Data suggests that up to twenty-two percent of patients with CD develop neurologic or psychiatric dysfunction,¹²² and as many as fifty-seven percent of people with neurological dysfunction of unknown origin test positive for anti-gliadin antibodies. A 2006 study identified a number of patients who had cognitive impairment due to CD^123,124 or dementia.¹²⁵

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity can trigger neuroinflammation, gut-brain axis dysfunction, leaky gut, and vulnerability for dementia.¹²⁶

Essential nutrients for celiac patients include vitamins B6, B12 (cobalamin), and folate, as well as iron, calcium, selenium, and vitamins D and K.^127,128

Drug Contraindications. There are many drugs that may be contraindicated for AD; discuss with your doctor. For example, anticholinergic drugs are those that block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the central and the peripheral nervous system.¹²⁹ They are typically used to treat a variety of conditions such as urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), and certain types of poisoning. Although brain dysfunction systems can often disappear after discontinued use of these drugs, sometimes the damage is more permanent and can look like Alzheimer’s disease¹³⁰ and/or they may be associated with increased dementia risk. A well-known risk with anticholinergic medications is acute impairment in specific aspects of cognition (e.g., working memory, attention, psychomotor speed) which has been demonstrated in single dose experimental studies¹³¹ and cohort studies.¹³² In addition, anticholinergics may be associated with global cognitive impairment.¹³³

Natural Approaches

Lifestyle considerations play an essential role in brain and overall health. Risks include long-term consumption of high-fat, high-sucrose, refined-grains diet, poor nutrition and/or nutrient absorption, sedentary lifestyle, chronic insomnia, social isolation, chronic stress, cognitive inactivity, and epigenetic (environmental) factors.

More specifically, research points to genetic inheritance, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular problems, excessive alcohol consumption, traumatic brain injury, chronic inflammation, compromised blood-brain barrier, biochemical imbalances, oxidative stress, and having one or two copies of the APOEϵ4 genetic variant.

Exercise. Normal brain aging involves potentially reversible loss of resilience, which, for example, can often be counteracted by regular physical activity,¹³⁴ as well as regular forms of meditation, stress management, a healthy diet, and targeted supplementation, particularly related to deficiencies in certain nutrients. Sedentary behavior increases the risk of Alzheimer’s as much as genetic factors because inactivity may negate the protective effects of healthy genes.¹³⁵ Moreover, and even more encouraging, they found that people who didn’t get in shape until middle age or later still enjoyed the benefits of markedly lowered risk of dementia.¹³⁶

Do not smoke. Nicotine can kill brain cells, stop new neurons forming in the hippocampus, and significantly impact the ability to promote new neurons.¹³⁷ Smoking may affect plasticity and refinement of cortical connections,¹³⁸ and may have functional implications for maturation and function of the prefrontal network.¹³⁹

Learning. The process of learning new knowledge, skills, and information also stimulates hippocampal neurogenesis.¹⁴⁰ Learning tasks that are related to the hippocampus are linked to new cell generation there, while learning tasks that do not require the hippocampus do not alter the number of new cells.¹⁴¹ Learning, spaced over time, induces more enduring memory, which is linked to the number of new cells in the hippocampus.¹⁴²

Healthy Diet. Scientists agree that nutritional factors have a role in protecting and enhancing neurogenesis.^143,144 Diets that include lots of sugars and high fats reduce neurotrophic factors in the hippocampus, nerve plasticity and learning capacity.¹⁴⁵

Social Support. Mood may influence social behavior, and social support is one of the most studied psychosocial factors in relation to health and disease. Lack of support can possibly result in mimicking symptoms of dementia.

Sleep. Not getting enough sleep at night and chronic insomnia cause many cognitive and related problems.

Top Brain Nutrients

These top four nutrients or foods are the most important for supporting neurogenesis and/or BDNF. They are discussed in detail in the diet and nutrition chapters.

• Blueberries. The polyphenols contained in blueberries support neurogenesis,^146,147 and protect cognitive capacity.^148,149
• Curcumin induces neurogenesis,^150,151 protects against fat oxidation, and reduces neuron deterioration due to free radicals in neurodegenerative conditions.^152,153
• Goji Berries (Lycium barbarum). Goji berry supports neurogenesis,¹⁵⁴ and protects against chemical-caused neurogenesis suppression.¹⁵⁵ Goji contains high amounts of antioxidants, and other vitamins and flavonoids.
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids. Not only do omega-3s induce neurogenesis via synapse support and neurite growth,^156-158 but they also reduce inflammation, are neuroprotective,¹⁵⁹ and enhance BDNF synthesis. They are essential for learning and memory.^160,161

Other important nutrients and foods to support brain health and neurogenesis include acetyl-l-carnitine, apigenin, ashwagandha, other berries, choline, cruciferous vegetables, garlic, ginkgo, ginseng, grapeseed extract, green tea, glutathione, green, leafy vegetables, gut microbia, hesperidin, huperzine A, iron, lecithin, lotus root extract, lutein, magnesium, magnolol, melatonin, milk thistle extract, mulberry, mushrooms (lion’s mane, shiitake, reishi), olive leaf extract, PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline quinone), quercetin, red sage (salvia), resveratrol, taurine, vinpocetine, zeaxanthin and vitamins A, B6, B12, E, and D.

Most Important Brain Foods/Herbs

Top brain foods include ashwagandha, avocado, blueberries (and other dark berries) dark chocolate, eggs, fish, fruits and vegetables, ginseng, goji berry, green and black teas, nuts, mulberry, mushrooms (reiki, shitake, and lion’s mane for example), olive oil, pomegranate juice, prunes, pumpkin seeds, yogurt (organic plain), and walnuts. These foods along with others contain high amounts of flavonoids that have many potent benefits to the brain, including reducing beta amyloid and fibril formation.^162-166

The body produces some of its own antioxidants that neutralize free radicals before they destroy healthy cells, but it also needs antioxidants from food. If antioxidants are missing in the diet, then higher levels of oxidative stress exist within the brain.¹⁶⁷

Diets that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, epidemiological studies indicate that diets with high contents of trans and saturated fats adversely affect cognition.¹⁶⁸

Eat more raw or slightly steamed vegetables and fruits to supply digestive enzymes. The typical Western diet does not provide enough antioxidants to support proper digestion, enzyme production, or to support normal metabolic activity. The nutrient composition of processed foods in the Western diet can also negatively affect the brain and contribute to the development of degenerative diseases.^169,170

Juicing is an excellent way to get essential antioxidants, enzymes, and other nutrients into one’s body. Whenever possible, juice with organic products.

Exercise

Exercise daily which can include fast walking, swimming, tennis, or other sports, work-outs at the gym, yoga, etc. Not only does exercise strengthen the physical body but improves neurogenesis (the growth of new nerve cells).¹⁷¹ Participants of the study did at least 150 minutes per week of walking, running, swimming or other exercise. They experienced lowered levels of key biological markers of Alzheimer’s disease in their cerebrospinal fluid, including tau (a protein that builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s).¹⁷² Another study showed that people with a history of exercise that have the ApoE4 gene (increases the risk of AD onset 10-30 percent) did not develop dementia and had less b-amyloid in their brains.¹⁷³

Foods to Avoid

A diet high in “junk food” and saturated fats elevates the neurological burden that is associated with brain injury, as evidenced by a worse performance in learning tasks and a reduction of BDNF-mediated synaptic plasticity.^174,175  This type of diet increases the vulnerability of cells to damage¹⁷⁶ by causing free-radical formation that surpasses cellular buffering capacity.  The nutrient composition of processed foods in the Western diet can negatively affect the brain and contribute to the development of degenerative diseases.¹⁷⁷

In a similar study with over five-thousand people, it was found that a diet high in red meat, processed meat, baked beans and fried food was associated with inflammation and a faster decline in reasoning over ten years.¹⁷⁸

Diets high in sugar (including refined carbohydrates) can be highly detrimental to brain health. High sugar levels (as in uncontrolled diabetes) cause oxidative stress, which produces high amounts of free radicals (damaging healthy cells).¹⁷⁹ Research strongly supports the fact that people without diabetes but with above normal blood sugar levels have an increased risk of developing dementia.¹⁸⁰

Avoid artificial sweeteners. Artificially sweeteners such as used in diet soft drinks are associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke, and all types of dementia including AD.^181,182 Some of the adverse effects on the central nervous system caused by the intake of aspartame are headaches, mood changes, insomnia, and seizures.¹⁸³

Avoid canned foods as aluminum can leach out and has been implicated as a causative factor of AD.

Nutrients Found to Be Deficient in the Brains of AD Patients

Deficiency or low levels of specific vitamins such as vitamin D3 and B vitamins can result in cognitive difficulty, mood swing, and depression. These deficiencies can mimic symptoms of dementia and AD.  Specific nutrient deficiencies such as zinc, vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, D3, can result in cognitive difficulty, mood swings, and depression; and magnesium deficiencies can contribute to brain dysfunction and reduced learning, memory, and cognitive function. Magnesium helps suppress amyloid beta build-up in the brain.  Zinc deficiency may induce learning and memory impairment. B12 deficiency has been linked to mental decline (which can often be mistaken for dementia). Deficiency in melatonin, produced by the pineal gland and essential for a good night’s sleep, may be directly related to age-related cognitive impairment.^184-186 Note that exposure to blue light (computers and mobile devices) inhibits the production of melatonin.¹⁸⁷

DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) is found in higher concentrations in brain synapses than any other tissue in the body and found in highest concentrations in the hippocampus of the brain. DHA concentrates in the structures involved in forming new memories, such as synaptic membranes and tiny outgrowths called neurites.^188,189 Those at risk for AD and those with cognitive impairments often have a DHA deficiency.^190,191 AD patients have significantly lower levels of DHA in the neurons of their hippocampus.¹⁹² Changes in DHA levels in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) were inversely correlated with CSF levels of total and phosphorylated tau.¹⁹³

Glutathione is especially important as it is the antioxidant in the greatest quantity in the brain and found to be deficient in the brains of AD and Parkinson’s patients.¹⁹⁴ Glutathione is referred to as the “anti-agent” antioxidant due to its effectiveness in neutralizing the full spectrum of free radicals.

Several studies have documented the positive impact of mindfulness-based programs on symptoms of anxiety and depression^195,196 and improvements in sleep patterns,^197,198 and attention.¹⁹⁹

Some Top Essential Oils

Use of essential oils has many benefits, including reducing anxiety, depression, improving mood and sleep, stimulating the mind and improving cognitive function, reducing stress, improving digestion and loss of appetite, and much more.

There is some evidence that aromatherapy using various essential oils may have some potential for improving cognitive function, especially in patients with AD.^200-203 Used with massage, they may help to calm agitated people with dementia.²⁰⁴

The book goes into greater depth into different essential oils and best ways to apply them, but here are a few great ones.

One study looked at the effects of massage with a cream containing lavender, sweet marjoram, vetiver, and patchouli on dementia patients in a residential care facility. They saw a decrease in “dementia-related behaviors.²⁰⁵

Lemon balm and lavender are the most used aromatherapeutic treatments for behavioral and psychological symptoms in dementia.^206-208

Bergamot can be used to relieve anxiety,²⁰⁹ agitation, mild depression, stress, and relieve insomnia (in a study, combined with lavender and ylang ylang).²¹⁰

Frankincense helps relieve chronic stress and anxiety, reducing pain and inflammation, boosting immunity.²¹¹

Saffron is an antibacterial, blood purifying, antioxidant, decongestant, and memory enhancer.²¹²

Other Modalities

Other modalities shown to be helpful in managing Alzheimer’s and dementia include Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine, craniosacral treatments, yoga, qigong, tai chi, and meditation practice.

There are many studies regarding Chinese medicine and herbs for brain issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder, dementia and AD discussed in the book, but here are a few. In a randomized, controlled, parallel-group study of over twelve weeks with a twelve-week follow-up, it was found that acupuncture treatment improved cognitive function more effectively than Donepezil.²¹³

A 2019 review of acupuncture and acupressure techniques for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia found that there were statistically significant improvements in activities of daily living (75% improvement), agitation (100%), anxiety (67%), depression (100%), mood (100%), neuropsychological disturbances (67%), and sleep disturbances (100%).²¹⁴

Regarding Parkinson’s disease, some Chinese herbal medicines are useful as an adjunct to help improve both motor and non-motor symptoms, permit lower doses of dopaminergic drugs, and reduce dyskinesia.^215,216

Click HERE for References

About Michael Edson

Michael Edson is a co-founder and president of Natural Eye Care, Inc. He is co-author of Natural Eye Care: A Comprehensive Manual for Practitioners of Oriental Medicine and Natural Eye Care: Your Guide to Healthy Vision and Healing (2019). He’s also written Natural Parkinson’s Support: Your Guide to Preventing & Managing Parkinson’s (2020) and Natural Brain Support: Ways to Help Prevent and Treat Dementia and Alzheimer’s Naturally (2021).

---