"There is no silver bullet, but plenty of silver buckshot" Dr. David Perlmutter

Alzheimer's starts in the brain in the hippocampus, two little seahorse shaped areas the size of your thumb. There are stem cells in the hippocampus that can make 700 new neurons per day, which is very exciting. Glial cells surround neurons, nurture them, and take away the no longer needed compounds like amyloid. When the glial cells start singing the wrong tune, neurons die; fewer neurons equal dementia.

Some things that create the wrong tune and accelerate the death of neurons are:

1.Mold in our homes that create toxins. We would want to call a mold expert to help us get rid of the mold. Install a dehumidifier in your home; mold thrives in a space with humidity above 50%.

2.Other toxins, from plastics, food additives, alcohol, amphetamines, cocaine, toxic metals.

3.Underlying infections are a major cause. Parasites from pets, Lyme disease, Herpes, parasitic infections from traveling.

4.Type 3 diabetes of the brain. Type 2 diabetes increases the risk of Alzheimer's by 50 %.

5.A decrease in hormones decreases memory. Testosterone and estrogen increase memory. Women who go through early menopause have twice the Alzheimer's risk.

Some other things that accelerate death of neurons are aging, genetic predisposition (the APO E4 gene, the MTHFR genetic snip), inflammation, decreased blood flow to the brain, breaches to the blood brain barrier, gut dysbiosis, radiation, chemotherapy and more.

Do we have a second chance? The hormone called brain derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF, gives us a second chance. BDNF stimulates and controls growth of new neurons from neural stem cells.

It supports differentiation, maturation, and survival of neurons in the nervous system, and shows a neuroprotective effect under adverse conditions,

Ways to increase BDNF. "Every day you need to ask yourself for every little habit. Is this good for my brain?" Dr. Daniel Amen

Exercise One of the ways to increase BDNF is to do aerobic exercise and resistance exercises, so dance, walk, cycle, swim to your heart's content. If you can't exercise much, start small with a walk to the mailbox or to the next house and back. You can always do a little bit more than you are doing now.

Supplements B vitamins, vitamin D (the amount needed can be determined by blood testing) turmeric, alpha-lipoic acid, CoQ10, probiotics (at least 10-15 strains), prebiotics, Sage officianalis, omega- 3s and more.

Diet Since an Alzheimer's brain does not utilize sugar very well, be sure to include coconut oil or the medium chain triglycerides, MCT, extracted from coconut oil, building up to 3-5 tbsp. per day, and decrease carbs in the diet. People sleep better when they take MCT, and energy is increased in the brain. Google the foods that cause inflammation and stay away from them. Stay away from processed foods and sugar, increase vegetables.

Decrease the stress response to difficult situations. The stress response increases the hormone cortisol. which increases leaky gut, increases inflammation, changes the bacterial diversity, and is toxic to the memory center, Gratitude is one of the best antidotes to stress as is restorative sleep. Yoga, meditation, tai chi and other spiritual growth practices help to make us calmer and less reactive (i.e., less stressed).

Detox You can clear out toxic metals either with oral supplements or Intravenously.

Mental health Getting rid of the ANTS, automatic negative thoughts. First become aware of them, observe them, interrupt them. Try arguing with them. Tell them to shut up. They will always be there, but we can effectively turn the volume down on them.

Lead a balanced life, work, rest, exercise, play every day. Play brain games as well. Deep breathe. Go to the sauna regularly.

Sunlight The human being thrives on sunlight. If you can't get out, open a window.

Sleep Be sure to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, so the brain can clean and wash itself. One and one half hours before bedtime, turn off all the blue lights, the cell phone, computer, electronics

Therapies that were mentioned by different doctors are transcranial negative stimulation, neurofeedback, audio visual stimulation (lights and headphones). The brain can be stimulated by way of the tongue and a noisy brain can be resynchronized.

Cold laser light increases DNA production, increases energy production from the mitochondria, and decreases inflammation.

Hyperbaric oxygen treatments increase memory and concentration, sleep, conversation, appetite, and improves brain metabolism.

If you are over 45, you might like to get a cognoscopy which is a thorough screening: blood tests, genetic tests, mental status exams, and an MRI.

Since this short article can only skim the surface, you might like to read interviewees’ books and/ or websites or buy digital access to the interviews at regainyourbrain.awakeningfromalzheimers.com

· Magnificent Mind at Any Age, Dr. Daniel Amen

· The End of Alzheimers , Dr. Dale Bredesen

· The Power of When: Discover Your Chronotype--and the Best Time to Eat Lunch, Ask for a Raise, Have Sex, Write a Novel, Take Your Meds, and More, Dr. Michael Breus

· The Brain’s Way of Healing, Dr. Norman Doidge

· The Complete Guide to Brain Health Supplements, Dr. Lee Euler

· The Telomerase Revolution, Dr. Michael Fossel

· Square One: A Simple Guide to a Balanced Life, Dr. Joseph Maroon

· The Complete Book of Ketones, Dr. Mary Newport

· Brain Wash, Dr. David Perlmutter

· BrainHealthandResearch.com, Dr. Mary Kay Ross

· Awakening from Alzheimers: How America's Most Innovative Doctors are Reversing Alzheimer's, Dementia, and Memory Loss, Peggy Sarlin, free lance writer and the interviewer

· What You Must Know About MEMORY LOSS and How You Can Stop It, Dr. Pamela Wartian Smith

· Beating Sugar Addiction, Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum

Dr. Lynda J. Wells received her PhD from Boston University with majors in cell physiology and biochemistry, and did Post-Doctoral work in Neurobiology. She taught at Boston University and at New England Nutritional Association in Boston, where she found her vocation in natural healing . In private practice for many years, she used nutrition, metabolic and herbal supplements, acupressure, yoga and more to help clients and had the good fortune to find and use functional medicine testing to help find the cause of health problems. Retired now, she still enjoys reading and writing about natural methods of healing and may be reached at lyndawells@hotmail.com