Diseased Conditions of the Brain by Steven Horne
As of 2008, there were about 30 million people in the world suffering from dementia. The most common and well-known form of dementia is Alzhiemer’s disease, which accounts for about 50% of the cases among Caucasion people.
Alzhiemer’s affects over five million people in America. Thirteen percent of people over 65 have it and half of all people over 85 suffer from this disease.
Furthermore, the number of people suffering from brain-destroying illnesses is increasing world-wide, especially in developing countries. This shows that these diseases aren’t natural by-products of aging, but problems brought on by the toxins in modern industrial society.
Dementia is caused by damage to brain cells. Alzheimer’s involves a destruction of neurons that produce acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter associated with memory. Parkinson’s is associated with the destruction of neurons that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in co-ordination.
All of these disorders are very difficult to treat once they have started because it’s not easy to rebuild damaged brain cells. It isn't impossible; it's just extremely difficult. So, it’s much wiser to keep your mind in the first place rather than have to hunt for it after you lose it.
Don’t Poison Your Brain
Some years ago there was a commercial where some eggs were dropped into a hot frying pan. Showing the eggs the narrator said, "This is your brain." As the eggs were dropped into the frying pan, he said, "This is your brain on drugs." It was an effective message.
However, drugs aren't the only thing that can "fry" your brain. You see any toxin or irritant that sets up an inflammatory response in your brain is going to "fry" it. That's basically what happens in diseases like Alzhiemer's and Parkinson's. The oxidative damage from the inflammation "burns up" your brain cells.
Besides drugs, alcohol is very good at doing this. So, if you want to avoid "burning out" your brain it's wise to minimize the consumption of alcohol (or not drink at all). But the commercial could have also said, "This is your brain on toxic chemicals," because there are also many environmental toxins that "fry" your brain cells.
Toxins That "Waste" Your Mind
When it comes to damaging your brain, heavy metals, such as mercury, aluminium and lead, are the first big concern, followed by petrochemical solvents such as paint, gasoline, dry cleaning and carpet cleaning solutions and spot removers. The combination of both is particularly deadly to your brain cells.
Lead and mercury are both known to cause retardation and mental deterioration. The “mad hatter” in Lewis Carrol’s famous Alice in Wonderland story (who was played by Johnny Depp in a recent Hollywood movie) was mad (or insane) from exposure to mercury. In Lewis Carrol’s day hatters (men who made hats) often went crazy from the mercury used in making the hats.
Mercury can be introduced from many sources, including fungicides, pesticides, dental fillings, contaminated seafoods, thermometers and a host of products, including various cosmetics, fabric softeners, inks, tattoo ink, latex, medications, paints, plastics, polishes, solvents and wood preservatives. If you have “silver” dental fillings, they are actually mostly mercury, so get them removed by a competent dentist. Amalgam fillings are a major source of mercury poisoning.
Some scholars believe that the fall of the Roman empire may have been due to the use of lead pipes to carry water for the upper class. This exposure to lead basically destroyed the brains of the ruling elite. Lead isn’t as big a problem as it used to be, but it is still a concern. For instance, if you have an older home, you may have lead-based paint which needs to be removed.
High levels of aluminium have been found in the brains of Alzhiemer’s patients and while this has not been established as a cause of the disease, it’s still wise to avoid exposure to aluminium. Don’t use aluminium cookware, unless it’s stainless steel cookware with an aluminium core. In particular, don’t cook acidic foods, like tomatoes, in aluminium. It’s also wise to avoid antiacids and antiperspirant deodorants that contain aluminium.
"Cleaning Up" Your Mind
Having a "clean mind" isn't just about having good thoughts. You also have to clean up the chemical toxins that can "get into your head."
Heavy Metal Detox is a good formula for helping to get heavy metals out of the body. Take one to two capsules per day along with about six to eight capsules of Spirulina (a water soluble fiber that absorbs heavy metals). Oral Chelation( see Chelation) with MC and Chinese Mineral Chi Tonic is also helpful for getting rid of heavy metals and has slowed the progress of many cases of Alzheimer’s and dementia. In some cases it may even produce some cognitive improvement.
Petrochemical solvents are a problem for the brain because they dissolve oils and fats. Since the brain is 50% fat (by dry weight), these chemicals are particularly damaging to the nervous system. Combined with heavy metals, they act as a carrier to transport the heavy metals through the fatty membranes of the cell. This sometime happens with vaccines, which usually contain both heavy metals and solvents.
Good fats such as Super Omega 3 or Super Oil and liver detoxifiers like Milk Thistle Combination and Enviro-Detox can help rid the body of these chemicals and protect your mind. They work best when taken with plenty of water and a fiber supplement like Psyllium Hulls.
Cooling the "Fire" in Your Brain
As we previously indicated, toxins promote inflammatory responses that lead to oxidative damage to tissues. An increasing body of evidence implicates most problems associated with aging to inflammation and oxidative stress, including deteriorating mental conditions.
The brain is particularly sensitive to damage from inflammation and free radicals, so one way to keep your mind from being burning out and becoming “fried” by toxins is to eat plenty of antioxidant-rich fresh fruits and vegetables, organically-grown where possible. Most experts recommend 5-9 servings of these health-protecting foods every day.
When we can’t get adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables, Zambroza is a convenient, easy and tasty way to get more antioxidants into the diet. Zambroza is a blend of fruit juices and other botanical ingredients that are rich in naturally occurring antioxidants including polyphenols, flavonoids, xanthones and vitamin C. This powerful formula also reduces inflammation, relieves pain and enhances energy production.
Another way to combat inflammation and reduce free radical damage is to take Super Trio. This convenient nutritional packet contains Super Supplemental, a quality multivitamin and mineral supplement, Super ORAC, a powerful antioxidant formula and Super Omega-3. Besides being part of brain structure, Omega-3 essential fatty acids help control chronic inflammation.
