By: Alyssa Musgrove
According the Alzheimer’s Association, the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease is increasing at an alarming rate.
- More than 6 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s
- By 2025, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease is estimated to reach 7.1 million — a 40 percent increase from 2015 numbers.
- By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease may nearly triple, from 5.1 million to a projected 13.8 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent or cure the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is frightening, especially with statistics like this!
Recently, I came across an article titled “How to Make Your Aging Brain 12 Years Younger In 3 Months” written by Ronald Grisanti DC, DABCO, DACBN, MS. In the article, he discusses options for someone who may have the early signs of Alzheimer’s but has not yet been officially diagnosed. Dr. Grisanti has allowed me to include his article in this column. Below is what Dr. Grisanti writes:
Medical science has coined a new term called AAMI. This stands for age-associated memory impairement. Basically, it represents a precursor of full-blown Alzheimer’s.
Due to the massive increase of Alzheimer’s disease, the government’s brain-aging experts came to the conclusion there should be an earlier way to recognize this terrible disease. With that said, the new AAMI label is now being used for people who have early signs of Alzheimer’s. The criteria for AAMI, includes the following:
- Over the age of 50
- Not demented
- Intellectual function adequate to remainproductive
- Complaint of gradual memory loss
- Objective evidence of memory loss on performance tests
As it now stands, 40 percent of people between the ages of 50-59 have [AAMI] and it increases by 10 percent every ten years.
Unfortunately, most physicians not trained in functional medicine do not have the knowledge to know how to measure the one ingredient needed every day to keep our brains healthy and memories vibrant. This important brain ingredient is called phosphatidylserine. Phosphatidylserine* is a key component of the cell membrane and is essential to cell-to-cell communication and transfer of biochemical messages into the cell (especially within the brain and central nervous system).
Phosphatidylserine may help improve memory function in older adults, suggests a 2010 study published in the Journal of Clinical Biochemistry and Nutrition. For the study, 78 elderly people with mild cognitive impairment were assigned to six months of treatment with phosphatidylserine supplements or a placebo. In tests performed at the end of the six-month period, participants with relatively low memory scores at the start of the study were found to have experienced a significant improvement in memory.
In another study, a group of people with a brain age of around 64 years were placed on phosphatidylserine 100 mg three times a day for 3 months. Before and after double blind testing showed this rolled the hands of time back to a brain age of about 52 –12 years younger by providing 30 percent improvement in memory! Do you know any drug that does this? These people had marked improvements in everyday memory items like phone numbers, faces and names and of all things, placement of glasses and keys!
It is important to understand there are a number of probable causes of disease. We must remember unless there is a drug or surgery to treat a disease, traditional medicine will say the disease is incurable. This is sad considering the thousands of brilliant scientists and researchers who have dedicated their lives to having clinical papers published in many of the most recognized medical journals showing documented discoveries in what may be at the root of many diseases.
This, of course, applies to today’s article on the precursor to Alzheimer’s, AAMI, and will go so far to say Alzheimer’s in and of itself. So, my point is very clear, do not accept that your disease, whatever it may be, does not have a cause. I beg to differ considering the thousands of patients I have worked with who had been told their disease had no cause and had to settle on temporary relief with medications. These same patients are [now living healthy lives as] walking testimonials to the power of seeking the root cause via the science of functional medicine.
* Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a phospholipid, which is a type of fat found in every cell and especially in the brain cells. It is vital for memory and cognitive function. Phosphatidylserine supplements are commonly used with patients that have high cortisol levels. High cortisol is often increased with high stress levels. Stress is one factor that is well known to increase aging and decrease memory and cognitive function. Supplementation with PS may be one thing we can do to help prevent the development of AAMI and Alzheimer’s, by slowing the aging of our brain.
Pathways to Healing specializes in holistic chiropractic care. Dr. Alyssa Musgrove draws on a variety of techniques, including chiropractic, kinesiology, nutrition, food allergy testing and lifestyle counseling to assist clients in achieving optimal health and wellness in one setting. Pathways to Healing is located at 1022 Founders Row, Lake Oconee Village, Greensboro. The office can be reached at 706-454-2040.