HEALTH - Aluminium could be poisoning our brains and causing Alzheimer's, professor claims

Aluminium could be poisoning our brains and causing Alzheimer's, professor claims

• Professor Chris Exley argues aluminium posioning could cause Alzheimer's
• Aluminium builds up in the brain until the 'toxic threshold' when it can't cope
• This will bring on early onset of Alzheimer's and make the condition worse 
• The metal compound is now found in almost everything we eat and drink
• Found in tea, cakes, bread, wine, cosmetics and drugs like aspirin
• Builds on previous work which found link between aluminium and cancer 
• 
  

By MADLEN DAVIES FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 13:59 GMT, 14 October 2014 | UPDATED: 16:54 GMT, 14 October 2014

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Aluminium builds up in the brain causing contamination that leads to Alzheimer's, Professor Chris Exley claims

Aluminium found in food, cosmetics and medicines could be poisoning our brains and causing Alzheimer’s disease, a professor has claimed.

Aluminium builds up in the brain, eventually causing contamination that may cause Alzheimer’s disease, Professor Christopher Exley, of Keele University has argued.

The metal compound is found in most processed foods, tea, wine, fizzy drinks, cosmetics and drugs like aspirin.

Professor Exley said the very fact that studies have revealed aluminium deposits in the brain should serve as a warning that we are being contaminated.

He said: ‘The presence of aluminium in the human brain should be a red flag alerting us all to the potential dangers of the aluminium age.

‘We are all accumulating a known neurotoxin in our brain from our conception to our death.

‘Why do we treat this inevitability with almost total complacency?’

His latest report builds on his previous work, in which he suggested there was a link between the aluminium found in deodorants and cancer.

Aluminium is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust, and is naturally found in food because plants absorb it from water and the soil.

While 50 years ago we may have ingested small amounts of aluminium from vegetables and the pots they were cooked in, today it is added to almost everything we consume.

Aluminium sulphate is added to water to make it more clear, and it is added to cakes and biscuits as a raising agent.

It is also found in most processed foods, food colouring, tea, cocoa, malt drinks, wines and fizzy drinks.

 Aluminium is now found in almost everything we eat and drink, from bread and cakes, to drinks, cosmetics like toothpaste, talcs and suncream and drugs like aspirin and antacids

Cosmetics, talcs, toothpaste, suncream and antiperspirants contain aluminium, as well as drugs such as aspirin, antacids and vaccines.

The body excretes aluminium, but if more is ingested than the body can excrete, it is deposited in the bone, brain, liver, heart, spleen, and muscle.

Professor Exley argues the human brain is both ‘a target and a sink for aluminium’ when it enters the body.

WOMAN DIED FROM BRITAIN'S WORST POISONING FROM ALUMINIUM SULPHATE

Carole Cross, 59, died in 2004 from a rare and aggressive form of Alzheimer’s disease usually associated with much older people suffering from the condition.

She had been living in the Camelford area of north Cornwall in July 1988 when the poisoning occurred.

She was one of 20,000 customers affected when a relief lorry driver mistakenly added 20,000 tons of aluminium sulphate to the drinking water at the Lowermoor treatment works.

Her husband, Dr Doug Cross, believes her exposure to high levels of aluminium during the incident caused her death and at her inquest a coroner ruled there was 'a very real possibility' this was the case. 

At some point, the aluminium accumulated in the brain will reach a ‘toxic threshold’ and the affected area of the brain will not be able to cope, he said.

If the same part of the brain is suffering from other conditions, then reacting to the presence of aluminium will make the condition worse, he added.

He concluded that aluminium could fuel early onset on Alzheimer’s, a condition affecting memory, and make the disease worse.

He said: ‘In this way aluminium may cause a particular condition to be more aggressive and perhaps to have an earlier onset - such occurrences have already been shown in Alzheimer’s disease related to environmental and occupational exposure to aluminium.’

Reducing exposure to aluminium and removing it from the body could prevent Alzheimer’s disease, and further tests should be carried out to test the link, he concluded.

His report was published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology.

What is dementia? Alzheimer's Society explains (related)

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

ALZHEIMER'S - Exercise keeps Alzheimer's at bay

Exercise keeps Alzheimer's at bay: Walking releases chemical which helps keep the brain healthy

• - Walking could hold key to slowing onset of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
• - Chemical produced by body during exercise could be given as injection
• 
  

By JENNY HOPE

PUBLISHED: 00:36 GMT, 12 October 2013 | UPDATED: 10:17 GMT, 12 October 2013

A rigorous walk could hold the key to slowing the onset of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in later life.

A natural chemical produced by the body during exercise could one day be given as an injection to inhibit the diseases, researchers say.

The protein, called FNDC5, is produced by muscular exertion and is released into the bloodstream as a hormone called irisin.

A rigorous walk could hold the key to slowing the onset of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's in later life

They hope to use it to keep the neurons in the human brain healthy while also making new ones.   

‘What is exciting is that a natural substance can be given in the bloodstream that can mimic some of the effects of endurance exercise on the brain,’ said professor Bruce Spiegelman, from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

‘Our results indicate that FNDC5/irisin has the ability to control a very important neuro-protective pathway in the brain.’

In the study, laboratory mice regularly ran on a wheel for 30 days. The exercise spurred a rise in the FNDC5 protein. That in turn increased a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic protein (BDNF) in a part of the brain involved in learning and memory. 

A natural chemical produced by the body during exercise could one day be given as an injection to inhibit the diseases, researchers say

They used a harmless virus to deliver the protein to mice through the bloodstream, in hopes the FNDC5 could reach the brain and raise BDNF production.

Seven days later, they examined the mouse brains and observed a significant increase in BDNF in the hippocampus area of the brain.

Professor Spiegelman says more research is needed and the next step is to develop a stable form of irisin.

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ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE - Study: ICU stays lead to Alzheimer's-like problems in one-third of patients

By 

RYAN JASLOW / 

CBS NEWS/ October 2, 2013, 8:12 PM

A trip to the intensive care unit for a serious illness may result in Alzheimer's-like symptoms for a year or longer after leaving the hospital, according to concerning new research.

Researchers at Vanderbilt University studied hundreds of patients from the time they entered the ICU to 12 months after they were discharged, and found 75 percent of them left the hospital with a cognitive problem. One in three left with cognitive troubles similar to what's seen in patients with Alzheimer's.

The study's authors point out that survivors of a critical illness frequently report developing new cognitive troubles or experiencing worsening ones, but not much is known about long-term risks.

"We knew that something was going wrong with people's brains when they were getting out of medical and surgical ICUs but we didn't understand to what degree their brains were being disabled and then having to live with that throughout their life," Dr. Wes Ely, a professor of medicine and critical care at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, said to the CBS Evening News. "So, we set out to define exactly what was going on with the survivors of critical care in terms of brain function."

Common reasons a person might be admitted to the ICU include breathing failure, cardiogenic shock -- a medical emergency when the heart suddenly can't pump enough blood -- or sepsis, a potentially deadly illness in which the body has a severe reaction to bacteria or germs.

Sepsis is the number one disease people come into the ICU with, says Ely, and many who battle it or other critical illnesses may experience "delirium," a type of temporary brain dysfunction marked by extreme confusion. Delirium has been associated with increased risk for long-term cognitive problems. Taking sedative drugs while in the ICU may increase risk for delirium.

The researchers think delirium itself may be the strongest predictor of long-term cognitive problems, and could serve as an area for doctors to better target to stave off thinking and memory issues.

For their study, researchers enrolled 821 ICU patients and gave them cognitive tests at three and 12 months after discharge.

Delirium developed in 75 percent of them during their hospital stay.

Persisting cognitive impairments at 12 months were seen in both older and younger patients, with 34 percent and 24 percent of all patients having cognition scores similar to patients with moderate traumatic brain injury and mild Alzheimer's disease, respectively.

Ely, an associate director of aging research at Vanderbilt, started the study thinking that people over 65 would be most at risk. But, he found healthy people in their 30s and 40s -- who should be at the height of their brain function -- developed cognitive problems after the ICU.

Taking a sedative itself was not independently associated with risk for long-term cognitive impairment.

Ely called the results "dramatic," but added, "we weren't as surprised by the numbers as we were worried that the rest of the world was not aware of this problem."

This study only tracked patients for one year, but the researchers have continued to look at the study group and plan to track them for four to six years. While those results have yet to be published, Ely said most of the patients whose problems did not resolve early unfortunately still have permanent cognitive impairments.

"It's really a shocker to most people to understand that when they survive and they go through all of that ICU experience now they have to survive with essentially a new disease of the brain," he said.

Lisa Uribe

 / CBS NEWS

Lisa Uribe, a 46-year-old who underwent routine gallbladder surgery 18 months ago, has been feeling these effects firsthand since her procedure resulted in an infection and a three-week trip to the ICU. She still experiences short-term memory loss and other cognitive troubles that prevent her from working or driving without getting lost.

"Being somewhere and not knowing why you are there or what your purpose was for being in this location. It's a scary thing," Uribe told the CBS Evening News. "Every day I wake up and I keep thinking this is the day I'm going to go back to my old life."

Some people who have cognitive problems stemming from a serious illness may be incorrectly diagnosed with Alzheimer's, Ely added, "which is why we think that this is a major public health problem that the community and the lay public need to be aware of."

He thinks more needs to be done to keep patients in the ICU alert, awake and walking around if possible to reduce their odds of developing delirium. Exercising your brain with puzzles and games like Sudoku and Scrabble while in the ICU may also boost brain function.

Monitoring how much patients sleep may also improve outcomes, since beepers, lights and staffers taking X-rays or blood tests may prevent someone in the ICU from getting adequate rest. Ely says in general that hospitals need to get better at safely handling ICU patients.

"We package eggs in a very careful fashion so that the eggs are not broken when we get them home. In the ICU, we need to package our patients more carefully so they don't get broken while they are in the ICU," he said. "We get them out of the ICU not only living, but living to the fullest of their capacity as close as before they got sick, which I think is not happening to our best of our ability in the present time."

In an accompanying editorial published in the same journal issue, researchers at the University of Toronto pointed out that not all patients had delirium, and some of the patients with cognitive problems at three months showed improvement by 12 months. Still, the study "unequivocally" showed that cognitive impairments in these patients is a public health concern.

"This new knowledge provides detailed education for patients, families, ICU stakeholders, primary care physicians, and health policy makers and should fuel an informed discussion about what it means for our patients to survive an episode of critical illness, how it changes families forever, and when the degree of suffering and futility becomes unacceptable from a patient-centered and societal standpoint," wrote Drs. Margaret Herridge and Jill I. Cameron.

The study will be published online on Oct. 2 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

© 2013 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE - What is Alzheimer's disease?

What is Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, affecting around 496,000 people in the UK. The term 'dementia' describes a set of symptoms which can include loss of memory, mood changes, and problems with communication and reasoning. These symptoms occur when the brain is damaged by certain diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer's disease. This factsheet outlines the symptoms and risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, and describes what treatments are currently available.

Alzheimer's disease, first described by the German neurologist Alois Alzheimer, is a physical disease affecting the brain. During the course of the disease, protein 'plaques' and 'tangles' develop in the structure of the brain, leading to the death of brain cells. People with Alzheimer's also have a shortage of some important chemicals in their brain. These chemicals are involved with the transmission of messages within the brain.

Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, which means that gradually, over time, more parts of the brain are damaged. As this happens, the symptoms become more severe.

Symptoms

People in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease may experience lapses of memory and have problems finding the right words. As the disease progresses, they may:

• become confused and frequently forget the names of people, places, appointments and recent events
• experience mood swings, feel sad or angry, or scared and frustrated by their increasing memory loss
• become more withdrawn, due either to a loss of confidence or to communication problems
• have difficulty carrying out everyday activities - they may get muddled checking their change at the shops or become unsure how to work the TV remote.

As the disease progresses, people with Alzheimer's will need more support from those who care for them. Eventually, they will need help with all their daily activities.

While there are some common symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, it is important to remember that everyone is unique. No two people are likely to experience Alzheimer's disease in the same way.

Mild cognitive impairment

Recently, some doctors have begun to use the term mild cognitive impairment (MCI)when an individual has difficulty remembering things or thinking clearly but the symptoms are not severe enough to warrant a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Recent research has shown that individuals with MCI have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. However, the conversion rate from MCI to Alzheimer's is low (about 10-20 per cent each year), and consequently a diagnosis of MCI does not always mean that the person will go on to develop Alzheimer's.

What causes Alzheimer's disease?

So far, no one single factor has been identified as a cause for Alzheimer's disease. It is likely that a combination of factors, including age, genetic inheritance, environmental factors, lifestyle and overall general health, are responsible. In some people, the disease may develop silently for many years before symptoms appear.

Age

Age is the greatest risk factor for dementia. Dementia affects one in 14 people over the age of 65 and one in six over the age of 80. However, dementia is not restricted to older people: in the UK, there are over 17,000 people under the age of 65 with dementia, although this figure is likely to be an underestimate.

Genetic inheritance

Many people fear that they may inherit Alzheimer's disease and scientists are currently investigating the genetic background to Alzheimer's.

We do know that there are a few families where there is a very clear inheritance of the disease from one generation to the next. This is often in families where the disease appears relatively early in life.

In the vast majority of cases, however, the influence of inherited genes for Alzheimer's disease in older people seems to be small. If a parent or other relative has Alzheimer's, your own chances of developing the disease are only a little higher than if there were no cases of Alzheimer's in the immediate family.

For more information see our factsheet on Genetics and dementia (405).

Environmental factors

The environmental factors that may contribute to the onset of Alzheimer's disease have yet to be identified. A few years ago, there were concerns that exposure to aluminium might cause Alzheimer's disease. However, these fears have largely been discounted.

Other factors

Because of the difference in their chromosomal make-up, people with Down's syndromewho live into their 50s and 60s are at particular risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

People who have had severe head or whiplash injuries also appear to be at increased risk of developing dementia. Boxers who receive continual blows to the head are at risk too.

Research has also shown that people who smoke, and those who have high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels or diabetes, are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer's. You can help reduce your risk by not smoking, eating a healthy balanced diet and having regular checks for blood pressure and cholesterol from middle age. Maintaining a healthy weight and leading an active lifestyle combining physical, social and mental activity will also help.

Getting a diagnosis

If you are concerned about your own health, or the health of someone close to you, it is important to seek help from a GP. An early diagnosis will have a number of benefits including the opportunity to plan for the future and access treatment, advice and support.

There is no straightforward test for Alzheimer's disease or for any other cause of dementia. A diagnosis is usually made by excluding other causes which present similar symptoms. The GP will need to rule out conditions such as infections, vitamin deficiency, thyroid problems, depression and the side-effects of medication.

Specialists

The GP may ask a specialist for help in carrying out a diagnosis. The specialist may be an old-age psychiatrist, a neurologist, a physician in geriatric medicine or a general psychiatrist. Who the person sees will depend on their age, how physically able they are and how well services are developed in the local area.

Tests

The person being tested will usually be given a blood test and a full physical examination to rule out or identify any other medical problems. The person's memory will be assessed, initially with questions about recent events and past memories. Their memory and thinking skills may also be assessed in detail by a psychologist.
A brain scan may be carried out to give some clues about the changes taking place in the person's brain. There are a number of different types of scan, including computerised tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Treatment

There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease. However, drug treatments are available that can temporarily alleviate some symptoms or slow down their progression in some people.

People with Alzheimer's have been shown to have a shortage of the chemical acetylcholine in their brains. The drugs Aricept, Exelon and Reminyl (trade names for the drugs donepezil hydrochloride, rivastigmine and galantamine) work by maintaining existing supplies of acetylcholine. As of March 2011, these drugs are recommended as an option for people in the mild-to-moderate stages of Alzheimer's disease. Please refer to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) website for guidance (see Useful organisations at the end of this factsheet). Side-effects are usually minor but may include diarrhoea, nausea, insomnia, fatigue and loss of appetite.

A drug called Ebixa (trade name for the drug memantine) was launched in the UK in 2002. Ebixa works in a different way from the other three and is the only drug that is recommended for people in both the moderate and severe stages of Alzheimer's disease. Side-effects may include dizziness, headaches and tiredness, and - rarely - hallucinations or confusion.

These drugs are not a cure, but they may stabilise some of the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease for a limited period, typically 6-12 months or longer.

Source: alzheimers.org.uk

ALZHEIMER'S - Do These 7 Things And You May Get Alzheimer's

Do These 7 Things And You May Get Alzheimer's

Sunday, 25 Aug 2013 03:59 PM

Could Alzheimer’s disease rob you of a healthy and peaceful retirement — or worse, send you to a nursing home to live out what should have been your “golden years”? 

Odds are you could be at an increased risk for this fate. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, one in eight older Americans suffers from Alzheimer’s, now the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.

And unfortunately, brain diseases that used to be seen in the elderly are now showing up in 50-year-olds — and sometimes as early as the 30s and 40s. What’s worse, doctors often erroneously dismiss the early stages of Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and other brain disorders as “normal aging.”

Renowned former neurosurgeon turned nutritionist Dr. Russell Blaylock will tell you there’s nothing “normal” about a degenerating brain. He watched both his parents die from Parkinson’s disease and then dedicated the rest of his career to studying these conditions.

And in a unique FREE video documentary presentation showcasing Dr. Blaylock’s findings, you’ll see 7 things that could significantly elevate your risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease or some other brain malady. Fortunately, these are lifestyle factors within your control — having to do with the way you eat and live. The good news is you can change them with just minimal effort on your part once you’ve identified them.

Editor’s Note: These 7 Things Activate Alzheimer’s in Your Brain: A Special Video Report 

You’ll also discover: 

• Simple strategies to prevent, treat, and reverse memory loss, Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, and other neurodegenerative disorders… 

• How to avoid or neutralize common triggers for brain inflammation… 

• Food items that have been linked to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s… 

• How over-exercising can actually damage your brain… 

• And much more… 

This video can help save your brain from degeneration!

This video is crucial and groundbreaking, so Newsmax Health pulled out all the stops to bring it directly to you at no charge. 



Dr. Blaylock’s decades of research and clinical experience will show you exactly how to prevent these brain-destroying maladies from plaguing you or your family members as you grow older. And even if you already have symptoms of one of these dreadful diseases, you can use Dr. Blaylock’s strategies to help repair the damage — but only if you get started right away. Just a little proactive education could make the difference between a vibrant retirement and withering away both mentally and physically in a nursing home.

Editor’s Note: Discover these 7 things that could give you Alzheimer’s or other brain diseases — before it’s too late. Click the video above. 

© 2013 NewsmaxHealth. All rights reserved.

HEALTH - Could gum disease and poor dental health be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease?

Could gum disease and poor dental health be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease? 

• -  Bugs that cause gum disease were found in brains of dementia patients 
• -  These bugs can enter the bloodstream through eating and dental surgery
• -  From there scientists claim they can enter the brain and destroy neurons
• 
  

By ELLIE ZOLFAGHARIFARD and JENNY HOPE

PUBLISHED: 23:02 GMT, 29 July 2013 | UPDATED: 00:10 GMT, 30 July 2013

Bad teeth and gum disease could be linked to Alzheimer’s, say scientists.

The bacteria caused by poor oral hygiene can kill off nerve cells once they reach the brain, causing the confusion and memory loss associated with dementia.

Researchers who examined the brains of ten dead Alzheimer’s patients found signs of the bug P. gingivalis.

Previous research has shown people who look after their teeth and gums have lower risk of dementia - particularly women. Inflammation triggered by gum disease has also been implicated in heart disease and diabetes

Scientists at the University of Central Lancashire suspect that the microbe leads to the death of brain cells by triggering a chemical immune response.

Despite the findings, reported in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, it ‘remains to be proven’ whether poor dental hygiene can lead to dementia in healthy people.

‘It is also likely that these bacteria could make the existing disease condition worse,’ said Professor StJohn Crean, of the university’s School of Medicine & Dentistry.

Dr Simon Ridley of the charity Alzheimer’s Research UK said oral bacterial infection could be a consequence of later stage Alzheimer’s, rather than a cause.

However, Dr Sim Singhrao, of the University of Central Lancashire, said: 'We are working on the theory when the brain is repeatedly exposed to bacteria or their debris from our gums, subsequent immune responses may lead to nerve cell death and possibly memory loss.

'Continued visits to dental hygiene professionals throughout one's life may be more important than currently envisaged with inferences for health outside of the mouth only.'

Dr Singhrao and her colleagues looked at tissue from 20 people - half of whom were suffering from dementia where the presence of products from Porphyromonas gingivalis were identified.

This bacterium is commonly associated with chronic gum disease and enters the bloodstream through daily activities such as eating, chewing and brushing teeth - but especially following invasive dental treatment.

From there it potentially gets into the brain on a regular basis and causes already primed brains cells to release more chemicals that kill neurons.

This could be one of the mechanisms that leads to changes in the brain which is typical of Alzheimer's and could be responsible for causing symptoms such as confusion and deteriorating memory.

Finding P. gingivalis in the brain of dementia sufferers, compared to those without, is significant as its presence has not been documented previously.

Brain samples from patients with the mental illness were infected with bugs that cause gum disease. The researchers believe when they reach the brain they trigger an immune response that destroys neurons

It also adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests an association between poor oral health and dementia.

Recent so far unpublished studies on animals by the same researchers has confirmed P. gingivalis in the mouth finds its way to the brain once gum disease becomes established.

Dean of dentistry Professor Stjohn Crean said: 'The bacteria could be a trigger that sets off a chain reaction in people pre-disposed to dementia.

'We are not saying this bacteria causes Alzheimer's, but it was present in the brains of the patients and not the control group.

'So people should pay particular attention to brushing their teeth and visiting the dentist to reduce the amount of bugs in their mouths - especially those with a history of dementia in their family.

'Whereas previous studies have indicated a link between dementia and other bacteria and viruses such as the Herpes simplex virus type I, this new research indicates a possible association between gum disease and individuals who may be susceptible to developing Alzheimer's disease if exposed to the appropriate trigger.

Dr Singhrao and colleagues looked at tissue from twenty people - half of whom were suffering from dementia where the presence of products from Porphyromonas gingivalis were identified

'It remains to be proven whether poor dental hygiene can lead to dementia in healthy people which obviously could have significant implications for the population as a whole. It's also likely these bacteria could make the existing disease condition worse."

Dr Singhrao said: "To help us prove our hypothesis we are hoping to use the Brains for Dementia Research tissue resource to examine brain tissue from people with both intact and compromised memory who have relevant dental records.

"The future of the research aims to discover if P. gingivalis can be used as a marker - via a simple blood test - to predict the development of Alzheimer's disease in at risk patients."

Previous research has shown people who look after their teeth and gums have lower risk of dementia - particularly women.

Inflammation triggered by gum disease has also been implicated in heart disease and diabetes.

A study of almost 5,500 elderly people found those who brushed their teeth less than once a day were up to 65 per cent more likely to develop dementia than those who brushed three times a day.