Alpha lipoic acid (ALA), a naturally occurring nutrient found in many foods and available in supplemental form, is also synthesized in humans where it serves in energy metabolism and as a vital antioxidant. ALA is a unique antioxidant in that it is both water and fat-soluble, which enables ALA to confer its antioxidant benefits to all the cells and cell structures of the body. Another important characteristic of ALA is that it is part of the antioxidant team that includes vitamin E, C, coenzyme Q10 and glutathione. ALA regenerates theses antioxidants as they are metabolized in their protective antioxidative roles. As an antioxidant, the protective benefits of ALA are well documented in the research literature. However, just this month (12-08), scientists have been able to describe some of the mechanisms behind ALA’s brain protective (neuroprotective) function with respect to peroxynitrite, (1) a potent oxidant,* nitrative agent** and pro-inflammatory molecule that induces cellular damage and death (apoptosis). (2) Peroxynitrite mediates its toxic effects by reacting with structural and functional proteins and fats of the cell, as well as its DNA.
Insulin fulfills an indispensable role in your body’s utilization of blood sugar (glucose). In type 2 diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome, insulin’s function of glucose uptake into the body’s cells is impaired due to a resistance to insulin that develops over time. This insulin resistance pattern which defines the disease process of the above mentioned disorders, is now seen as a link to the degenerative spiral that occurs in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) over and above the role of insulin in glucose metabolism in the brain. Insulin resistance and its role in inflammation, and impaired insulin function in the brain are now understood to be underlying pieces of the Alzheimer’s puzzle. [Read more →]
Genetic risk factors to Late Onset Alzheimer’s Disease (LOAD) are significant. A recent study of nearly 12,000 Swedish twin pairs, age 65 and older, determined that 58% to 79% of Alzheimer’s risk is genetic (1). This study showed that in male identical twins, when one brother had Alzheimer’s disease, the other developed the disease 45% of the time. In female identical twins, when one sister had Alzheimer’s disease, the other developed the disease 60% of the time. While this study did not delve into specific gene influences in LOAD, numerous studies have identified Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4), as a prominent genetic risk factor for LOAD. About 25% of the population has one copy of the ApoE4 gene and individuals with the the ApoE4 gene are estimated to make up approximately 40%-80% of the Alzheimer’s disease population. (2) [Read more →]
The two hallmark lesions that are associated with the damage that occurs in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques (see pic 1). Processes involving inflammation, oxidative stress, * mitochondrial dysfunction, ** brain cholesterol dynamics (1) and others are tied into the formation of plaques and tangles. However, there has been a long-standing debate in the research community as to whether one lesion or the other is primarily responsible for the AD process.
The area of the brain that is most severely affected in Alzheimer’s is the hippocampus. This area of the brain is responsible for turning information into memory. It is a crucial area for the fromation of new memory. As the hippocampus deteriorates from the disease processes associated with Alzheimer’s, the ability to make new memories vital to everyday tasks, are lost. Information processing and memory retention in the hippocampus is dependent on new brain cells (neurons) growing and establishing new connections. Recent research now reveals that exposures to lead can alter the normal development of newly born neurons (neurogenesis) in this part of the brain vital to learning and memory. (1) [Read more →]
One of the most insidious toxins in our environment is mercury. Mercury is a pervasive toxin that is a staggering environmental problem. It is in our water, food, & air. Without a clear understanding about these routes of exposure and the potential hazard it poses to one’s health, many individuals easily accumulate a mercury body burden over time. Mercury is extremely toxic to brain tissue, and could be a significant risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in some individuals. [Read more →]
German doctor Alois Alzheimer discovered the disease in 1906, when he examined a post-mortem patient who had died with an unknown mental illness. Dr. Alzheimer found unusual clumps of protein plaques in the patient’s brain. These plaques are made up of clustered proteins and are today noted as a clear sign of the disease with new brain scan (PET) and imaging (MRI) techniques being developed to help with early detection of the disease. Unfortunately scientists have long been debating whether these protein plaques cause the disease or are simply a by-product of it. As this debate continues, the elderly continue to develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD) at an alarming rate, while the speed at which research studies provide an answer feels like it is crawling in comparison. [Read more →]
