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September 21, 2024 By Dr Manali Rao 1 Comment

Everything You Need to Know about Alzheimer’s

alzheimer's dayIf you’ve read ‘The Notebook’ by Nicholas Parks, later adapted into a film by the same name, you might have a fair idea of what Alzheimer’s really is. The book is centered around Allie and Noah, an all-time romantic couple. There’s a beautiful scene in the film where Noah, who is an old man now, narrates a story to Allie about a couple and how their love blossomed through hardships. Amazed by this story, Allie only realizes later that this story is about them. Noah read this to her as he had promised before the disease set in. The disease was Alzheimer’s!

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Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurological disorder which results in memory loss, personality changes, global cognitive dysfunction and functional impairments. It is the leading cause of dementia in the elderly. The disease begins at a slow rate. Initially, it captures the brain and slowly overcomes human thoughts, activities, and language as well. People start having trouble in remembering things and the one evident sign is forgetting the names of people.

What Causes Alzheimer’s?

The exact etiology is unknown, but a few risk factors can be marked out.

  • Age: Incidence and prevalence increases after the age of 60
  • Family History: First-degree relatives at greater risk
  • Genetic: ApoEepsilon 4 gene
  • Lack of Sleep
  • Regular and high consumption of junk food

Clinical Features 

  1. Progressive memory loss and decline of higher mental functions
    Example: problem-solving small issues, confusion in time, date and month, the problem faced in doing family activities of daily routine, misplacing things, poor judgment and problem in speaking and writing as well
  2. Difficulty in naming and understanding what others are speaking
  3. Apraxia: The inability to carry out skilled motor activities, inability to recognize objects, places and people
  4. Behavioral changes: Agitation, aggression, wandering and persecutory delusions, loss of insight, depression
  5. Loss of inhibition leading to inappropriate social behavior
  6. In advanced stages, a person may be mute, inactive and can succumb to different infections
  7. Inability to recognize color and visual picture
  8. In case there is an underlying cause, additional clinical features may be present

Management

The most important management for Alzheimer’s is support – Physical, mental and moral support from family members and caregivers.

  • Antioxidants (Vitamin E) can slow the decline of cognitive function
  • Drugs like anticholinesterase inhibitors (like donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine), memantine, N-methyl-D aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist
  • Ginkgo biloba, a plant extract has been shown to be useful
  • Treatment of the underlying cause, if any

3-7

Alzheimer’s and Ayurveda

According to the principles of Ayurveda, Alzheimer’s is caused as a result of the imbalance in vata – this imbalance is quite common as a person begins to grow in age. It affects the vata – in the tissues of the central nervous system of the body – mainly the brain which then slowly becomes imbalanced.

Treatment begins with a Vata balancing diet. Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha) in the powdered form along with either ghee or milk is included in the patient’s daily diet. This helps charge and soothe the Vata. Herbs such as Brahmi and Ashwagandha that serve as nerve tonics are mainly used.

An oil massage daily, prior to a bath is also considered significant in this form of treatment. Ayurveda specialized preparations for Alzheimer’s treatment that are made from rice have proved highly beneficial to the patients besides providing the required nutrients to the old age person.

How Can Turmeric Help?

Turmeric or Haldi, as it’s known in Hindi, is a part of almost every Indian recipe. It is known all over the world for its antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-spasmodic, anti-allergic properties and hence is used in medicines, cosmetics etc.

Curcumin that is found in turmeric has radical scavenging properties thereby preventing damage that can be caused to the cells of our body by free radicals. Alzheimer’s alleviation could be based upon the ability of curcumin to combat the development of amyloid plaque (accumulation of protein) in the brain leading to inflammation and impairment of cells.

Prevention

There’s no real guarantee when it comes to preventing Alzheimer’s. The only way to minimize your chances is by living a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

  1. Make sure you don’t stop learning new things. Continuous learning like a musical instrument, a new language or any subject that you didn’t have knowledge about keeps the memory intact.
  2. Forget your phone and start memorizing important numbers like bank accounts, mobile numbers, life insurance/investment policy numbers, credit and debit card numbers, passwords and recalling them when needed is an easy way of jogging your memory.
  3. Make sure you get your hands on challenging puzzles like Sudoku, different crosswords, etc.
  4. Consumption of antioxidants via diet/supplements is helpful in preserving memory function.

We hope this blog helped you lean more about Alzheimer’s and what we can do in case a loved one is ever affected by it. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!

For more informative topics, check out Healthy Reads or speak to an expert by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general awareness and educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised medical guidance or concerns related to your health.

February 8, 2024 By CHARMI GOGRI 1 Comment

Why should we eat more turmeric?

Curcumin

Turmeric is traditionally named as “Indian Saffron” because of its deep yellow-orange colour and has been used throughout the ancient Vedic culture of India as a condiment, healing remedy and textile dye. It is one of the most researched condiment and is used in almost all Indian curries, this spice has almost no calories and zeroes cholesterol. It is rich in dietary fibre, iron, potassium, magnesium and vitamin B6. The wide range of turmeric health benefits come mainly from its main ingredient, curcumin. Turmeric is used for arthritis, heartburn, stomach pain, diarrhoea, intestinal gas, stomach bloating, loss of appetite, jaundice, liver problems and gallbladder disorders. It is also used for headaches, bronchitis, colds, lung infections, fever, menstrual problems, and cancer. Some people apply turmeric to the skin for pain relief, ringworm, bruises, leech bites, inflammatory skin conditions and infected wounds. In short, Turmeric provides a wide variety of benefits, but there are seven standouts. Once you know about these seven benefits you’ll be eager to add the spice to your diet.

  • Potent Antioxidant

Curcumin has a huge therapeutic value as boosting immunity is one of its most important properties. Curcumin exerts powerful antioxidant effects by neutralizing free radicals, chemicals that can travel through the body and cause great amounts of damage to healthy cells and cell membranes. This is important in many diseases, such as arthritis, where free radicals are responsible for the painful joint inflammation and eventual damage to the joints.The high antioxidant power of turmeric also helps to put the brakes on aging process.

  • Maintains Healthy Heart

Oxidized cholesterol damages blood vessels and promotes plaques formation that can lead to heart attack or stroke. Curcumin not only prevents the oxidation of cholesterol in the body but is also beneficial in reducing bad cholesterol and improving good cholesterol. In addition, turmeric is a good source of vitamin B6, which keeps homocysteine levels under control and thereby protects direct damage to blood vessels caused by elevated levels of homocysteine.

  • Cancer Prevention

The most promising quality of turmeric is its ability to prevent cancer. Turmeric can be beneficial for preventing breast, prostate, skin and colon cancer. This super spice  helps the body to destroy mutated cancer cells and prevents its spreading into other organs. Moreover, It causes cancer cells to commit suicide. Turmeric prevents cancer progression by 2 ways: first, by enhancing liver function and second by preventing blood supply to cancer cells which may be necessary for their growth.

  • A Potent, Yet Safe Anti-Inflammatory

Curcumin is thought to be the primary pharmacological agent in turmeric. This makes it effective for fighting heart disease, osteoarthritis pain and other health problems related to inflammation. Curcumin is believed to reduce certain enzymes in the body known to trigger inflammation. Curcumin’s anti-inflammatory effects are comparable to the potent drugs like hydrocortisone and phenylbutazone as well as over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents such as Motrin. Unlike the drugs, which are associated with significant toxic effects (ulcer formation, decreased white blood cell count, intestinal bleeding), curcumin produces no toxicity.

  • Promotes Weight Loss

Curcumin promotes weight loss and reduce the incidence of obesity-related diseases. Turmeric stimulates the production of bile which helps to break down fatty foods, which in turn, may help you lose weight. Taking one teaspoon of Turmeric powder with every meal may help in losing weight. This of course doesn’t cancel the fact that you need to eat healthy and exercise.

  • Slows the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease

Curcumin in turmeric has a potential role in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration together with declining activities of daily living and behavioral changes. Various effects of curcumin, including anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant property, improves overall memory in Alzheimer’s patients.

  • Natural Painkiller

Turmeric can be considered as an instant painkiller option. Turmeric is capable of fighting a variety of pain that would otherwise be rated with over-the-counter pain medication which just suppresses the pain unlike turmeric which attempts to heal the pain as well.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas to include turmeric in meals:

  • Add turmeric to egg salad to give it an even bolder yellow colour.
  • Give salad dressings an orange-yellow hue by adding some turmeric powder to them.
  • Season rice, vegetables and curries with turmeric.
  • Turmeric is a great spice to complement recipes that feature lentils.
  • Include the spice as an ingredient in your regular meals.
  • You can make a tea out of turmeric. Boil about four cups of water with a spoonful of turmeric for about ten to fifteen minutes. Strain and drink. The best remedy for a sore throat.
  • Add turmeric into your daily smoothies
  • Add turmeric to a glass of organic warm milk which helps fight cold and flu and a remedy for better sleep

Thus, turmeric is safe and offers a variety of general health benefits, you have nothing to lose by adding it to your daily diet in moderate amounts. We hope this article helps you. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce

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