For the Alzheimer’s patient, the caregiver and the rest of us who want to prevent the disease, the subject of the story is still inflammation. In the May 2007 issue of Neurology a Framingham heart study cites that people whose blood shows signs of inflammation are more likely to later develop Alzheimer’s disease than people with no signs of inflammation. In the study the participants’ blood was tested for levels of cytokines, protein messengers that trigger inflammation. Those with the highest levels of cytokines were more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as those with the lowest amount of cytokines.

What does this mean for you? To reduce inflammation:

• Follow a lean protein diet, plenty of fiber, a variety of fruits and vegetables and olive or canola oil. Either eat fatty fish like salmon and tuna twice a week, or take fish oil capsules.
• Exercise! Just get up and move. You will reduce stress and release endorphins. Also, exercise stimulates the brain.
• Manage stress levels because stress inflames your organs along with your emotions. Your mind is powerful and can reduce stress and reinterpret those worries and problems. Let them go. Consider how powerful the placebo effect is.
• Create balance in your life to withstand emotional obstacles.

Speaking of balance, the yin and yang of things, there is new research on the horizon at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Researchers are challenging current theories on the causes of Alzheimer’s disease. They have found that a specific imbalance between two peptides may be the cause of Alzheimer’s. When the peptides are produced in the correct proportions, the brain is healthy; but when the delicate balance is disturbed, the brain changes and memories are lost, leading to dementia. If this theory proves to be correct, then the problem is not too difficult to solve and does not involve toxic or dangerous procedures. It will be a matter of increasing one of the proteins to match the other.

That’s why creating a daily balance in your life, reducing stress, physically and emotionally, will help prevent Alzheimer’s. Chronic stress can hurt all your internal organs, especially your heart and your head. Just forgive and forget before a disease forces you to do just that!

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For more information on caregiving please read my book, Changing Habits - The Caregivers' Total Workout, in particular Chapter 1 - Activity Alleviates Anxiety, Chapter 11 - Nourishing the Body and Chapter 13 - The Changing Habits Program. To listen to archived radio shows with guest experts visit Turn On Your Inner Light Radio Show