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Mind over myth
When most people think of Alzheimer’s Disease, they immediately think of memory loss or senility. But Alzheimer’s affects more than just memory. A form of dementia, Alzheimer’s also causes changes in the brain, often leading to drastic swings in mood and behaviour as well as memory loss.
The brain cells affected by Alzheimer’s are called neurons, which send messages to one another and are responsible for functions such as speaking, thinking and memory. These functions are disrupted with the formation of plaques or tangles and, while it is common for these deposits to form as people get older, in Alzheimer’s patients, these deposits far outnumber those typically formed making it far more difficult to speak or think or remember.
Another myth associated with Alzheimer’s is that the disease is not fatal.
Sadly, the destruction of the brain cells that characterizes Alzheimer’s does not stop at the neurons. While the onset of Alzheimer’s begins with a destruction of the brain cells responsible for functions such as memory, soon that destruction spreads to other parts of the brain as well, leading to system shutdowns in other parts of a patient’s body, such as organ failure. These shut downs may not readily be linked to Alzheimer’s because oftentimes they are symptomatic of other diseases common with the elderly.
A number of studies conducted regarding the effects of aluminum on contracting Alzheimer’s offer frightening observations on the metal’s influence, while other studies are skeptical as to the metal having any effect at all. As mentioned earlier, the more plaques that form in a person’s brain, the more severe his or her Alzheimer’s can be: Certain studies show aluminum is at the core of these plaques and is even present within many cells in the plaques.
Further evidence suggests aluminum may play a role in the plaques’ very formation, which may be a a significant development in determining the cause of Alzheimer’s. However, given the frequency with which many people ingest or inhale aluminum without even knowing it: pots and pans, soda cans, even some antiperspirants, as well as being the third most common element in the Earth’s crust, a definitive link between Alzheimer’s and aluminum is not confirmed.
To learn more about Alzheimer’s Disease, visit www.alzheimer.ca.