Dementia and Alzheimer’s are some of the most debilitating diseases that a person can contract; not only because he or she loses his or her memory, but because it is currently incurable.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s are hard for both the person that suffers from either of these mental diseases, as well as his or her family.
As of now, there are no known ways to cure dementia and Alzheimer’s, however, studies are showing that there are ways to prevent it as well as ways to slow down the progression. Some of the ways that doctors are finding include natural treatments, based on incorporating certain foods and supplements into one’s diet.
How Natural Medicine Can Slow Down the Mind’s Decline
Natural medicine is beneficial for people of all ages, however, natural medicine can be particularly beneficial for people that are suffering from either dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. One may wonder, what exactly does natural medicine mean?
Natural medicine is a form of medicine that focuses on the body’s ability to self heal with the use of vitamins, minerals, foods, and certain kinds of physical activity. People of all ages can benefit from natural remedies if they aren’t seeing results with pharmaceutical medicines, or they simply don’t want to use them. In regards to dementia and Alzheimer’s, here’s how natural medicines can slow down the mind’s decline in regards to both diseases.
The Bredesen Protocol
This form of natural medicine is growing in popularity as more and more dementia and Alzheimer’s patients are seeing results. The Bredesen Protocol is a personalized program that aims to target the root of the mind’s decline by focusing on food and lifestyle elements. This unique form of natural medicine has grown in popularity since 2018 after Dale Bredesen and fifteen other practitioners published their successful results of cognitive decline reversal in 100 patients.
The Bredesen Protocol includes ingesting complex carbohydrates, ample amounts of fruits and avoiding refined sugars, high saturated fat products, and most meats. This functional approach to preserving the mind aims to address the root of dementia and Alzheimer’s rather than trying to mask the symptoms of either disease. This natural approach looks at an individual’s whole system and pays special attention to a person’s metabolic imbalances which are linked to damaging a person’s cognitive functions.
This natural treatment works best when it is used early on in a person’s cognitive decline rather than later on.
Stay Active
Staying active has copious benefits for people of all ages and will prolong a person’s life, as well as allow a person to get better quality out of life. Regular physical activity can benefit the brain overall, but in regards to dementia and Alzheimer’s regular physical activity can improve memory, reasoning, and thinking skills; all cognitive abilities. Physical activity for 30-60 minutes a day will keep blood flowing to the brain and will increase the brain’s chemicals that work in preserving and using cognitive functions.
In fact, a retirement community in PA finds an active lifestyle so important in regards to preserving mental health, they offer a variety of physical activities for their residents. These physical activities include tennis, swimming, biking, hiking, running, and yoga. Likewise, these activities are great for people that may have early stages of dementia and Alzheimer’s as they are easy to do and can be done with other people.
Pay Attention to Overall Health
Taking care of your overall health is the best natural medicine. Taking care of one’s overall health will keep the body and mind healthy for years to come; this means eating healthy, working out, managing stress, and paying attention to any bodily issues. It’s important to treat any mundane ailments or illnesses, as they could become more severe and impact one’s physical or mental health later on.
For example, it’s important to do all that one can to boost one’s immune system to preserve overall health and well being. Overall health and wellbeing will prevent illnesses as well as dementia and Alzheimer’s while also slowing down the progression of either disease. Some natural ways to boost the immune system include:
- Ingesting ample amount of Vitamin C; in the form of a capsule, vitamin drip, or from organic fruit
- Ingesting elderberry
- Taking a probiotic pill or eating yogurt that is high in probiotics
Boosting ones immune system in these natural ways is just one of many ways that a person can focus on his or her overall health to reap the benefits later on. Improving overall health early on will prevent many diseases and illnesses in your elderly years; dementia and Alzheimer’s included.
Natural remedies also have very little side effects when used and later on in life; making taking care of one’s overall health in natural ways even more beneficial.
Natural Medicine: Good for Now, Great for Your Future
Natural medicine and remedies are worth adding to your lifestyle as they will benefit you now and later. There are a variety of ways to incorporate natural medicines into your life that will keep you healthy now and will aid in preventing and slowing down future illnesses, mainly dementia and Alzheimer’s. It will be very much worth your while to look into some more specific natural medicines and remedies to best prevent and slow down dementia and Alzheimer’s in you or a loved one’s life.
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About the Author
Kelsey Simpson enjoys writing about things that can help others.
She lives in South Jersey and is the proud companion to two German Shepherds and spends her free time volunteering in dog shelters.
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