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“Old timers” or Alzheimer’s disease.

6 Nov 2015

It’s global dementia, sweeping through with epidemic proportions, with a spectrum of social, economic and health problems. The increase in Alzheimer’s disease and its consequent effects are probably systematic of an increase in longevity of life, without a parallel increase in the maintenance of good health.

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1. Memory loss or forgetting dates or events, writing things down to remember.

2. Sometimes forgetting names or dates but then remembering them later.

3. Difficulty planning, concentrating, bills, recipes, and numbers that was easy before.

4. Occasional mistake or error.

5. Difficulty driving, rules of favourite game, or handling money.

6. Occasional help with technical equipment.

7. Confusion with time, days and places.

8. Getting mixed up with days of the week but remembering later.

9. Difficulty judging distances, reading signs, or colours.

10. Vision changes due to cataracts.

11. Stopping or following conversations, struggle with speech, call wrong names.

12. Occasional stutter.

13. Lose things, unable to retrace steps, accuse others of stealing.

14. Losing things and then finding them later.

15. Decrease in personal care and responsibility with money.

16. Making a mistake once in a while.

17. Loss of interest in social activities, hobbies and mixing.

18. Occasional feeling down about work, family, etc.

19. Changes in mood and personality.

20. Using a routine to cope.

1. Denotes - early signs of Alzheimer’s. 2. Denotes - Age related change. If you got 1’s or are worried about early signs, you may not have to run to make an appointment with Geriatrician. There is currently no definitive diet/nutrition guide to prevent or reverse Alzheimer’s, however here are some ideas: It has been referred to as Diabetes type 111, because eating sugary foods can cause insulin resistance in the brain.

The best for the brain is a diet low in saturated fats and low glycaemic-index carbohydrates.

Here are some other tips:

Minimize high glycaemic index carbs. Try a Mediterranean–style diet. Avoid trans fats. Increase omega and fish oil supplements. Increase antioxidants, berries, kale, folic acid, B6, B12, and D. The fewer ingredients listed on a label the better. Low or non-fat dairy products. A limited amount of drinks with caffeine (coffee, tea) can be beneficial. Being cognizant of these things may lay some foundation for an evolutionary attitude that may benefit generations to come. In the meantime, the Sugar tax is a great idea proposed in UK by MP to combat the sale of sugary food and drinks to children.

Charles Faulker, Editor, Nutraceuticals Now