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Maegan Mendoza

Will Your Future Brain Thank You?: Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease and its Prevention

Many believe that Alzheimer’s disease is a disease that is hereditary, a disease that one may simply acquire. Many may also think “This disease will never get me” Well many are wrong and miss construed. Alzheimer’s does not raid the brain of those of a specific age or gender. All children, youth and adults are at risk and I hope that this essay will serve as an eye opener to everyone.

With Alzheimer’s disease being the 6th leading cause of death in the United States, affecting more than breast and prostate cancer combined, it is very imperative to understand what can be done to prevent this disease. One way to keep Alzheimer’s disease away is by protecting your brain from the memory destroying monsters, by being aware of the various ways to protect the brain. Before trying to get this generation to understand how to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, it is very important to inform them about what Alzheimer’s disease is and how it effects the brain. Doing this will establish the foundation to understanding Alzheimer’s Disease prevention. After this is established, I think it is very critical to bust some of the most common myths about Alzheimer’s disease. Lastly, I will be informing this generation on how to protect the brain through the consumption of saturated fats, trans fats, consumption of plant based foods, vitamins and B12 supplements. Another critical factor is understanding how other organs or body systems can decrease or enhance Alzheimer’s disease occurrence. Rather than taking this essay as something that condemns you, use it as an opportunity to self-evaluate yourself. As you are reading ask yourself, Will my Future Brain Thank me?

Understanding the Memory keepers

These images show an MRI of a patient with Alzheimer’s Disease. Notice how large the ventricles are, this is due to the increase in fluid absorption in the body.

I currently do research at the Bryd institute on campus and much of what I will be describing is slides and mice brain scans that I have been able to see. The way the brain functions has always been very interesting to me. I am very excited to be able to incorporate my lab experience in this section as well as my research. I hope that I am able to convey this information as simple and engaging as possible.

The brain is the most complex organ in the body, and understanding how it functions is very important. First, oxygen needs to be provided so that our cells can respond and interact with other cells and enzymes in the brain. Oxygen also needs to be provided in order for cells to communicate, regrow and provide signaling. Plaques and tangles are the biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease. I have recently seen plaques and tangles appear as purple clusters in sides, which looks pretty cool (I have provided the image below). Plaques are proteins that extend from all neurons in our brain. These plaques become an issue when they are snipped from the neuron by enzymes. At this point, these proteins are now protein fragments that are very sticky, they now clump to other fragments that have been snipped by enzymes and cause clusters in the brain.

Research shows that plaques and tangles begin in the areas of the brain that are responsible for thinking and memory. This in turn affects speaking and understanding speech, as well as affects the way we sense objects around us.

My Lab Experience

The clumping of plaque creates clusters in the brain that begin to inhibit brain function. Once we diagnose our mice in the lab with Alzheimer’s disease we are able to pinpoint when plaques will begin to accumulate and inhibit brain function. The mice go from being able to run the maze with their eyes closed due to their excellent memory to not being able to remember the path of the maze at all.

These plaques begin to build between the communication centers of neurons, disturbing the signaling between cells. This also activates the immune cells, signaling them to destroy the defective cells. In addition, this is why the brain in Alzheimer’s diseased patients appears to be very small and shriveled. This is due to the activation of immune cells that destroy the defected ones. Image number 2 below shows the difference between a regular brain and an Alzheimer’s brain.

Image 1: My Lab Experience

This image to the left is a picture of one of my mice brain slides from the lab. This image clearly shows the clumps and clusters of plaques and tangles. Very pretty, I know.

Image 2:

This image shows the atrophy or brain deterioration that occurs in the brain due to cell death. This also activates the brains defense mechanisms and causes the brain to retain liquid, which is explained by the large ventricles shown in the bottom left image.

The Tangled Tangles

In addition, tangles also known as neurofibrillary tangles appear inside neurons. Inside the neurons is a structure often known as the railroad tracks or microtubules of the cell. These microtubules guide nutrients from the cell body to the end of the cell or to other cells. This is how the cells communicate. Tau is used to stabilize the tracks within the cell. Tau in the image on the left is shown as the vertical lines that are used to support the microtubules, which are the horizontal lines.

Tau The Memory Destroyers

In the brain of an Alzheimer’s diseased patient theses tau proteins that are used to support the railroad begin to clump together and break, this destroys the railroad tracks. Since these tracks are now destroyed nutrients can no longer get to the correct location.

Cell death now begins in a circular motion around the brain. The clumps of Tau begin to accumulate in the hippocampus area, which is where new memory is stored. Cell death then moves to the front of the brain or the temporal lobe, second is the parietal lobe and lastly the occipital lobe. The occipital lobe is the lobe that contains old memories. Since this is the last location to experience cell death, patients that have advanced Alzheimer’s disease are still able to retrieve information from that area. For example if the patient sang or played instruments they will still be able to play or sing. Which is super amazing.

It is important to understand what Alzheimer’s disease is and how it affects the brain before beginning to understand how this disease can be prevented. I think that a way I can go about helping this generation become more educated about this disease is by first clarifying the most common myths.

Myth Busting

I think that it is very important to first learn the most common myths and research why they are not true before learning about how to prevent the disease. Since Alzheimer’s disease has no known cure and many things are still unclear to scientist, it is very easy to make assumptions. Below I will be stating the most common myths then state why they are not true using supporting evidence.

1. Memory loss is natural and it occurs when we age.

  • Yes this is true. Memory loss does occur in old age, but the amount of memory loss that is experienced by a patient with Alzheimer’s disease is far beyond normal. Alzheimer’s disease patients do not simply lose their keys once in a while or forget where they parked the morning before. What Alzheimer’s disease patients do experience is frequent hallucinations, identity loss, constant confusion, inability to recognize faces, recall words or even recent memories.

2. Alzheimer’s Disease is not fatal.

3. Only older people can get Alzheimer’s disease.

4. Flu shots increase the risks of Alzheimer’s disease.

Now that I have helped clarify that Alzheimer’s disease is indeed fatal, flue shots can actually help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, and not only older people are able to get Alzheimer’s disease, it is time to learn about how Alzheimer’s disease can be prevented by discussing the 6 pillars of a healthy brain.

Understanding the 6 pillars

It is very important to be aware of the things that can be done to prevent this disease. The youngest person that is known to have Alzheimer’s disease is 31 years old. This should tell us that no one is exempt from being diagnosed with this disease. If we think of the brain as an engine and the 6 pillars being the fuel, I think it will help our generation understand how very important it is for our brains to constantly be involved in these things. Unlike many diseases, Alzheimer’s disease is not genetic; however, factors such as diet and exercise can affect the occurrence of the disease.

Recent research has shown that those who participate in brain exercises, which includes crossword puzzles, reading, writing and riddles have shown to have better memory, reasoning and speed of processing. I am also in the cognitive aging lab at the University and we are currently conducting a study that involves participants either playing the piano or participating in online brain games two days a week for 16 weeks. It has been found that brain games enhance the functional abilities of older adults as well as positively affects their ability to balance a checkbook, cook, and their speed of processing. This has been shown to improve their overall quality of life by improving their cognition, this is why I am such an advocate for brain fitness programs.

(Alzheimer’s Prevention)

There are 6 simple things can be done to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. They are known as the 6 pillars to a healthy brain. They include obtaining a social life, stress management practices, mental stimulation, having a healthy diet, and participating in regular exercise. Although vitamins and many other pills can help in brain and organ function they will not have the full benefit that these 6 pillars will have.

Having a Social Life is Very Important

Having a social life is very important to have for all generations. Our brain functions best when we communicate and interact with others. Many think that having a social life is not needed in the prevention process, but it very much is. Communication stimulates our brains and causes it to respond. When we communicate we are encoding, transmitting, receiving and formulating a message. Since we do this naturally, many are unaware of its effects. However, this keeps our brains active and continuously working. If you don’t use it you’ll lose it, as an engine that hasn’t been used. Wee should all consider physical activities that will be socially engaging, such as walking with a friend, taking a dance class, joining an exercise group or golfing. Volunteering, joining clubs, speaking on the phone and weekly lunch dates are great ways to maintain a social life as well as staying involved in the community.

Research shows that staying involved in the community and maintaining communication with others decreases the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease by half.

Being Aware of Your Stress Levels

Those who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in the past were found to have elevated cortisol levels in the brain due to stress. Therefore, It is very important to keep stress levels to a minimum. The main organ that is affected when stress levels are high is the brain. High stress levels causes a chemical imbalance in the body and in the brain. When chemicals are not balanced in the body they cause diseases. This is due to homeostatic balances. The body works extra hard trying to balance chemicals and often causing many diseases as a byproduct. It is important to meditate and practice breathing exercises during stressful times. Scheduling times for relaxation and daily activities is vital in order to keep stress levels low.

A study has also shown that people with stressful lives are around 2–3 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than others. Stress reduction, combined with a healthy lifestyle and diet will help people avoid Alzheimer’s disease.

The Heart-Brain Connection

There are many diseases such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, which also increases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Many autopsy studies show that as many as 80 percent of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease also have cardiovascular disease. Therefore, eating fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamins and antioxidants supports both the brain and heart.

Keep your heart healthy to help keep your brain healthy. Growing evidence suggests that many factors that increase the risk of heart disease also may increase the risk of dementia. These factors include smoking, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Brain Exercise is Key

Keeping busy with brain games is also a great way to keep the brain stimulated and at work. Brain activities such as battleship from brain HQ and posit science are great sites to use to work the brain out.

In addition, according to the Archives of Neurology, brain exercises, like playing Sudoku or crossword puzzles that are found in the morning paper, have been shown to help improve not only intelligence, but also help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Make Your Diet the MIND Diet

In addition to brain games, healthy diets are also very important in preventing Alzheimer’s disease. Many diets promote weight loss, but aren’t as brain-healthy as people think. Different diets such as the Mediterranean diet, which promotes eating high-fiber foods that are low in carbohydrates are not brain-healthy or cardiovascular healthy. Other diets such as the Atkins diet, which insists on the consumption of an extremely low carb, sugar count and a high protein count will deprive the brain of many necessary nutrients. Juicing is a great way to include all of the necessary nutrients, which may include, spinach, bananas, grapes and cranberry juice. Good diets are those that allow a balanced amount of veggies, fruits, protein and carbs. You have to think to eat to protect your glial cells, which are cells that protect and support brain function. Consuming tea and omega-3 fatty acids are great glial cell protection.

Research from the 1st book I read suggested that getting plenty of omega-3 fats. Evidence suggests that the DHA found in omega-3 fatty acids helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by reducing beta-amyloid plaques.

Protect Your Brain By Working Out

In conjunction with brain activities and healthy eating, regular workouts are very helpful as well. Aiming for at least 150 minutes each week of cardio and light weight lifting has been shown to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Working out causes more oxygen to be sent to the brain, which causes the brain cells to work more effectively. This is great for the neurons and cells in the brain since they live off of oxygen. Regular workouts also helps maintain balance and promotes a stable and solid sleep cycle. Exercise helps with balance, which in turn decreases the number of falls that occur per year.

Be aware of Saturated and Trans fats

Natural fats that come from food is superb for the brain. The brain relies on natural fats in order to support cell growth and maintain healthy cell membranes. The consumption of natural fats allows the cells to communicate as effectively as possible, which increases their strength and lifespan and decreases the occurrence of being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Saturated and trans fats cause cellular destruction, which can cause memory loss and can also increase inflammation in the brain. Inflammation in the brain decreases the production of omega-3 fatty acids, which supports brain and cell function. In addition, high consumption of saturated and trans fats also decreases serotonin levels in the brain, serotonin is a neurotransmitter or a chemical that is responsible for balancing our moods. Serotonin levels are directly proportional to depression and stress, which can cause damage to brain cells and will increase memory loss.

Lastly foods that contain natural fats include egg yolks, coconuts, olive oils and coconut oils. It is imperative that children, adults and the elderly check food labels for these fats. A study that was conducted on memory loss and fat consumption found that the intake of increased fried and processed foods contributes to the shrinkage of the brain which results in a decline in cognition.

Consume more plant based foods

The human brain is composed of 60 percent fat, which plays a very critical role in cell and neurological function. It is important that plant-based fats are consumed rather than trans and saturated fats because they optimize cell function. Its smarter to lean towards the unprocessed, unrefined, non animal sources or fats. They not only contain more nutrients, but they are also much easier for the body to digest and absorb.

Trans and saturated fats increase inflammation while plant-based foods reduce-inflammation. Plant-based foods prevent the hardening of arteries and relieves pain and soreness throughout the body. They also boost serotonin levels, this helps prevent depression, anxiety and also allows people to experience increased REM sleep or deep sleep. In addition, nuts, seeds, olives and avocados also play an important role in preventing Alzheimer’s disease due to their plant-based fat ingredient. Research from the 2nd book I read stated that these fats help with memory and learning by fueling neurotransmitters or chemicals in the brain that are responsible for communication, such as acetylcholine.

Vitamin B-12 Consumption

Vitamin B-12 has special effects on brain cell functions. Vitamin B-12 is responsible for the development of nerve and brain cells. It is also responsible for the myelin sheets that cover nerve cells, which is responsible for the communication between cells. This vitamin nourishes the myelin sheets and allows optimal communication in the brain. Deficiency of vitamin B12 can have many harmful effects, including brain inflammation, which is responsible for cell death. Those who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are found to have a deficiency in vitamin B12, which also causes brain atrophy or brain shrinkage due to dead brain cells. In addition, this vitamin can be found in fish, some diary products and shellfish. It is recommended that people over the age of 65 take vitamin B-12 supplements because they have a harder time absorbing this vitamin. Those that are under the age of 65 do not usually have difficultly with the absorption but may consume the supplement.

Research from the 3rd book I read called Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease stated that vitamins that contain antioxidants are also very important in preventing Alzheimer’s disease. These vitamins are beta-carotene, vitamin C and E, these vitamins fight off free radicals in the body. Free radicals are highly energized unstable molecules which can cause severe damage to the body and the brain.

To wrap this up…..

Alzheimer’s disease is currently the number 6th leading cause of death in the United States with someone developing Alzheimer’s disease every 66 seconds. I hope that I have been able to bring awareness as to why it is very critical to become more educated about the prevention process. Not only will the foods or vitamins that we consume help prevent this disease but understanding that being active and being social also accounts for a huge portion of it. I also hope that I have been able to establish a solid foundation as to what Alzheimer’s is, the common myths and also factors that will help prevent this disease. One of my goals was to open the eyes of all generations about this disease, by knocking out the idea that “Only Grandpa and Grandma can get it”. No race, age or gender is excluded. All should be aware and educated about this disease because it is developing in people of all ages by the second. Now I must ask this self-examining question, Will Your Future Brain Thank You??