Fuel your life with the purest vitamins
Nov 3rd 2025
Alzheimer's Disease Update
. . . maintain a sharp brain for life
Most of us hope to live to a ripe old age with our wits about us. Indeed, there are many examples of people living into their hundreds with all their faculties intact to inspire such a hope. Unfortunately, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, one in eight people over the age of 65 and nearly half age 85 and older has Alzheimer’s disease. Many more have other forms of dementia. By 2050, it’s probably going to be a lot worse; the number of people over 65 with Alzheimer’s is projected to triple. Projections weren’t given for those over 85, but it certainly doesn’t look good for those of us planning to live well into our nineties and beyond.
But wait a minute. We’re not helpless victims here. As disturbing as these statistics may be, Alzheimer’s is just disease (aka malfunctioning cells), and we know that all disease has only two causes: nutrient deficiency and toxicity. As diets become more devoid of nutrients and as toxins proliferate in our environment, it makes sense that Alzheimer’s rates would go up. On the other hand, by choosing to maximize nutrition and minimize toxins, we can greatly reduce our risk of developing Alzheimer’s, dementia, or any of the other chronic diseases associated with aging.
One thing we better not do, however, is sit on our hands and hope for the best. Maintaining 
health and a sharp brain for life requires a proactive approach.
In 2005, I wrote an article on the major factors driving Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and nutrients that can protect us against them. It is worth your time to read this comprehensive article. Since it was written, some new nutrients are being explored that can add to our arsenal for keeping our brains healthy and vital. Curcumin is one. Alzheimer’s develops when beta amyloid proteins in the brain accumulate and form plaque. Curcumin inhibits the formation of beta amyloid plaque and also appears to break it down and remove it.
Plaque develops when beta amyloid forms balls that attach to receptors on brain cells. Green tea extracts (note: every time a study is done on green tea, it also applies to white tea) and resveratrol (see our new Age Defense Formula) have been found to change the shape of these balls so they can’t stick to brain cell receptors.
Maintaining energy in our brain cells is key to their well-being and optimal function. It is hypothesized that in Alzheimer’s, amyloid proteins damage brain cells so that they lose energy; eventually they lose so much energy they die. Flavonoids in green tea have been found to reduce levels of amyloid proteins in the brain, AND to protect brain cells’ mitochondria (little energy factories inside cells) from their harmful effects.
Remarkable work has also been done by Dr. Mary Newport, who is using coconut oil to help her Alzheimer’s afflicted husband regain mental function. In Alzheimer’s disease, brain cells become less able to use glucose, the brain’s normal fuel, for energy. The medium-chain triglycerides in coconut oil supply an alternative energy source that can improve cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients dramatically within 3 hours. Coconut oil also appears to promote the growth of new brain cells.
In all these investigations of course, researchers continue to look for that “magic bullet” that will cure Alzheimer’s. Dream on! It takes a holistic lifestyle including a good diet, avoidance of toxins, exercise, and high-quality supplements to prevent disease and maintain optimal health. Nutrients and foods like curcumin, green tea, resveratrol and coconut oil serve us best as part of a healthy lifestyle that optimizes cell biochemistry and function.