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Shower Your Valentine with Dark Chocolate!

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:19:08 +0000

By Nancy Emerson Lombardo, PhD, Guest Blogger, Creator of the Memory Preservation Nutrition® Program Can chocolate be a brain and body health food? Absolutely! IF you eat it in moderation and IF it is dark chocolate – ideally at least 60-70% cocoa (also referred to as cacao). Think of it this way: the higher the percent of natural cocoa, the higher the health benefit. A recommended daily serving size of dark chocolate is 1.0 oz (28 grams) to 1.6 oz (40 grams) which is 170 to 230 calories/day. To give you a real life comparison, that would be 1/3 to ½ of the typical size of most 60-70% specialty dark chocolate bars, which are typically 3.5 oz. The maximum recommended daily amount noted by some studies is 3.5 oz. BUT this is a lot of calories (550-600) which might cause you to gain weight or fill you up so you’re not eating other healthy foods. Eating too much dark chocolate can erase its health benefits by adding too much saturated fat, sugar and calories to your diet. Bear with me as this blog is going to be full of scientific terms! Chocolate is an extremely complicated topic when it comes to health research, in part because there are so many kinds of chocolate and in part because there are many beliefs and theories about its health benefits. It will take a long time for nutrition and medical science to check them all out! Dark Chocolate’s benefit for the brain is both direct, and indirect through improved heart and blood sugar-related health. Heart health: Clinical research trials suggest that dark chocolate and pure cocoa are as powerful as tea, red wine and berries in enhancing some aspects of heart health. Most of the health benefits from dark chocolate come from the potent antioxidant phytonutrients it contains, namely flavonoid compounds (a type of polyphenol), particularly procyanidins and epicatechin and several other nutrients including stimulants theobromine and caffeine. The flavonoid nutrients promote health by increasing the blood flow in arteries and the heart, lowering blood pressure, lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, improving the health of endothelial cells, and improving blood sugar control. The amount of the important antioxidants decrease by a factor of 10, in descending order, from pure natural cocoa powder (the highest), to unsweetened baking chocolate, dark chocolate, semisweet baking chips, milk chocolate, and finally chocolate syrup (the least). “Dutch (alkali) processed” chocolate, the kind typically used in beverages and pastries, significantly reduced amounts of the healthy antioxidants, so look for undutched or lightly dutched chocolates (which have 40% of original antioxidants). Heavily dutched cocoa/chocolate has only 10% of the original. So-called “white chocolate” is thought to have little to NO health benefits since it has practically NONE of the antioxidants described above, and consists primarily of sugar (55%) and fat (24%) including milk fat. Visit www.healthcareinsights.net for scientific references and descriptions of the different kinds of chocolate, as well as detailed nutritional content of cocoa powder and dark chocolate. Brain health: Cross-sectional studies suggest that regular intake of dark chocolate (about 10 grams/day – about .5 oz) is associated with better cognitive performance in the elderly.

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Cancer Drug Erases Alzheimer’s, Video Explanation

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:30:00 +0000

Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have made a dramatic breakthrough in their efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. This video contains a clear, concise explanation of the research. By Bob DeMarco … The Alzheimer’s Reading Room is the number one source of life news for the entire Alzheimer’s community. Our goal is to Educate, sometimes Entertain, and Empower Alzheimers caregivers and their families worldwide.

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If We Must Choose, Choose Compassion

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:51:00 +0000

If I have to choose when considering what to say, I try to choose with compassion. By Pamela R. Kelley Alzheimer’s Reading Room I was fascinated by the recent article presenting us with the choice, Should A Caregiver Be Truthful or Kind? It seemed like there were a couple of topics embedded within. It seemed like they needed to be dissected before I could really understand what had piqued my interest and the many who commented. The first topic was the practical one – advice on how to deal with the questions our loved ones ask about those who have predeceased them. The comments reveal what a tricky question this can be, from one person to another, or from one moment to another for the single person for whom we give care. Subscribe to the Alzheimer’s Reading Room Email: A related subject emerged in the comments: How do we reference Alzheimer’s Disease itself to the one afflicted, particularly as the disease advances from moderate to advanced stages? I would love to see a stand-alone article about this. The second topic was the ethical one Bob wanted to focus on, the subject of lies. What are deceptions, small and large, that we might engage in as caregivers without disrupting our moral compasses and self-worth? The third topic pertains to perspective, a reminder that we often experience some psychic dizziness as we shift focus from our reality to Alzheimer’s World and back again and yet again. After sustained practice, many of us grow skilled at adopting the ability to consider the world from our loved one’s perspective before speaking or acting. This is not instinctive or intuitive, and it takes practice before we glide naturally into this illuminating point of view. I start from a basic assumption: No matter where each of us stands on our caregiving road we all want to do the best we can to ease the burdens born by our loved ones who have a disease we can’t always understand. My assumption is partly based on the fact that we’ve all turned to The Alzheimer’s Reading Room to some degree, for information or support or suggestions. This seems like a fair assumption. Clearly, we’re not indifferent to the comfort of those who receive our care

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Drug Quickly Reverses Alzheimer’s Symptoms in Mice Video

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:05:00 +0000

Case Western Reserve Researchers Discover FDA-approved Drug Rapidly Clears Amyloid and Erases Alzheimer’s Sumptoms. Alzheimer’s Reading Room Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have made a dramatic breakthrough in their efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. The drug in question, Bexarotene, has been approved for the treatment of cancer by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for more than a decade. Also see, Cancer Drug Erases Alzheimer’s Symptoms in Days More Insight and Advice from the Alzheimer’s Reading Room How Alzheimer’s Spreads Throughout the Brain Test Your Memory for Alzheimer’s (5 Best Self Assessment Tests) What is Alzheimer’s Disease? What is Dementia? What’s the Difference Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Communicating in Alzheimers World How the Loss of Memory Works in Alzheimer’s Disease, and How Understanding This Could Help You Learning How to Communicate with Someone Suffering From Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s World — Trying to Reconnect with Someone Suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease About the Alzheimer’s Reading Room Subscribe to the Alzheimer’s Reading Room Email: Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer’s Reading Room

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Cancer Drug Erases Alzheimer’s Symptoms in Days

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:06:00 +0000

Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have made a dramatic breakthrough in their efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. The drug in question, Bexarotene has been approved for the treatment of cancer by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for more than a decade. Alzheimer’s Reading Room Gary Landreth In the study described below, the cancer drug Bexarotene quickly and dramatically improved brain function and social ability and restored the sense of smell in mice bred with a form of Alzheimer’s disease. Imagine this. Within hours of taking the drug, amyloid plaques began to clear out of the mice’s brains. After three days, more than 50 percent of the Alzheimer’s plaques had disappeared, and the mice regained some of the cognitive and memory functions typically lost in Alzheimer’s disease. How do you get the drug? The drug is approved by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration )for the treatment of skin cancer. As far as approval for the treatment of Alzheimer’s it has a long way to go. The leap from mice to several phases of human clinical trials takes many years. And so far, a long list of promising Alzheimer’s drugs have failed in clinical trials. Subscribe to the Alzheimer’s Reading Room Email: Drug Quickly Reverses Alzheimer’s Symptoms in Mice Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have made a dramatic breakthrough in their efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers’ findings, published in the journal Science , show that use of a drug in mice appears to quickly reverse the pathological, cognitive and memory deficits caused by the onset of Alzheimer’s. The results point to the significant potential that the medication, bexarotene , has to help the roughly 5.4 million Americans suffering from the progressive brain disease. Bexarotene has been approved for the treatment of cancer by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for more than a decade. These experiments explored whether the medication might also be used to help patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and the results were more than promising. Alzheimer’s disease arises in large part from the body’s inability to clear naturally-occurring amyloid beta from the brain

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An Alzheimer’s Valentine

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:27:00 +0000

Like an old photograph, memory can fade away By Tom and Karen Brenner Alzheimer’s Reading Room An Alzheimer’s Valentine We were impossibly young and so beautiful When we met and fell in love. You were the cool guy from the big city I was the shy small town girl. I bring you photographs of those days long ago You look and smile and ask me who those people are. I take your hand. It is warm and strong in mine. You don’t remember me but you know that we belong together. I tell you the stories of those two young people. You listen intently and study their faces And look into my face With wonder in your eyes. I have come to understand that it doesn’t matter That you no longer remember who we were then. It only matters that we can sit and hold hands While I tell you stories of our past. Like an old photograph, memory can fade away But love endures. In the touch of hands, in a smile, In the wonder I see in your eyes. Tom and Karen Brenner are Montessori Gerontologists, researchers, consultants, trainers and writers dedicated to working for culture change in the field of aging. Tom is a gerontologist and has specialized in creating and researching dementia specific training programs. Karen Brenner is a Montessori educator and has specialized in working with children who are deaf or communication disordered. They have been published in magazines and journals both in the US and internationally. Learn more about Tom and Karen at Brenner Pathways Subscribe to the Alzheimer’s Reading Room Email: More Insight and Advice for Caregivers

My Mum

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:34:00 +0000

I sat down and cried, thinking why did this happen to my Mum who I loved so much? She had always been there for me, so now it was me who would be there for her. By Diane Jones My Mum was a lovely lady – happy, always smiling, the slightest thing would make her laugh. Being married to my dad who was a Company Sergeant Major in the Armed Forces, meant that as a family we moved a lot, but my Mum took this all in her stride, being the lady that she was. She had her 3 daughters, and to her, we were her life. My Mum left school very early, and went to work for Moss Bros Tailors. She was very good at her job. She always made sure that her girls came first. Mum started to take in sewing and the more she done, God – she was alight! I can remember her smile, beaming. She loved anything to do with sewing and knitting. Subscribe to the Alzheimer’s Reading Room Email: Oh Lord – the knitted cardigans we had to wear! I can laugh now – even at the pea green trouser suit she made for me which she made we wear! But I loved it as my Mum made it just for me specially. Mum would sew and watch tennis on the TV at the same time. Mum smoked and hardly ever drank, only an occasional Cinzano & Lemonade, other than that it would be a Bitter Lemon. Mum never swore, and God help us if we did! Mum loved her Army family life, and after Dad came out of the Army, they continued moving around a lot. We often used to tease her by saying “Mum, are we a travelling family?”. She would nod her head and say “No love!”

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Can Deep Brain Stimulation Enhance Memory in Alzheimer’s Patients?

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:58:00 +0000

The medial temporal structures, including the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex, are critical for the ability to transform daily experience into lasting memories. Alzheimer’s Reading Room Click Image for Larger View We are certainly getting some interesting research on the brain this past week. This should quiet the naysayers that have somehow concluded that nothing is being done to solve the mysteries of the brain as they relate to Alzheimer’s disease. While the study described below is small, it does raise some intriguing possibilities. The issue could the brain of someone suffering from Alzheimer’s have their brain electronically stimulated in a way that would open the door to recall via the entorhinal cortex. The entorhinal cortex is the doorway to the hippocampus. The entorhinal cortex – hippocampus system plays an important role in memory storage, and in particular spatial memories including memory formation, memory consolidation, and lasting memory. This line of research has interested me for some time. Subscribe to the Alzheimer’s Reading Room Email: UCLA scientists strengthen memory by stimulating key site in brain Mechanism holds potential for improving recall in dementia patients Ever gone to the movies and forgotten where you parked the car? New UCLA research may one day help you improve your memory. UCLA neuroscientists have demonstrated that they can strengthen memory in human patients by stimulating a critical junction in the brain. Published in the Feb. 9 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine , the finding could lead to a new method for boosting memory in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease. The UCLA team focused on a brain site called the entorhinal cortex. Considered the doorway to the hippocampus, which helps form and store memories, the entorhinal cortex plays a crucial role in transforming daily experience into lasting memories. “The entorhinal cortex is the golden gate to the brain’s memory mainframe,” explained senior author Dr. Itzhak Fried, professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “Every visual and sensory experience that we eventually commit to memory funnels through that doorway to the hippocampus.

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“We Can’t Wait”, Immediate Action for Alzheimer’s Disease

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:38:15 +0000

Yesterday, the Obama administration announced new efforts in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease , committing to: -immediately making an additional $50 million available to Alzheimer’s research -boosting Alzheimer’s funding for the 2013 budget by an additional $80 million -adding $26 million in caregiver support, provider education and public awareness funds The President’s announcement is part of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act , calling for a national, coordinated Alzheimer’s disease plan towards preventing and treating Alzheimer’s disease by 2025. Without efforts like these, the United States will face a public health crisis as our aging population increases.

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Should A Caregiver be Truthful or Kind?

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:17:00 +0000

Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret, for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true. — Robert Brault By Bob DeMarco Alzheimer’s Reading Room Recently, I had an interesting and wonderful conversation with Susan Frederickson, the Caregiver Program Specialist, for the Area Agency on Aging of the Permian Basin (Midland, Texas). Susan is full of knowledge and has a deep understanding of Alzheimer’s caregiver life. We talked about a long list of issues that Alzheimer’s caregivers deal with each day, and today I decided to write about “Lies”. About how difficult it can be when a person living with Alzheimer’s asks a question that if answered “truthfully” is likely to cause sadness, confusion, or might be met with challenging behavior. The issue. Is it more important to be truthful and cruel; or more important, to be kind? Subscribe to the Alzheimer’s Reading Room Email: It is easy for me to understand why an Alzheimer’s caregivers feels the need to tell the truth to someone living with Alzheimer’s even if the truth can be hurtful. After all who wants to be known as a liar? Persons who lie after often considered to be deceitful, untrustworthy, and are usually “looked down on”. Most people pride themselves on being honest, and for being known to be honest. To tell the truth or lie for the sake of the person living with dementia, this is a dilemma for many