E-Book

ALZHEIMERS

By
Tamarapu Sampath Kumaran

About the Author:

Mr T Sampath Kumaran is a freelance writer. He regularly contributes articles on

Management, Business, Ancient Temples, and Temple Architecture to many
leading Dailies and Magazines. His articles are, popular in The Young World
section of THE HINDU
His e-books and articles on nature, and different cultures of people around the
world are educative and of special interest to the young.
He was associated in the production of two Documentary films on Nava Tirupathi
Temples, and Tirukkurungudi Temple in Tamilnadu.

Acknowledgement to:
Google for the photographs and Scribd.com for hosting my e-books.
- Tamarapu Sampath Kumaran

Alzheimer's:
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss
and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life.
Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases.
Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest known risk factor is
increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer's are 65 and older. But
Alzheimer's is not just a disease of old age. Alzheimers is also not hereditary, as
generally being considered in the society.
Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen
over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage
Alzheimer's, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to
their environment.
Although current Alzheimer's treatments cannot stop Alzheimer's from
progressing, they can temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and
improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer's and their caregivers.
Just like the rest of our bodies, our brains change as we age. Most of us eventually
notice some slowed thinking and occasional problems with remembering certain
things. However, serious memory loss, confusion and other major changes in the
way our minds work may be a sign that brain cells are failing.
The most common early symptom of Alzheimer's is difficulty remembering newly
learned information, because Alzheimer's changes typically begin in the part of the
brain that affects learning. As Alzheimer's advances through the brain it leads to
increasingly severe symptoms, including disorientation, mood and behavior
changes; deepening confusion about events, time and place; unfounded suspicions
about family, friends and professional caregivers; more serious memory loss and
behavior changes; and difficulty speaking, swallowing and walking.
People with memory loss or other possible signs of Alzheimers may find it hard to
recognize they have a problem. Signs of dementia may be more obvious to family
members or friends.
Today's modern life style has influenced the human brain to a great extent. Busy
schedules and hectic work has resulted in our memory power becoming weakened.

Our brain has three parts. There are the conscious, subconscious and unconscious
aspects of mind. All three forms are associated with memory. The conscious mind
is the part of contemporary memory. The subconscious mind is related to those
memories which can be remembered with great difficulty. The memories, which
have been forgotten and the person is unable to recollect in spite of his best efforts
are included in the unconscious mind. The memories and incidents which are a part
of this mind sometimes appear in the form of dreams or a rare incident.
The health of our brain, like the health of our body, depends on many factors.
While some factors, such as the genes, are out of our control, many powerful
lifestyle factors are within our sphere of influence.
The six pillars of a brain-healthy lifestyle are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Regular exercise
Healthy diet
Mental stimulation
Quality sleep
Stress management
An active social life

The more one strengthen each of the six pillars in ones daily life, the healthier and
hardier the brain will be. When one leads a brain-healthy lifestyle, the brain will
stay working stronger and longer.

Regular Exercise:
Walking, swimming, or any other activity that gets your heart rate up. Even routine
activities such as gardening, cleaning, or doing laundry count as exercise. At least
30 minutes of aerobic exercise, is to be practiced five times per week.
Build muscle to pump up your brain, by doing moderate levels of weight and
resistance training which will increase muscle mass, and help maintain brain
health. Combining aerobics and strength training is better than either activity alone.
For those over 65, adding 2-3 strength sessions to your weekly routine may cut
your risk of Alzheimers in half.
Balance and coordination exercises can help you stay agile and avoid spills, which
in turn increase your risk for Alzheimers disease and dementia. Try yoga, Tai Chi,
or exercises using balance discs or balance balls.

Studies suggest that head trauma at any point in life significantly increases your
risk of Alzheimers disease. This includes repeated hits in sports activities such as
football, soccer, and boxing, or one-time injuries from a bicycle, skating, or
motorcycle accident. Protect your brain by wearing properly fitting sports helmets.

Healthy Diet:
Eating a heart-healthy diet rich in fish, nuts, whole grains, olive oil, and abundant
fresh produce. Treat yourself to the occasional square of dark chocolate. Daily
servings of berries and green leafy vegetables should be part of your brainprotective. It's clear that people eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables have
fewer age-related diseases like Alzheimer's. Eating more high-antioxidant foods
such as berries, Concord grapes, and walnuts may enhance cognitive and motor
function in older people
Reduce your consumption by avoiding full-fat dairy products, red meat, fast food,
fried foods, and packaged and processed foods. By reducing your risk of heart
disease, you also lower your risk of Alzheimers disease.
Evidence suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent Alzheimers disease
and dementia.
Eating at regular intervals helps to maintain consistent blood sugar levels. Also
avoid refined carbohydrates high in sugar and white flour, which rapidly spike
glucose levels and inflame your brain.
Regular consumption of green tea may enhance memory and mental alertness and
slow brain aging. Although not as powerful as tea, coffee also confers brain
benefits.
Overeating is a risk factor for many age-related diseases including cognitive
impairment.
Experimental models of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's
disease and stroke show that dietary restriction (reduced calorie intake) can beef up
the resistance of neurons in the brain to dysfunction and death.
Dietary restriction stimulates the expression of 'stress proteins' and neurotrophic
factors. Neurotrophic factors may protect neurons by increasing production of
proteins that suppress oxidation and free radicals.

In addition, dietary restriction increases the number of newly-generated neural

cells in the adult brain. In other words, it may increase the brain's capacity for
plasticity and self-repair.
Food which contain vitamins that are found necessary for the brain are to be
included in our diet:
Vitamin B -1: It is necessary for the brain. The main sources are-sprouted cereals,
green-leafy vegetables and groundnuts.
Vitamin B-2: This is also very important for the brain and is found in milk, cheese,
green vegetables, tomato and apricot.
Vitamin B-6: The brain needs this vitamin and is mainly found in whole grains,
yeast, dried beans, potato, fruits, and green vegetables.
Vitamin B-12: It is very important for the proper functioning of the brain. Its main
sources are milk, curd and cheese.
Vitamin-C: It keeps the brain healthy and the main sources of this vitamin are
tomato, melons, lime, green leafy vegetables, cabbage, strawberry, and turnip.
Vitamin-E: It gives strength to the brain and the main sources of this vitamin are
tomato, dried beans, pulses, grains, spinach, and green vegetables.
Mineral Salts are also very Important:
1. Calcium keeps the brain healthy and is mainly found in beans, grains, and
pulses.
2. Our brain requires sodium and can be obtained from pulses, cheese. It is
normally found in all the edible items and common salt is also sodium.
3. Our brain also requires iron, which is found in green vegetables, pulses, beans,
groundnuts etc.
4. Potassium also strengthens the body and pulses, green leafy vegetables, beans,
cereals, milk, fruits especially banana and orange are good source of potassium.

5. Zinc keeps the brain in proper condition and can be obtained from beans,
cereals, and pulses. These items should be included in our daily diet.
6. Magnesium strengthens the mind. It is found in soya beans milk, green
vegetables, pulses, well water etc.
7. Fluoride gives the brain the ability to think and understand. Fluoride is found in
tea, coffee, soya bean and drinking water.
8. Copper is very essential for the brain and the best sources are cereals,
mushroom, green peas, beans etc.
9. Selenium refreshes the mind and makes it strong. Selenium is found in whole
grains, milk, cheese, vegetables etc.

Mental stimulation:
Activities involving multiple tasks or requiring communication, interaction, and
organization offer the greatest protection. Set aside time each day to stimulate your
brain. Cross-training with these brain-boosting activities will help keep you
mentally sharp:
Learn something new. Read the newspaper or a good book, practice a musical
instrument, or take up a new hobby. The greater the novelty and challenge, the
larger the deposit in your brain reserves.
Practice memorization: Start with something short, progressing to something a
little more involved, such as the scriptures, meditation slokas, music. Create
rhymes and patterns to strengthen your memory connections.
Brain teasers and strategy games provide a great mental workout and build your
capacity to form and retain cognitive associations. Do a crossword puzzle, play
board games or cards, or work word and number games, such as Scrabble or
Sudoku.
Follow the road less traveled, Take a new route, eat with your non-dominant hand,
rearrange, the computer file system. Vary your habits regularly to create new brain
pathways.

Quality Sleep:
Your brain needs regular, restful sleep in order to function at optimum capacity.
Establish a regular sleep schedule. Going to bed and getting up at the same time
reinforces your natural circadian rhythms. Your brains clock responds to
regularity.
Create a relaxing bedtime ritual. Take a hot bath, do some light stretches, write in
your journal, or dim the lights. As it becomes habit, your nightly ritual will send a
powerful signal to your brain that its time for deep restorative sleep.

Stress Management:
Stress that is chronic or severe takes a heavy toll on the brain, leading to shrinkage
in a key memory area of the brain known as the hippocampus, hampering nerve
cell growth, and increasing your risk of Alzheimers disease and dementia. Yet
simple daily tools can minimize its harmful effects.
When stress, anxiety, or negative internal dialogues keep you awake, get out of
bed. Try reading or relaxing in another room for twenty minutes then hop back in.
Stress alters your breathing rate and impacts oxygen levels in the brain. Quiet your
stress response with deep, abdominal breathing. Restorative breathing is powerful,
simple, and free!
Regular meditation, prayer, reflection, and religious practice may immunize you
against the damaging effects of stress.

Active Social Life:

Human beings are highly social creatures. We dont thrive in isolation, and neither
do our brains. Studies show that the more connected we are, the better we fare on
tests of memory and cognition. Staying socially active may even protect against
Alzheimers disease and dementia. Hence we should make social life a priority.
Oftentimes, we become more isolated as we get older, but there are many ways to
keep your support system strong and develop new relationships.

Volunteer / Join a club or social group

Visit your local community center or senior center

Take group classes (such as at the gym or a community college)

Reach out over the phone or email

Connect to others via social networks such as Facebook
Get to know your neighbours.
Make a weekly date with friends

Commit to spending quality time together on a regular basis. Even during

very busy and stressful times, a few minutes of really sharing and connecting
can help keep bonds strong.
Doing new things together can be a fun way to connect and keep things
interesting. It can be as simple as trying a new restaurant or going on a day
trip to a place youve never been before.

Ayurveda has the cure for all disease. It is a complete and approved system of
medication. The medicines made out of rasa (essence), bark, fruit, and leaves of
different plants may appear to be useless, but they have the capacity to cure many
incurable diseases.
According to Ayurveda, consuming 240 mg to 500 mg of Brahmi powder with
milk every morning is very beneficial. It also increases the memory power.
Ayurvedic scriptures like Charaka and Sushruta say that consuming 3 gm of green
vegetable soup (made form Brahmi) increases the memory power. Brahmi leaves
are tasty just like the tamarind leaves.
Bhav Prakash includes the importance of Shankhpushpi for good memory.
Consuming 3 to 6 gm of Shankhpushpi powder with milk is extremely beneficial
for increasing memory. It also plays an important role in improving the functioning
of the brain and its overall development.
According to Beshajya Ratnavali a famous Ayurvedic literature, regular
consumption of Brahmi, Shankhpushpi, almond, etc. strengthen the brain cells and
provide coolness to the brain. They are helpful in improving memory power and
curing nervous related problems.
An Ayurvedic literature called Chikitsa says that almond and sugar candy 'Halava'

(sweet dish) is very healthy to strengthen the brain cells and improve the memory
power.
Add one gram of black pepper in ten grams of honey and consume this mixture
twice a day. This combination is very beneficial for increasing the memory power,
improves eyesight and stops premature graying of hair.
A Greek literature 'Ijajul Gruba' mentions that consuming fiber in right quantity is
extremely beneficial. Almond and pomegranate squash are very useful sources of
fiber food. Whichever squash suits the body, should be taken regularly in the
summer season.
Ayurvedic books have paid utmost attention to massage. Massaging the feet and
head with rapeseed oil is beneficial in improving the memory power. Regular
massage of the head increases the blood flow and also improves the memory
power. It also relieves headache and improves the eyesight.
A simple tip can improve your memory power many times. When you go to bed,
lie down straight, close your eyes and memorize all the activities, which you did
throughout the day from morning to evening. Practice this tip every day and you
will notice that the memory power has improved to a great extent.
People who sleep with their head towards the East or South direction have very
good memory power.
According to Guru Pushya Yoga one should always keep Apamarg herb, this
increases the memory power.