September 2002 The Connection Between The Immune System & The Mind According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, 1 in 13 Canadians over 65 have Alzheimer’s or a related dementia. As Baby Boomers age, the number of people affected with Alzheimer’s is expected to increase to over ¾ million by 2031. Scientists are furiously looking for causes to the ‘ticking time bomb’ in our brains. What Is Alzheimer’s Disease? Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of dementia, a set of symptoms that includes loss of memory, judgment and reasoning, as well as changes in mood and behaviour. It is a progressive, degenerative disease. At the moment there is no known cause or cure for Alzheimer’s but researchers have discovered that it is not a part of normal aging and it is not caused by hardening of the arteries or stress. Research centers on three areas – family history, the external environment and the internal environment. Balance = Health in The Internal Environment Alzheimer’s may be caused by something within the body - a slow virus, an imbalance of chemicals or a problem with the immune system. Inflammation is the body’s way of defending itself. New research shows that an overactive immune system plays a powerful role in causing central nervous system inflammation and destruction of neurons that transmit and receive signals in the brain. “Putting the immune system into balance is key in reducing inflammation of the brain,” says Lorna Vanderhaeghe, author of Healthy Immunity, Scientifically Proven Natural Treatments for Conditions from A-Z. So What Can Be Done? If inflammation of the brain can induce the destruction of neurons in the brain of someone with Alzheimer’s, then anti-inflammatory agents that cross the blood brain barrier could halt the release of these damaging immune factors and reduce our risk of developing Alzheimer’s or halt the progression of the disease. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that Vitamin E, C, beta-carotene and a general multi-vitamin might help protect people against Alzheimer’s, postponing cognitive and memory decline. Many nutrients can blunt the action of inflammation caused by an overactive immune system –plant sterols and sterolins, Vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids. So as scientists continue their research on the exact causes and a cure for Alzheimer’s, it still is a good idea to look at what they believe may contribute to Alzheimer’s and start your own Alzheimer’s protection program. Lorna Vanderhaeghe is a medical journalist who has been researching and writing on the subject of nutritional medicine for over 20 years. Healthy Immunity is Lorna Vanderhaeghe’s follow-up to her smash hit The Immune System Cure published in six countries and four languages. Based on scientifically proven natural treatments, Healthy Immunity details—in user-friendly terminology—what to do and what not to do in an effort to achieve optimum health and treat over 100 of the most common disease conditions - naturally.