Why do we hear about so many Alzheimer's and Dementia cases now?

This thread is fascinating to me... am learning a lot... recently was told there is a new test to see if you had dementia or Alz... I cringed... no way do I want to know... I work with Alz patients, and until they have some concrete ideas or meds that are for this ugly disease, I don't want to experience the hopelessness of knowing that I have it.... I have said many times that Alz is the new AIDS, and look how far they have come with that awful disease... but unfortunately, we can not wear a condom and prevent Alz.... so I thank each of your for your contribution to this thread, the really sad part for me is, families are not prone to listen when I want to share these ideas and discoveries...but I will continue to educate myself and hope this thread becomes a regular on this sight.... thanks again, an Alz, caregiver....

There is also a correlation between type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's. This says something.

Ish: Well said and thank you for the additional information. I do not think that we can afford to close off any avenue of inquiry.

CarolF

"Did she limit her fats? And did she use unsaturated oils?"

That is right on the money.

As a point of reference, the brilliant physicists who worked on the Manhattan Project all understood that they "Stood on the shoulders of giants". IOW, their work would not have been possible without all the theorizing and research that had gone before.

Now comparing that to nutrition and in particular Essential Fatty Acids, then back when catchlab's mother was in her 30's, 40's, 50's, and maybe even 60's, their were no EFA giants in sight. So IF the EFA's truly are ESSENTIAL - meaning that you MUST get them in your system or suffer long term degenerative consequences - then how likely is it that his mother really had ideal nutrition? Not very, IMO.

Anyway, it's very late now, but since catchlab ended that post with the incredible statement that "There are a lot of people out there who just believe nonsense!", I will just provide 2 quick scoops of.... nonsense.

First scoop, from July 2008, "medpage today", reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine:

"In patients with early Alzheimer's disease, a high level of cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with less brain loss in the hippocampus, a cross-sectional study showed.:

"All analyses were adjusted for age, gender, education, and whole brain volume. "

"We found that, in early-stage Alzheimer's, cardiorespiratory fitness is correlated with regional brain volumes in key areas affected by the disease," Dr. Hornea said. "This suggests that maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness may positively modify Alzheimer's-related brain atrophy."

"She said that "this is the first study to show any relationship between fitness and the hippocampus in Alzheimer's patients."

"An association between physical fitness and the degree of age-related brain atrophy has been established in healthy patients but not as well in those with Alzheimer's.

"This is the first time that MRI brain imaging has been used to demonstrate the connection between cardiorespiratory fitness and Alzheimer's-related brain changes in the hippocampus, an area of the brain important for memory and spatial navigation. In Alzheimer's, the hippocampus is one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage."

So folks, think about that. If ordinary, run-of-the-mill age-related brain atrophy correlates with dementia, and "cardiorespiratory fitness" correlates negatively with the brain atrophy, then what does that suggest?

Second scoop of nonsense, from July 2011, an article entitled "The 9 Brain-Fitness Foods that Protect Against Alzheimers Disease":

"Research published in the journal Archives of Neurology indicates that certain foods protect the brain and reduce the chance of developing Alzheimer's disease."

"The researchers were able to identify certain dietary patterns which correlated strongly with a lower risk of Alzheimer's. The diets which seemed to protect the brain were high in omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin E and folate. The brain-fit diets also featured lower intake of saturated fats and vitamin B12."

"It was found that the participants who followed this eating pattern most consistently had a 38% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's than those who deviated from it most widely. Interestingly, it was discovered that the use of dietary supplements and/or alcohol did not affect risk levels for developing Alzheimer's."

Coconut oil, anyone?

Thank you jeannegibbs, for your thoughtful response. You sound like an expert, even though there's a limited amount of knowledge about this horrible disease.

catchlab, this kind of blame-the-victim mentality has always bothered me, too. I discussed the topic with two different researchers. What they said made sense to me.

No one knows yet exactly what causes dementia. Therefore we don't know how to prevent it. The advice to keep fit and healthy and to exercise your mind is not intended to be a prevention but to build up resources to cope if dementia strikes. Staying mentally active builds new pathways in our brains. The more pathways we have, the longer it will be before the dementia pathology can take them all over. In fact, keeping mentally active in the early stages may (we hope) keep building pathways that the pathology has to subdue, lengthening the early stage.

If you mother had been less fit and less intellectually active, who knows? Perhaps she would have started declining noticably at 70.

At this point there is no known way to avoid getting dementia. Being physically healthy is an asset if you do get dementia, and having lots and lots of pathways in your brain may keep the pathology from being so immediately successful.

It is kind of insulting, isn't it, to think of your mother and grandmother and my husband and the loved ones of members of my support group and hear that staying mentally active prevents dementia. Nonsense!

So do the crossword puzzle, match wits with the fictional detective, balance your checkbook by hand once in while, learn a new piece on the piano -- use your brain! Not because then you won't get dementia, but because you will have more resources if you do.

Did she limit her fats? And did she use unsaturated oils?

I don't believe for a second that Alzheimer's has anything to do with diet, exercise,
mental stimulation, or social activity. My mother has been declining for 5 years, since age 80, and she ate an incredibly healthy diet, exercised regularly, including yoga, weight training and aerobics, is a college graduate who read avidly( serious fiction and non-fiction, not romance novels and People magazine), and was socially active and involved in community activities. She was adventuresome in every way, traveling and expanding her horizons. My grandmother also had Alz.
and she was college educated, active, lively and social. This disease strikes people of all backgrounds, personality and intellect regardless of their diet and exercise regimen. My mother was the least likely candidate for this disease except that her mother also had it, and probably her grandfather as well. It's much more likely to be related to genetics than anything else. There are a lot of people out there who just believe nonsense!

naheaton, your husband's grandpa and my grandma were cases that didn't get counted as dementia in their day, but very likely would now. More diligent statistic gathering is certainly one reason that dementia looks more prevalent today.

yellowfeever, if it is true that something like 50% of all people who live beyond 80 have some form of dementia, then it is probably best that all of us consider the possibility that it could happen to us, whether it seems to be in our gene pool or not.

I have two theories. One theory of mine is HRT. Reasoning being, my mother started taking it back in the 80's in her early to mid 40's. My mother went off of it COLD TURKEY sometime in 2005. There is at least a 15yr window of use. Mom never went thru Menopause. She continued to have her periods regularly till she stopped taking it.She continued to have slight periods until 2 1/2 years ago.Thats when she went totally "out there" so to speak and she was diagnosed with Dementia. Around the time she abruptly stopped her meds is when my dad passed. My mother was strange but we thought it was the grief of losing a husband of 43yrs.
I feel that Menopause is a natural process and should be left alone. Our brains and bodies as women are wired to go thru this change. And when you are a healthly woman who adverts menopause, what are the longterm effects?
My mother was always a healthy eater, very active, never drank nor smoked. My moms only downfall was OCD and anxiety issues never treated. Which could play into the Dementia too.

My other theory is moms father had resonable early onset ALZ. But 20some yrs ago it wasn't heard of to much. He never had an autopsy to confirm. But he was referred to as "senile". My memories of him I seen alot in my mother. I do believe strongly in Genetics. My grandfather was a sufferer of OCD and anxiety issues along with others in his family.There have been alot passed that was considered "senile" So maybe the "weakness" mentally is there for Dementia and how we live our lives might be a factor if we will develop Dementia. Its scary cause I am my mothers child and I do see some patterns in me that align with mom. Moms obsession was "cleaning" and "pleasing" she lived in her own world of reality. I am obsessed with "pleasing everyone" I have the approval addiction. My sister is a hoarder and shopaholic, and my brother is a drug addict and compulsive liar. All 3 of us at one point in our lives have suffered from sex addiction. We all have inherited some form of mental weakness. And it goes on now to our children. My nephews have problems(1 has ADHD, one is ADHD with Aspergers syndrome,and one is Autistic and I am now starting to see some issues in my older child. So since there is such a prevelent psychalogical pattern in our family does that mean we could possibly suffer from dementia at some point in our lives? If there is an accurate test I want to know about my possible future. So I can do everything in my power to prolong it now.

My husband's grandpa died of what they called 'hardening of the arteries' which looking back was probably Alzheimer's. No one thought anything of it, cause it was just to be expected when you got old.

CarolF, that is a study conducted jointly by a university in the US and one in Brazil, right? It sounds like it is in the test-tube stages at this point. It is a very promising idea, but there is much work ahead. It seems to apply specifically to Alzheimer's, not dementia in general, although more research may broaden the scope.

Interestingly, a spokesman for Alzheimer's Research Trust says "The most exciting implications are that some diabetes drugs have the potential to be developed as Alzheimer's treatments."

Carol, no I have not....I would be interested in reading it. If you find the title again, please post it on my wall. Natural remedies (and supporting research) are rarely "promoted very loudly" - unless someone can profit from it :o(

Nice to see you again. I appreciate your input and directing us to more info. about coconut oil.
Lilli

Have you read any of the latest research that has labeled dementia as diabetics of the brain? It is not being promoted very loudly, but it explains why the coconut oil has helped Bruce and a number of other people.
And it is also somehow connected to the reason why nitrites are so bad for the brain, but I don't remember the details.

There has already been a great deal of research about nutrition and life style elements as related to various diseases. Surely we have all seen article after article, tv sound bites and radio interviews, and posters, and health fair handouts telling us we'd be healthier if we ate more fruits and vegetables. It isn't that we haven't spent the money on rigorous research into the health consequences of smoking tobacco. We have. People continue to smoke. Young peopple continue to become addicted. On any company or church pot luck table brownies are more popular than carrot sticks.

Saying that we only spend money on developing drugs is not fair. Lots of research has gone into studies whose outcome did not profit drug makers or other industries. It takes a long, long time, though, for these kinds of studies to have a widespread impact. I have read that there were 100 years between the discovery that lack of vitamin C caused scurvy and the British navy provisioning each ship with citrus fruit (limes). Human behavior is slow to change.

In many districts school lunches have improved nutrionally in recent years. Fast food chains are offering options that at least nod at better nutrition. The gap between what we know and what we do is not the fault of researchers or big-buck drug companies, in my opinion.

If drug companies will potentially profit from selling drugs, it makes sense that they will finance research and testing. That is called capitalism. Who is paying for the basic research into nutrition and lifestyle practices? Taxpayers. Rich benefactors. Small contributions from ordinary people. I don't think that is a conspiracy, just a reality.

It bothers me that so many proponents of more "natural" remedies seem to also have an attitude bordering on conspiracy theory on why more effort is not directed and their pet causes. Many taxpayers are not keen on paying for more studies that are going to tell them to eat more broccoli. :)

Jeanne, hon, not at all "anit-testing" in fact, we need more of it before a drug starts getting used on humans. (it concerns me that we have so many recalls of drugs that have not been around very long) Would just like to see the same companies do testing on natural products or drugs that have fewer serious side effects.
Haven't personally been involved in setting up these tests - but have a good friend who does it for a living and is good at it.

The end result, for me, is that we always come up with what is the best for the common good.

Enjoying the diaglog...we all have a lot to contribute to the discussion....

Have you ever participated in a drug study? Have you ever been in a research project? Have you ever seen what goes into drug testing up close and personal?

ooops..continued from above...(hit the submit button accidently)...

They combined what they knew of medicine with what they knew of home remedies. Somehow it worked and seemed more humane.
I find it incredible that someone would go to a doctor and accept a Rx that they have never taken and not ask questions. In fact, many drugs that are given to Alz and PD patients have side effects that increase certain symptoms. Yet the same folks are leary of naturopathy because the "FDA hasn't approved it." How many drugs are pulled from pharmacies because they caused irreparable damage? And now we are keeping the lawyers in business. Why are drug companies allowed to advertise to the general public? Why should a patient be able to go to his or her doc and ask for these brands? Here is the answer: $$$$ I have little faith that the FDA acts in our best interests. Drug companies are aware of "collateral damage" and build funds into their business plan before they release a new drug.
From one of our forum members, I became interested in the claims about coconut oil and read as much as I could. This connection to helping with symptoms of Alz. and PD among others was actually discovered by and MD - a scientist. The amusing (or sad) thing is, some other doctor is now trying to figure out how to "synthesize" it into drug form so he can then market it. Then, I suppose, the FDA will approve it, then some drug company will charge a fortune for it, and it will be deemed a "miracle." Just go buy a jar of pure coconut oil if you want to try it. Geeezzzz.
There are many good, safe, drugs and vacccines on the market...but they are "tried and true" and went through extensive testing in the past before they went onto the market. However, since the mid-50s drug companies saw profit in this untapped market and began producing in record numbers. It may also coincide with the advent of psychiatry.
I am all for choice. And you do need to do your homework and be of the interactions of natural remedies as well. But if one of my choices is a drug with side effect that include permanent physical damage and death and trying a natural remedy that may take more time, but shows results, with no side effects, then it is a no-brainer for me. What do you have to lose?

its: fascinating and poignant story about your mother. I think social deprevation leads to stress which we already know exacerbates Alz. and perhaps we may find, in the future, causes it as well. Prisoners, held in isolation for many years, exhibit many of the Alz. symptoms. So, I do not think that it is far-fetched to say that isolation and not "exercising" the can cause mental deterioration. As as Jeanne points out, there is no single cause. That is what is so frustrating about the illness. Some medicines and natural remedies work for some and not for others. Alz has the same issues as PD, the names of the diseases are really just an "umbrella" for a variety of symptoms. I hope science continues to research these illnesses. I think we can use all the information we can get. But what bothers me the most is science's hostility toward looking into natural means...IMHO it is because there is no profit motive in helping us ward off illness. So we keep hitting our head on the wall looking for "cures" when some of these things could be prevented in the first place. Even if a small group benefits from natural remedies, isn't it worth looking into. At the very least it "causes no harm."
Every naturopath I had welcomed the addition of western medicine in my health plan. I can not say the same for any MD I visited. I got anywhere from a blank stare to smirky laughter. But whenever I found a natural remedy to something they were unable to deal with, they had no interest in it - even for the benefit of other patients.
When I was younger, and drug companies were less prevalent, doctors really were a combination of MD and ND. T

Different pathologies in the brain display themselves as different kinds of dementia. The "tangles" found in Alzheimer's and the "bodies" in Lewy Body Dementia" (for example) result in similar but not identical symptoms. They also respond differently to treatment. Science does not yet know why clumps of alpha-synuclein protein form in the brains of some people, who then develop symtoms of Parkinson's and/or LBD. Personally, I am pretty skeptical that disappointment and loss are what causes these clumps. My husband definitely was not lacking a reason to live when the symptoms appeared in his life. What is going on in a person's life and a person's beliefs and outlook can certainly influence how they cope with a malfunctioning brain, but that doesn't mean those things cause the disease in the first place.

By the way, the tangles and the clumps were both identified about a hundred years ago -- by researchers Alzheimer and Lewy. Just this year scientists identified the "natural" shape of the protein that clumps in the brain. I think you are correct, itsmejana, that much is still unknown about the brain. Scientists all over the world are working diligently to chart the territory and to share their findings world-wide.

I have read some excellent thoughts and wanted to add mine. My mother has brain trauma dementia since 1995-16 years or more. She started asking questions over and over, burning pans, looking for her dog in her nightgown in the snow-no shoes. My sister had her declared as having Altz. to put her in a nursing home. My sister had been battling cancer and died. I went to nevada to bring her to live with me. I have gone through her papers-she wrote prolifically, kept a journal with her fears and concerns. She thought the worst thing possible was to be old and be female. She was getting older and lost many friends from around the world. She was a fantastic singer and the dry desert was hard on her voice and lost her accompianist. She traveled the world and worked on projects for international visitors and other humanitarian projects. Family was also important and she was likely very upset regarding some family situations that were very unfortunate. Everything she had put energy into-and looked forward to, used to do and enjoyed doing was slipping away. Her enthusiasm was being killed by constant disappointments. There was really nothing to keep her interested in life..it must have been unbearable to look forward to nothing. I think that when a person has become disillusioned, disappointed and discouraged, there is a way the brain shuts down and the physical body takes over. It's the only way my mother could stay alive. Living without friends or any plans would not have been tolerable-evidently it wasn't. When I brought her to live with me I had no idea it would have been for 5 years. She still remembers me and asks for my sister. I look into her eyes and see her smile and it breaks my heart when I follow my thoughts into the past. Then I think about some of the famous people who have had this-Reagon comes to mind. What was it that made him "lose his mind?" He was health conscious, financially well off, a library to build, places to speak, things to look forward to and likely, many friends. I wonder if he couldn't deal with what he saw happening politically? This is not to be political, just the best example to use of someone philosophically driven and then seeing events from his perspective.
The first letter asks about social aspects. I believe there is a survival instinct that keeps the body going and the mind shuts down. It just may be unbearable for some. Remember the study of elderly nuns that did crossword puzzles and none had Altz.? Their lives never really changed. The trauma of disappointment in family and aspirations and ending a way of life, was not present. The crossword puzzles kept their minds active?maybe. Any of you with close friends or family, if you really search, from their perspective, is it possible that events mounted or they lost what gave them a reason to keep going? Did something they worked on, put their hearts into fall apart? As with anything, there are surely many different causes. The brain is still uncharted territory and much is unknown about how it works. They measure the results, but does the disease cause the brain to stop working or does the brain bring on the disease? If a pill can fix it they will find the cause. If it's a spiritual of psychological cause, it will take many many years. The medical profession has turned to antidepressants. Good psychologists are expensive, time consuming and few and far between. Dealing with "loss" or "needing a reason to live," is ignored and pills are used to mask any problems-so much quicker and easier.

As to cultural changes, it is interesting to note that ours is not the only culture seeing the increase of an elderly population and an increase in the incidence of dementia. I see research being done in China, Japan, several South American nations, all over Europe. The dementia "epidemic" is world-wide, not limited to our culture, and not limited to places with our dietary practices.

Igloo: thank you for your well thought out response and perspective. I realize that a lot of our "awareness" comes in the light of research and gathering of statistics. My observations are mostly anecdotal. But, truely, in my youth, I did not know of any elderly person in my orbit that suffered from this type of disorder. Most lived witha family member or worked up until the day they passed. Perhaps families did a good job of hiding it or were embarassed by a member with the condition. Who knows...but there is most definitely an increase in Alz. cases as well as much younger people who are suffering from it as well.
My non-scientific, gut reaction to this "epidemic" leads me to think that this has to do more with changes in our culture that have also brought about changes in our health.
We eat more processed foods. I think our ancestors were closer to more natural diets and food supplies. We have increased the use of pesticides because the public demands more "perfect" looking fruit and vegetables. (haven't seen a worm hole in an apple in years! Even the bees are dying off.) Added to that, is our disdain for anyone over an age that is considered "old." Technology allows us to do almost everything at an unsocial distance so many of our elders (and others too) are becoming isolated. The human spirit is starved for social interaction and our brain needs a work out too. Western medicine never factors in these "soft" skills and needs when it is clear that we are "holistic" beings.
The discussion of good fats and bad fats, that others have mentioned, is an interesting one. It makes sense that we need to feed the brain, too. Perhaps the fats that our government once deemed "evil" in the past need to be looked at again. Certainly the results that some of our forum members have experienced cannot be overlooked.
In light of your frightening statistics about the Alz/Dem effecting more women, and it's grim result in care, is incentive for me (and I hope others) to look into natural alternatives for prevention. If we put as much time and money into researching natural remedies, and changes in lifestyle, as we do for research into artificial drugs that have serious side effects, I think we would all live healthier lives. (For example, so many of our forum members have written that the onset of Alz. occurred after a hospital stay, anesthesia, or new drug therapy.)
However, there is no money to be made in telling someone to change their diet or eat more fruits and vegetables. I am afraid that we are a society of the "quick fix."
I think this is a fascinating topic and I hope others will pipe in with their experiences. It reminds me of that definition of insanity: "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." We need a change.

Most good health food stores have several brands of good quality coconut oil.

Lili, back to the original theme......keep in mind how data is collected. One thing is the sheer # in US population was like 200 mil in the 70's & now is 300mil so the overall # are going to increase just because of that. One reason why we see dementia increasing is because specific data is now available to do the statistics needed to show evidence based diseases than it was before in the 1980's.

Back in my old life I was in public health, in the late 70's the feds (DHHS) had started Health Systems Agencies (HSA) throughout the states. One aspect was funding for statewide health stats based on epidemiology, it was rather piecemeal before that & focused for epidemics (like polio & diptheria). HSA data worked really well as at the same time the bigger hospitals and the bigger insurers (BCBS) were also finally collecting their stats systemwide based on disease/procedural codes. Perfect for dovetailing into the evidence based data that epidemiology does and the HSA's were collecting.

One reason hospitals were doing this wasn't so much for better quality of care BUT was about their ability to get a required Certificate of Need for expansion (which was how HSA's supposedly were going to use to contain health care costs). CON review was done by HSA's - the applicant (hospital) had to have the data to get thru the review and have the application approved - I worked on application review. Alot of this came about as in the 70's, open-heart surgery units were opening left & right (this was super sexy medicine, lots of media/pr, big name docs who were rockstars, every hospital wanted theirs back then) and the morbidity & mortality rate was staggering. HSA's & their CON came about as a way to hopefully curb that and other duplication of services (didn't happen...).

The data became public, so now there was hard # on diseases that weren't there before to that degree. By having the data, you could target getting grants and funding and building for whatever the #'s showed was important. Before the 80's, data was more random and alot was ancedotal, also it was entered by hand or key-punched if the hospital was really tech savvy (!!). The data collection and analysis continues today and it is much more complex. An example of how this works is like when AIDS first started showing up in the 80's, at the beginning it was random in what the guys supposedly died from, then in about 7 years the pattern was able to be tracked so that if you had a,b,c,d,e then it fit the diagnosis of AIDS. And the # of AIDS cases skyrocketed -were there more cases? yes; was it truly skyrocket increase? no, it was because there was more data that could fit the criteria. It's the same that has happened for dementia.

The next big thing with dementia, imho, is the fact that it is now recognized as a terminal disease. This changes what should/could/would be done for care for a disease that is mainly going to be happening to women (6 mil women to 3 mil men 80+ in 2000). I would imagine that the shift w/in the next 5-10 years will be to hospice based palliative care only with no intervention for advanced dementia.
It won't be pretty.

WOW! Coconut Oil looks like it is good not only for the brain but hair and skin too! Look at youtube...Dr. Newport's effective work on memory.... So it's good for memory and skin which makes sense but I am hoping if I take it my gray hair will go back to dark brown. haha. Where does one purchase Organic Extra Virgin Coconut oil?

My observations lead me to conclude that Alzheimers (and dementia in general) are more prevalent because of dietary lacks (additives, loss of nutrients, etc) and lack of intense physical activity. It's not just numbers. People who managed to live longer in the last century (and beyond) were healthier, had stronger immune systems than those who didn't survive. As an example, my paternal grandfather who lived to 97 (came from Russia as a young teen with his family around 1904) once told me how many children his mother had carried to term. Of that number only about 50% survived the ever-present tuberculosis.

Ish: I, too, am not a believer in the "pill" mentality of most Western medicine. And no single natural remedy is a magical cure either. That is why a holisitc approach to health is most beneficial: diet, exercise, clean air and water.... The difficult thing for most Americans is the "maintenance" of health. Most natural approaches take time and persistence. Whereas we "perceive" that popping a pill is so much easier. I often wonder how many people even ask their doctors about a new Rx or do research online....it is frightening.

There are complaints that natural supplements do not go through the scrutiny of the FDA trials. I have noticed so many TV ads for recalls and lawsuits for prescription medications. Several years ago drug companies started pushing bone density drugs on post-menopausal women. Now I understand that many of those drugs actually cause brittle bones and other side effects such as "jaw death" which the drug company describes as "dental problems." Same with some of the Alz. drugs. I lived near one of the Astra-Zeneca facilities - it was bigger and more beautiful than some of our college campuses!

I like your idea of a discussion thread...even if there are just three or four of us who are interested. The reason that we do not have a "vocabulary" when it comes to natural remedies is because there is no profit motive in it. Wellness would just put too many people out of business. ;o)

Carol: your experience was similar to that of Dr. Newport. Her husband had developed early stage Alz. and his doctors suggested a nursing home. She conducted research on certain fats and ketones. I am still sifting through the articles online, but find this promising....at least the side effects of coconut oil are minor...any excessive oil in the body would cause the same. Her husband received an immediate, positive response as well which was documented by medical testing.

A few years ago, scientist discovered a little village in Italy where people seemed to live long healthy lives. They found this astounding...no drug companies in the area, no FDA, no massive facilities for seniors with Alz. Researchers found that their remarkable health and longevity was due to diet, stress-free lifestyle, and clean environment. Duh! "...they seem to be able to eat fatty meats, cheeses and cream sauces without suffering the most serious consequences. Preliminary results have found cholesterol levels of LDL -- the so-called "bad" cholesterol -- that are much lower than those of most Italians, and HDL levels -- the so-called "good" cholesterol -- that are much higher." Their family members, who moved to the US, had significantly higher incidents of illness.

I am not anti-western medicine, but I do think that we need to introduce naturopathy as a "complimentary" discipline in medical schools. There is so much arrogance within the medical community and it is costing us our health. We also need to allow more time for testing of drugs...they are more potent now because the market demands a "quick fix" to every ailment. I had a friend who worked for a major drug company. Her job was in R&D to discover new "designer" drugs - and if necessary - new ailments to go with them.

Also, we need to be good consumers as we are in every other area of our lives. Ask your doctor about any new Rx and don't let them load you up with "samples" that they received from the drug companies. Research the side effects (if one of them is "may cause death" pass on it.) Decide if the benefits outweigh the risks. And look for natural alternatives.

(I have a feeling this is going to be a loooong post.)

Ish and Carol, I appreciate your comments and dicoveries....I would be up for further discussion. I am especially interested for my Mom who has PD tremors...coconut seems to show promise there as well. As with any remedy, natural or not, it may work for some and not for others. But, it is definitely worth investigation.

Here is another resource that I have used for many years: "Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Fifth Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements" by Phyllis A. Balch. It has been my health and nutrition guide for many years and was recommended by my naturopath when I lived in the west. It is especially great for minor illnesses that docs don't even want to deal with. (I have lots of stories!)

Please don't think I am saying that coconut oil is the answer for everyone. But diet is extremely important. We have changed a lot of the way we eat since we made the first discovery about coconut oil and it made such a huge difference. We also found out that nitrites have a huge effect on the brain, and that drugs like beta blockers are deadly.
But the change occurred right after the first dose of coconut oil so in his case I believe that made the biggest difference.
I will try to start that new thread.

Wow - what a terrific topic, and great responses as well.

Just a couple of words about myself. I live with, and take full time unassisted care of my 105 yo grandmother. Unfortunately for me, she is an absolutely horrible person. Mean spirited, a liar, swindler, etc. When my mother passed away 7 years ago, somehow in the shock and confusion of that, I promised to take care of my GM "to the end". Huge life-wrecking mistake. I would guess that 98% of the people here could not even conceive that a person of that age could be evil. But there she is every morning - just waiting to boss me around yet another day.

My sister - who fits the selfish sib pattern perfectly - dropped us hot potato-style over 3 years ago. However, in the one email that I received from her since then, she stated "I imagine nothing has changed, she's still an evil liar who treats you like s---." Well, yeah. In fact just yesterday my GM said to me, "I'm gonna buy a gun, and then when you don't do what I tell you, I'll just shoot you." Now obviously that was meant as some kind of "joke", but it is truly representative of the way she thinks.

Anyway, my life with granny has been insanely depressing, and I would never do it again. However, the one and only good aspect of my situation is that I have plenty of time to THINK.

I am a former chess master - top 10 in my home stae - and also a self-taught computer programmer. I love attacking complex logical puzzles. One of my life-long chess friends made enough money to retire in his early forties in order to pursue chess full time. But guess what - he got so interested in alternative health that he basically dropped chess and writes / researches "alternative" health matters instead. (He has been a raw foodist for about 20 years.) We are both extremely skeptical of the conventional doctorin' approach to health.

Now, sorry if that is TMI, but I wanted to explain my perspective before making any other statements.

First, despite my GM being so horrible, both my mother (RIP) and I are just the opposite. Therefore my grandmother gets absolutely great care from me. Meaning, for example, Essential Fatty Acids!

That is the first tie-in to this topic. For 20 years I have owned a copy of Udo Erasmus' book "Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill". You can read some very interesting "user reviews" of it on Amazon, and you'll also see about 80 reviews for "The Coconut Oil Miracle", which is regarded as the better book of the two. Think I'll order that one, pronto.

One thing I can tell you from the Udo Erasmus book is that he points out that with our domesticated meat sources, their fat profiles are radically different from that of their wild counterparts. Kind of like the "free range" idea, but pig vs wild boar, sheep vs antelope (or whatever) etc. Basically too much fat, the wrong kind of fat, and an absence of the right kind of fat.

Anyhow, I agree with jeannegibbs that we shouldn't expect a magic bullet from any one substance, and that 99.9% of our ancestors did not have access to coconut oil. But the fact remains that 99.9% of our ancestors were not eating all of our bad fats either. Plus, they got EFA's from whole foods, seeds, insect contaminants, and so on. So IMO this fat issue is of paramount importance in health / disease research.

Well, it's after 2, got to get ready for another groundhog day.

One last thing.

I was thinking last week that it would be great to have an ongoing topic like "Caregiver's Quest for Super Health", but figured that there might only be 1 or 2 people interested, if that. But seeing the response on this topic, I wonder. Lots to discuss, guaranteed.