PREVENTING ALZHEIMER’S, PARKINSON’S, ALS, DEMENTIA, ETC. (audio interview)

For additional information…

I interviewed Dr. Michael Smith [25-minute audio can be heard by clicking on the blue “play” icon  at the bottom of the final paragraph in this post on my blog, mikerussoexpose.com.].  The scientific literature shows that certain lifestyle choices and nutritional supplements can help delay and even prevent  Alzheimer’s, so I asked a medical doctor, who’s knowledgeable on the latest research in this area, what he thinks.  

UPDATE SINCE MY INTERVIEW WITH DR. SMITH: 1) according to a CAIDE (Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Dementia) study, coffee given to mice, equivalent to 5 cups of coffee a day by a person, gives  65% less risk of getting Alzheimer’s,  2) scientific research conducted at MIT developed and tested Magnesium L-Threonate which allegedly doubles long-term memory and increases short-term memory by 20% by increasing the density in the synapses between brain cells;  3) a supplement called PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline Quinone) has been researched and allegedly found to foster the growth of new brain cells, something that had been thought to be impossible; 4) researchers have found that people who ate the most strawberries or blueberries delayed the onset of Alzheimer’s by 2 1/2 years; 5) to keep the brain from shrinking as you age, high-dose DHA (a transfatty acid in fish oil) or walking 6-9 miles/week are both effective; 6) methylene blue has been found to slow the progression of Alzhemier’s by 81% (and also is effective for Parkinson’s and Huntington’s); 7) there is promising research on reversing Alzheimer’s by an FDA-approved cancer drug, Bexarotene,  which reversed Alzheimer’s in 2 weeks in mice (note that a physician can prescribe a FDA-approved drug for any medical problem if s/he can justify its use); 8) taurine, an amino acid, has been  shown to promote the formation of new brain cells and enhance their connections (neurites) in laboratory studies; 9) Alpha-Glyceryl Phosphoryl Choline (A-GPC), a B-vitamin, is a precursor to the fat that is in brain cells’ myelin sheaths which cover and protect the connections between brain cells,  and is required to repair them (their deterioration leads to dementia); 10) follow the MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) to slow the rate of cognitive decline and protect against Alzheimer’s; 11) follow as much as possible the 36-point plan from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, especially by eliminating all simple carbohydrates and processed food, increasing vegetables, fruit, fish, sleep and exercise, taking daily vitamin D3, B-12 under the tongue lozenges, and Coenzyme Q10; 12) according to the Life Extension Foundation, its supplement, “Memory Protect,” which contains very low-dose Lithium and a colostrum-derived proline-rich polypeptide, has been shown in both animal and human studies to halt Alzheimer’s progression; 13) Vigra reduces the risk of contracting Alzheimer’s by 69% according to Dr. Marc Siegel on Fox News on 8/19/22, who cited a recent Harvard study; 14) the new anti-amyloid antibody drug, Leqembi, slows cognitive decline by 26%; 15) follow the Alzheimer’s Risk Reduction Program Daniel G. Amen, M.D.’s book, Change Your Brain, Change Your Life; 16) according to a study presented at the American Society of Nutrition’s NUTRITION 2023 annual meeting (as reported in the January 2024 magazine, Life Extension), just over a half-teaspoon olive oil/day lowers risk of dementia by 28%; 17) according to the August 2023 Neurology magazine (reported in the January 2024 magazine, Life Extension),proton pump inhibitors (heartburn meds like Nexium and Omeprazole), after 4.4 years of use, was associated with a 33% increased risk of dementia later in life; and 18) according to a Harvard study published in the January 2022 issue of The American Journal of Clinical of Nutrition, “Compared with eating carbohydrates, eating protein was associated with lower odds of developing cognitive decline….”

In addition to the above, I take Life Extension Foundation’s (LEF) supplement, Cognitex Elite, because it contains ingredients shown to significantly improve brain function, such as Phosphatidylserine, Sage Extract, and blueberry extract; and I also take 3,000 mg fish oil/day because the EPA and DHA fatty acids it contains improves brain function and reduces inflammation; 

My interviewee, Dr. Michael Smith, a medical doctor (MD) with specialties in internal medicine and radiology, and currently serves as the clinical information specialist with the Life Extension Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to researching and disseminating information on preventing diseases and medical disorders.  In this interview he discusses preventing neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, dementia, and mild cognitive impairment.   He received his MD from Southwest Medical Center at the University of Texas in Dallas and has been with The Life Extension Foundation for 8 years.

In my interview with Dr. Smith, various nutritional supplements and lifestyle choices are discussed as ways of helping prevent the onset of neurological disorders. You will hear about how nerve cell structure is the focus of prevention, not function, which traditional medicine focuses on.  Also, hear about the benefits of phosphatidylserine, phosphoryl choline, coenzyme Q10, vitamin B-12 under-the-tongue lozenges, vitamin D3, fish oil, R Lipoic Acid, etc.  Also discussed are lifestyle choices such as your cookware, some baking powders, and more.

Neurological disorders are so devastating that all avenues must be pursued since traditional medicine has no cures; therefore prevention has become especially important.  If you have any neurological disorders in your family, listening to this audio should be helpful.  Click on the blue link below and then the hyperlink under it.

I’m not a physician.

Michael Smith-Preventing Neurological Audio

Interview by Mike Russo

WHEAT BELLY, GRAIN BRAIN

I just read two books on  wheat’s very bad effects on everyone’s health: Grain Brain by David Perlmutter, M.D. and Wheat Belly by William Davis, M.D.

Many are familiar with the medical condition called Celiac Sprue, which is a condition of the gastrointestinal tract that is extremely sensitive to wheat gluten to the extent that it could eventually even kill someone with that condition.  However, both Wheat Belly and Grain Brain are much broader in their scope than Celiac Sprue and cite research and studies showing how modern-day high-yield dwarf wheat, which was developed and began being used in the 1970’s, is very bad for everyone.

Grain Brain focuses on the adverse effects of wheat on the brain.  I was especially interested in the huge reduction in the likelihood of getting Alzheimer’s if one stops eating all wheat products (e.g., bread, pasta, pizza, cake, cookies, pies, wheat breakfast cereals, etc.).  In addition to Alzheimer’s, there’s a number of other neurological disorders that wheat increases the likelihood of.

Wheat Belly, on the other hand, focuses on the accumulation of visceral fat around mid-sections, that increase the incidence of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, accelerated aging, etc.  It also looks at how high-carbohydrate foods, in addition to simply wheat, are really bad for your health.

Some mitigating actions come to my mind, such as only eating gluten-free wheat products.  However, gluten-free adds new problems, such as eating simple high-carbohydrate food without any protein, much fiber and greatly reduced vitamins and minerals.  Also, since high-yield dwarf wheat was developed and became very widespread in the 70’s and is especially bad for health, eating earlier forms of wheat are less harmful for your health.