Ever since Alzheimer’s was discovered more than a hundred years ago in 1906 (though this is subject to discussion), the medical community has been trying to find ways to cure it. To date, there is no known cure for the disease but there are a lot of breakthroughs occurring in the field of research. One such breakthrough is the discovery of the potential of vitamin B3 to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. In lab trials, researchers infused mice with high doses of the vitamin and they found out that it had positive effects in retarding the disease. Now, they are ready to try the vitamin on humans. The Guardian has this report: A vitamin pill that could slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease is to enter human trials after scientists found it protected animals ...

I have been trying to focus on Alzheimer’s Disease for this month’s blog posts in an effort to join the activities of the Alzheimer’s Disease month. However, an incident this morning has prompted me to write something that is off topic. Indulge me, will you? :) So anyway, I was making lunch – pan fried slabs of yellow fin tuna. This stuff is really good, especially if you get the fish fresh from the market. So there I was happily pan frying the slabs when I lost my grip on one as I was turning it. unfortunately, some of the hot oil splashed on my left hand, burning the length of my index finger. I immediately ran cold water over the burn as it hurt like anything and was quickly turning an angry red. After ...

I once heard that any ailment can be cured by something that can be found in nature. Now I do not know if there is any truth to this but it does seem that there are many things from nature that can benefit us humans health-wise. As for Alzheimer’s, researchers have not yet found the main reason nor a cure for it. However, there are a lot of findings that just might help in preventing or alleviating the disease. I recently read a study about grape seeds having the potential to combat Alzheimer’s Disease. This study was conducted by a team of researchers from the Flinders University in Australia. The basic idea of the study was to use grape seed extract to see what it would do to help boost brain function. ...

So now we know that there is no known cause for Alzheimer’s Disease. Just like other conditions, however, researchers have learned about risk factors, or things that may increase one’s risk of developing the disease. Let us take a look at some of these. Age This is the greatest known risk factor. As one ages, the risk for Alzheimer’s Disease increases as well. As I mentioned in my previous post, most people who have the condition are 65 years and above. In fact, the chances of a person getting Alzheimer’s doubles every 5 years after the age of 65. Genetics and family history The chances of getting Alzheimer’s are higher if there is someone in the family who has (or had) the condition. The genes also matter a lot – there are some genes that have ...

When most people think "health" they think in terms of heart, muscle and fat.   However, one of the most important parts of our body often gets neglected:  the brain. The good news is that the health of our brain often is impacted by the very same things that affect our bodies:  the food we eat, exercise, etc.  But our brains are also different:  they get exercised through mental activities as well.  So it is important keep your brain healthy in both ways. Here are 10 tips to keep your brain healthy and minimize headaches:

As with every other disease that we know about, we want to know the exact cause (or causes) of Alzheimer’s. This knowledge would probably lead to the cure for the disease. At this point, however, the medical community does not know exactly what causes Alzheimer’s. In the course of their studies, though, researchers have discovered some significant things. They have discovered that Alzheimer’s: -is not a part of the normal aging process -is not gender specific – it affects both men and women -is a disease that affects mostly old people; majority of the cases involve people over 65 years old -is not related to the hardening of the arteries -is not caused by stress. I suppose that the last two points can come as a relief to some people but the others do not really give much information as to ...

If October was the month for breast cancer awareness, November is the month for Alzheimer’s Disease awareness. A lot of people know about this disease, or at least have heard about it. But what do you really know about it? I tried asking different people what they know about Alzheimer’s and I got different answers. Most of them – from young to old – have an idea of what Alzheimer’s is all about and the general consensus is that is has something to do with the brain and memory. This is true but let’s go into the details a little more. Alzheimer’s Disease is described by MSN Health as: Alzheimer's disease damages the brain. It causes a steady loss of memory and how well you can speak, think, and carry on daily activities. Alzheimer's disease always gets ...

One of the things that I miss most living in the city (as opposed to the suburbs or the country) is having a park or field to go to for relaxation. I am sure that I am not the only person who thinks in this way. In fact, even city officials recognize the need for some greenery in their cities. Here is an added incentive for this – a study has shown that parks help narrow the health gap between the rich and the poor. Richard Mitchell from the University of Glasgow, together with his co-researchers, released their findings recently. CBC News Canada ran this feature story: Green spaces like parks and forests help narrow health gaps between the rich and poor living in cities, say researchers who are urging urban planners to invest in ...