Chemical Imbalance Cause Number Three for Alzheimer’s Disease

A deficiency in vitamin B12 mimics Alzheimer’s disease (AD). So many things can cause chemical imbalances in the brain – aging, disease, injury, stress, nutrition, sugar, and more. When everything is in balance, the brain works well. However, when too much or too little of something can create havoc and may eventually evolve into a neurodegenerative disease, like AD.

Chemical Imbalance in the Brain

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326638. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter. When levels of acetylcholine are low, brain function and memory are affected. When acetylcholine levels are chronically low for a long time, diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s are likely. Most patients with AD or Parkinson’s have low levels of acetylcholine.

Doctors treat diseases like AD with approved drugs and therapies. They do not prescribe non-prescription options because the FDA does not approve them. However, there are natural options that appear to interact with various chemical imbalances. This article, like my others on AD, is meant to be educational.

Inflammation can be considered to be the first cause of AD. (https://wp.me/p4ztmz-1q8) is a link to an article I wrote earlier on Inflammation and AD. (https://wp.me/p4ztmz-1qA) is a recent link to an article on my second cause of AD – Oxidative Stress. I spoke this morning to the West Houston Chamber of Commerce on the Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease and will be speaking again this Friday to a much larger audience on television and radio. My topic is the 3rd Cause of AD – Chemical Imbalance.

Acetylcholinesterase

https://www.medicinenet.com/cholinesterase_inhibitors/article.htm Some medications can block the enzymes (primarily acetylcholinesterase) that attack acetylcholine. FDA-approved acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and cholinesterase inhibitors include donepezil (Aricept), tacrine (Cognex – no longer available in the US), memantine (Namzaric), ambenonium (Mytelase), galantamine (Razadyne), neostigmine (Bloxiverz), and rivastigmine (Exelon). Unfortunately, all prescription drugs have side effects.

Natural Acetylcholinesterase and Cholinesterase Inhibitors

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3744903/. There is an extensive list (over 100) of natural products. Most natural products have no side effects. Everyday natural products include Ginkgo biloba, Bacopa monniere, and huperzine A. Prescription drugs may slow down the progression of AD but will not reverse it. Slowing down the progress of AD is a welcome event for many family members of patients with AD.

Boosting Acetylcholine Naturally

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/acetylcholine-supplement. It is difficult for medical authorities to recommend any natural food or product that increases acetylcholine in the body. The FDA must approve them, and the FDA does not approve foods. They do approve supplements.

Eating foods with choline is the preferred way to increase acetylcholine levels in the body. Meat, fish, eggs, beans, cruciferous vegetables, whole grains, dairy, nuts, and seeds are high in choline.
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/9/8/815/htm is a good link about choline. Our bodies make four phospholipids, of which phosphatidylcholine is one. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5866043/ describes lower levels of phosphatidylcholine in AD patients. Another phospholipid is phosphatidylserine https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26345866/. I have seen remarkable temporary memory recoveries with phosphatidylserine (PS) supplements.

My brother-in-law was one with AD and saw incredible success in just over 30 days. PS is a natural cholinesterase inhibitor. As we age, our bodies make less of a lot of essential chemicals. So phospholipids are one group of which supplementation might be the best answer.

Conclusion

There are many things we can do when we are healthy. However, if you are under a doctor’s care, do not change any natural or prescription option without consulting your physician.

Many chemical imbalances can create problems in the body. I chose to list acetylcholine as the primary one for this discussion. My next cause of Alzheimer’s disease is titled Excitotoxicity. This term means chemicals are out of balance, but there are specific causes and enough differences to write about it separately.

Live Longer & Enjoy Life! – Red O’Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com