| Did you know that Alzheimer's disease is the most | | | | of Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative |
| common type of dementia in the old and it affects | | | | disease. It works exactly the way it sounds like it |
| almost half of all patients with dementia? Up to three | | | | does, by deteriorating the neurological system, |
| percent of people sixty five years old show signs of | | | | primarily affecting neurons. Neurons are found in our |
| the disease, while twenty five to fifty percent of | | | | brains, spinal cords, nerves and ganglia. They make up |
| people who are eighty five years old have | | | | part of the bodies own message system. If you |
| symptoms of Alzheimer's. An even larger number of | | | | want to stand up a neuron or neurons in your brain |
| people have some of the signs of Alzheimer's | | | | process this urge and transmit the information to |
| without the characteristic symptoms. After eighty | | | | each other and eventually to your legs and arms and |
| five years of age the number of people with | | | | so you stand up. If you want to remember |
| Alzheimer's begins to decrease, but this is only due to | | | | something about your childhood, they work in a |
| the increased mortality due to the disease. Its rare to | | | | similar fashion to retrieve the information. |
| find someone over the age of one hundred with the | | | | Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia |
| disease. | | | | and presents itself beginning with occasional |
| There are many studies out there today that are | | | | forgetfulness that becomes more and more |
| studying Alzheimer's. Not much is known yet about | | | | pronounced, leading to impair mobility and wild mood |
| what even causes it and researchers are hurriedly | | | | swings as the patient becomes confused and upset |
| trying to find a cure for it. There is some evidence | | | | over their condition. It has been shown to start with |
| that taking doses of folic acid on a regular basis can | | | | intellectual impairment, moving on to impairment of |
| help protect your brain from damage. This must be | | | | fine controlled body movements, to the inability to |
| explained in a round about way. | | | | recognize people, and finally onto decision making |
| There is a link found between folic acid, high levels of | | | | areas of the brain. Under microscopes the neural cells |
| homocysteine in your blood and Alzheimer's. | | | | of patients with Alzheimer's appear to have |
| Homocysteine is an amino acid compound that | | | | atrophied. |
| sometimes gets used in our bodies when they are | | | | Folic acid works to break down the homocysteine in |
| making proteins. Homocysteine isn't a good | | | | the body. Other B vitamins can also do this. They are |
| compound to have in a protein because the chemical | | | | vitamins B6 and B12. Researchers think that by |
| bonds in the compound are formed in such a way | | | | keeping the levels of homocysteine down in the |
| that the protein wouldn't be able to hold itself | | | | body the brain and neurons are being protected. This |
| together and would literally fall apart. So high levels of | | | | is an involved theory and there are many other |
| homocysteine in your blood are thought to be bad | | | | factors that need to be examined in further studies, |
| because its connected to so many health problems, | | | | but recent studies have shown that if you have a |
| including Alzheimer's. | | | | diet high in folic acid you have more cognitive |
| Studies have been done to figure out if elevated | | | | function than someone else with a diet deficient in |
| levels of homocysteine in the blood is an indicator of | | | | folic acid. |
| a disease such as Alzheimer's or is one of the causes | | | | |