ALS or Alzheimer's. This video called Toxic Puzzle is by Bo Landin and narrated by Harrison Ford. It addresses the fact that these two diseases often appear in clusters and are often associated with common drinking water. The video follows the work of a consortium of 50 scientists searching for a hidden killer underlying the toxic puzzle involved with these diseases. The conclusion I drew from the video is that the quality of drinking water may be a major contributor to diseases involved with degeneration of brain and nerves.

I first became aware of this problem reading an article in Scientific American in 1994 written by Wayne Carmichael. He was warning about the ingestion of algae products as supplements because of the likelihood of potentially harmful contaminants contributing to liver cancer and nerve damage. Dr. Furst was very concerned about this issue in supplements and he was one of the world's foremost toxicologists. Unfortunately the original article by Carmichael is no longer readily available but I have provided a link to some of his more recent work.

Reference article:

Recent article on the toxins of cyanobacteria by Wayne Carmichael.

Aluminum and the Brain

 I recently read a book by Christopher Exley called Imagine You are an Aluminum Atom. Exley is considered one of the leading researchers in the world on aluminum toxicity despite repeated attacks on his research. Exley found accumulations of aluminum in tissue samples of the brains of adults with Alzheimer's and in children with autism which were far higher than the amounts of aluminum in normal brains.

Exley also strongly opposes the presence of Aluminum in vaccines. He has earned the hatred of both the Aluminum and Pharmaceutical industries, but he continues to warn of the dangers of aluminum in spite of the persecution he has endured for years at the hands of these industries. His book discusses not only his research on aluminum, but also the industrial corruption which seeks to hide the amazing toxicity of aluminum to brain and nerve tissue.

Exley's message: Do away with those aluminum pots, antacids and deodorants with aluminum, and don't use vaccines which contain aluminum as an adjuvant. The functioning of your brain may be at stake.

 

Hopeless Conditions: Alzheimer's

Our current lecture series is on hopeless conditions. Modern medicine has very little to offer for dementia and arthritic disorders. The Alzheimer's Association says, "A genuinely new Alzheimer's drug has not been approved since 2003, and the currently approved Alzheimer's medications are ineffective in stopping or slowing the course of the disease." The prevailing view is that Alzheimer's is incurable and largely untreatable. Most believe there is no way to prevent it. Alzheimer's is the only one of the nation's top ten leading causes of death for which there is no effective treatment. Many doctors would rather give a diagnosis of cancer rather than Alzheimer's. There is promise for Alzheimer's, however. Nutrients have been shown to slow the progression, prevent or even reverse the tau and amyloid markers for the disease. Polyphenols in pomegranate juice have reduced amyloid beta and vitamin B3 in the form of niacinamide has reversed the destruction of tau. These and many other remarkable discoveries will be discussed in our next seminar. Article on pomegranate and amyloid beta. Article on vitamin B3 and tau protein.

The Sense of Smell

     Altered sense of smell is one of the first symptoms found in patients who later go on to develop Alzheimer's disease. Researchers in 2011 found a deficiency of vitamin D to be associated with a loss of the sense of smell. Vitamin D is synthesized from cholesterol and long term deficiency of this nutrient has been suggested as causative in Alzheimer's. Magnesium deficiency has also been associated with loss of the sense of smell.
References:
Lorin, Henry, Alzheimer's Solved, www.booksurge.com, 2005, 63.
Kruse, Ralph and Cambron, Jerrilyn, A possible correlation between vitamin D deficiency and loss of smell: 2 case reports, J. Chiropr Med, Dec. 2011; 10(4):310-315.

Cholesterol and the Brain

     About one quarter of the cholesterol in the human body is located in the brain. Almost all of this cholesterol is manufactured within the brain itself, since cholesterol can not cross the blood brain barrier. A number of studies have suggested that low cholesterol can damage neurons and contribute to the development of dementia. This raises the question of whether statin medications which block cholesterol synthesis in the body, including in the brain, might not cause damage to brain cells. Henry Lorin makes a powerful argument along this line in his book Alzheimer's Solved.
References:
Lorin, Henry,
Alzheimer's Solved, www.booksurge.com, 2005.
Bjorkhem, Ingemar and Meaney, Steve, Brain cholesterol: Long secret life behind a barrier,
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2004;24:806-815.

Vitamin E and Alzheimer's

     While media attacks on the use of vitamins mount, research continues to show the benefits of supplementation. A recent study showed that 2,000 IU of vitamin E a day resulted in a clinically meaningful delay in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The progression of the disease was slowed by 6.2 months over a period of 2.3 years.
     The authors of this study noted that there was a decrease in all cause mortality among the group taking the vitamin E in spite of other studies that have suggested that vitamin E increases all cause mortality.
     The dose of vitamin E was very high in this study. A more sensible experiment would probably have been to use smaller amounts of a wide variety of antioxidants since these nutrients work synergistically.

Reference
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270708.php

Aluminum and Alzheimer's

    A number of lines of evidence suggest that aluminum may contribute to dementia. Aluminum has been shown t impair the functioning of the brains of animals. The disease progression has also been slowed by the administration of agents which remove aluminum from the body. Aluminum displaces magnesium at a key DNA binding site. Aluminum holds onto the binding site a million times longer than magnesium shutting down the site. (Magnesium can counteract the effects of aluminum toxicity.)The authors of this article suggest consuming no more than 3 milligrams of aluminum a day.
     Sources of aluminum exposure include aluminum cookware, aluminum foil, aluminum cans, antacids containing aluminum and pain relievers buffered with aluminum. Deodorants often contain aluminum. Some baking powders contain aluminum. Aluminum was used as an anticaking agent in salt until recently.
References:
Crapper McLachlan, Donald R., M.D., et al, Would Decreased Aluminum Ingestion Reduce the Incidence of Alzheimer's Disease, Canadian Medical Association Journal, 1991;145(7):793-803.

Mercury and Brain Degeneration

    One of the most damaging of all substances to brain structure and function is mercury. It is tragic that this toxic substance it placed in decayed teeth. One study of sheep found that after placing mercury amalgam fillings in the teeth, the mercury began to accumulate in brain tissue within 24 hours. If you do not believe mercury is toxic to he brain cells view the video at the end of this section.
     Wenstrup and associates compared the brains of those with Alzheimer's and those without the disease. Most remarkable was the increase in the mercury/selenium ad mercury/zinc ratios. These two minerals are protective against mercury toxicity. An elevated ratio of mercury means that the brain has less ability to protect itself against damage from mercury. Mercury inhibits the formation of tubulin, the key structural building block of healthy neurons.
Refeences: 
     Bjorklund, G., Mercury as a Potential Source for The Etiology of Alzheimer's Disease, Trace Elements in Medicine, 1991;8(4):208.
     Wenstrup, David, et al., Trace element imbalances in isolated subcellular fractions of Alzheimer's disease brains, Brain Research, November 12, 1990; 533(1):125-131.
University of Calgary Video:
How Mercury Causes Brain Degeneration Video