Alzheimer's is a common form of dementia that destroys vital nerve cells in the brain and eventually causes death. Diagnosis is often done by a process of elimination. Doctors make sure the patient isn't suffering the effects of depression, thyroid disease, heart disease, infection, drug interactions, alcohol abuse, or malnutrition. There are also other dementias to consider like Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease which tends to strike rapidly at older patients; Pick's Dementia which affects the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain, the sections of the brain which control motor skills and memory; and Vascular Dementia which usually follows a stroke. A patient may also suffer from a combination of dementias. The only way to diagnose absolutely is to autopsy the brain.
About 64% of those with the symptoms of dementia are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada website, diagnosis is correct eighty to ninety per cent of the time. About fifteen per cent are misdiagnosed as having or not having Alzheimer's. In Canada that's about 3,000 people!
There are a couple of conditions that mimic Alzheimer's disease and can lead to a misdiagnosis. They are Vitamin B12 deficiency and Aluminum Toxicity. According to Michael Murray (Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements), B12 deficiency is a major cause of depression in the elderly. He also says that B12 can be deficient in the brain without any signs of anemia presenting in the body. B12 is assimilated into the brain and body by a substance in the stomach known as intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor's production is stimulated by another substance in the stomach - Hydrochloric Acid. The elderly tend to produce less Hydrochloric acid and therefore may not produce enough intrinsic factor to utilize the B12 they consume. Another cause of B12 deficiency may be poor diet. Animal foods, including dairy, are the only sources of B12 known to be assimilated by the body. Vegetarians should supplement.
As mentioned, Aluminum Toxicity can also mimic Alzheimer's. Headaches, forgetfulness,
speech disturbances, and memory loss are symptoms common to both Alzheimer's
and Aluminum Toxicity. According to Balch and Balch (Prescription for Nutritional
Healing), aluminum itself cannot cross the blood-brain barrier and enter the
brain but certain aluminum compounds such as aluminum fluoride can. Balch and
Balch go on to say that aluminum sulphate and fluoride are in many municipal
water systems and these chemicals can combine in the bloodstream to make aluminum
fluoride which can enter the brain. One should also be wary of other sources
of aluminum like aluminum cookware, antacids, buffered aspirin, anti-diarrheal
preparations, aluminum cans, deodorants, douches, food additives like baking
soda, frozen doughs, self rising flour, process cheese slices, and shampoos
because the aluminum they contain may contribute to Aluminum Toxicity. The early
stages of Alzheimer's may be slowed by the avoidance of aluminum products.
According to Western medicine, Alzheimer's has no known cause and no known
cure. Oriental medicine says differently. Alzheimer's is viewed as a mind/ body/
spirit disorder with specific causes that can be cured. The Yellow Emporer's
Classic of Internal Medicine states that when the spirit is damaged so are normal
brain functions. Oriental medicine can "pinpoint" the cause of damage
and apply a herbal cure. For example, a fearful mind can result in absentmindedness,
constant grief can lead to mental agony, sorrow can make one act crazy or violent
at the sight of others, and frequent anger can damage one's ambitions.
So, is it Alzheimer's? About 300,000 Canadians have Alzheimer's or another form
of dementia. If you or a loved one suspect Alzheimer's, work with your doctor
to eliminate all of the possibilities including other dementias and conditions.
Be sure to include B12 Deficiency and Aluminum Toxicity among those possibilities.
You may want to consult a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine to learn
how Oriental medicine views your condition. Drugs and support groups are all
that are offered by conventional medecine but a program of B12 foods or supplements,
aluminum avoidance, and meditation may be all that's needed. Dementia, like
any other condition, has a cause. Find that and a cure may follow.
© 2001 - 2004, Kelly Reith BA RHN
First appeared in Vitality Magazine, June 2001.