Dr. Bob was a MD internal medicine, orthomolecular doctor, MD psychiatrist, chiropractor, and healer 65 years.  He was a diabetic who lived to 108 years with only 1 side effect 2 years before he passed away.

Alzheimer’s is a disease that results in decline of intellectual function.  Alzheimer’s, in the United States, kills over 100,000 people a year.  However, Alzheimer's disease does not only affect elderly people, but may strike when a person is in his or her forties.

Dr. Bob described the main problems of Alzheimer’s as the following:

1.      Low levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.  In some Alzheimer's patients it can be 90 per cent low.  Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers of the brain.  Acetylcholine is the primary carrier of thought and memory in the brain.  It is essential to have appropriate levels of acetylcholine to have new memories or recall old memories.  As we age, whether we suffer from problems of the brain or our minds work excellently, it might be a consideration to help maintain acetylcholine levels by use of supplementation, which will be described later.

2.      Another problem in Alzheimer’s may be decreased circulation in the brain.  It is believed by modern science that death of brain cells, building of plaque, tangling and fibrils that occur in the brain, and other problems lead to decreased circulation to brain cells.  Decreased circulation can lead to death of nerve cells and may be a problem in Alzheimer’s.

3.      Decreased circulation leads to reduction of nutrients and particularly antioxidants.  Antioxidants repair and heal tissues and are vital in any disease condition.  So another problem may be decreased levels of nutrients to the brain tissues resulting in deficiencies and insufficiencies of nutrients to the brain.  This can lead to more problems such as reduced efficiency in repairing damage to brain tissue, reduced ability for normal cell functioning, inability for certain necessary chemical reactions to take place in the cells, and many other problems that may occur from decreased levels of nutrients reaching brain tissue.

4.      Decreased circulation leads to reduction in oxygen to brain cells.  Although decreased circulation was mentioned in number 2 that it can lead to death of brain cells, decreased circulation can also lead to decrease in oxygen to brain cells, but not resulting in the death of cells. Getting lower amounts of oxygen than needed for optimal functioning of cells will lead to declining cell efficiency and function.  If the cell function declines to far, these cells may become barely functioning.  When cell function declines a great deal this can lead to changes in cell structure that can be perceived by the immune system as a threat to the body.  This can trigger attack by the immune system.

5.      Stress and damage in the body result in the production of free radicals.  By the preponderance of the evidence, many researchers and scientists believe that free radicals are the main method that damage occurs to the body.  The ongoing stress and damage that occur in pathologies like Alzheimer’s, results in the production and accumulation of free radicals.

6.      The ongoing disease process results in the stress hormone cortisol being pumped into the body to neutralize stress.  For example, the immune system is activated in disease conditions.  The immune system is pro-inflammatory and cortisol eventually is produced to balance the inflammation occurring in chronic disease.  So two more problems may be created when cortisol is involved in a chronic condition; hyper-cortisol levels and the immune system can become suppressed by cortisol.

7.      The immune system is suppressed by cortisol.  The immune system works efficiently and effectively mainly by methods of rapid perception of threats and fast proliferation and activity of immune cells to counter threats.  In Alzheimer’s, the immune system may not be working appropriately, as described in number 4 about cells that decline in function and change in structure due to decreased circulation.  In addition, the suppression of the immune system may reduce the ability to react quickly and dynamically to threats.  The accumulation of dead cells in the brain area, plaque, and other potential problems in the brain require immune cell activity to neutralize many of these problems and their effects.  The suppression of the immune system results in a decline of efficiency and function of immunity, decreasing the ability of the immune system to neutralize damage occurring in the brain.

8.      The production of constant levels of inflammation.  Even though the body attempts to neutralize inflammation by producing cortisol, the continuous production of free radicals due to the stress of Alzheimer’s creates constant inflammation.  The immune system responds continuously to the stress of free radicals and inflammation.  This can result in continuous inflammation at the areas of stress in the brain tissue.

9.      Constant production of cortisol eventually depletes the sex hormone and sexual steroid precursor DHEA hormone.  DHEA is an important hormone of the immune system.  Additionally it is considered a controlling hormone of many other hormones, which means it is important in maintaining hormonal balance.  So the constant production of cortisol can lead to depletion of DHEA, which can result in reduced immune function, hormone imbalance, and many other negative conditions that may make neutralizing problems created by Alzheimer's disease more difficult.

All of the above ideas result in additional stress throughout the body, aside from the conditions of Alzheimer’s.  Therefore the truth of the matter is a chronic disease such as Alzheimer’s requires a total mind-body approach.  There are many books written covering the mind-body approach.  One book we recommend is listed on our reference page of this web site and is called, "Brain Longevity," by Dharma Singh Khalsa, MD.  He has a treatment center and it might be an excellent idea to seek treatment from such an advanced center.  Dr. Bob considered all of the above problems a necessity to deal with before any other ideas or programs could be truly successful.  The reason is the above problems create a great deal of stress in the body.  Most healthy people would have trouble neutralizing these high levels of stress and in elderly people it is even more difficult to neutralize high levels of stress. 

Dr. Bob was an orthomolecular doctor.  Orthomolecular medicine is a system of medicine practiced by medical MD’s throughout the world.  It is a system of medicine that uses mainly vitamins/minerals and herbs.  It uses natural substances that are non-toxic and are safe in a wide range of dose.

The following ideas are Dr. Bob's orthomolecular methods and ideas to deal with problems of the brain tissue and in this particular case Alzheimer's disease:

1.      Dr. Bob advised 1 gram of vitamin B-5 or higher daily, in divided doses.  B vitamins are water-soluble and should be in divided doses to spread out their effects.  Vitamin B5 is the vitamin that is involved in most of the metabolism of the brain.  This means B5 basically is involved in running the brain.  High doses of B5 may be necessary in conjunction with other supplements for the brain, to help process and handle the chemical reactions that need to take place.  An insufficient or deficient amount of vitamin B5 can destroy any nutritional brain protocol.

2.      Dr. Bob advised L-pyroglutamate and/or piracetam supplementation daily.  Dr. Bob used the drug piracetam, even though it may be considered a chemical that is not orthomolecular, because it was considered a very safe drug with no known serious side effects.  You can read the book, "Brain Longevity," to get valuable information on piracetam.  L-pyroglutamate is an amino acid that has almost the same identical molecule structure of piracetam and therefore has about the same abilities of piracetam.  Another drug hydergine, which is part of Dr. Bob's methods in dealing with Alzheimer's disease, can increase the effectiveness of piracetam.  You need a doctor to help build up piracetam doses when using hydergine – you can email RHONDELLM@aol.com to obtain Dr. Bob’s protocol involving hydergine and piracetam.  Piracetam is a prescription drug.  Dr. Bob recommended combining L-pyroglutamate and piracetam to gain possible synergetic effects by using two different substances to gain the same positive effects.  These two substances enhance acetylcholine function and increase the ability of the chollergenic system.  This helps to improve the ability of acetylcholine function.  Memory and other important brain function is run by the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.  Improving acetylcholine function may help Alzheimer's patients.

3.      Dr. Bob advised 5-9 grams a day total of vitamin C, in divided doses.  Vitamin C has many functions in the body, but it is important along with vitamin B5 in metabolizing substances in the brain.  Without proper metabolism of brain substances, many of the chemical reactions needed by the brain to work properly may not occur.

4.      Dr. Bob advised a multivitamin and mineral in any nutritional protocol.  The body uses the methods of chemical reactions to run properly.  All chemical reactions require key factors and cofactors for everything to work properly.  A multi provides many of the necessary cofactors as well as key elements.  Dr. Bob advised the brand Maxilife multivitamin and mineral powder.  As already mentioned in this article, one of the problems of chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s is deficiencies and insufficiencies of nutrients.  You therefore need higher amounts of supplementation in an attempt to overcome the problems of deficiencies.  Dr. Bob advised that Maxilife powder often had the correct doses to overcome deficiencies.

5.      Dr. Bob advised 100-300 mg total of vitamin B6 daily, in divided doses.  Vitamin B6 is involved with over 128 enzyme reactions in the body.  Enzymes speed up chemical reactions until they are at normal levels needed to produce the chemical reactions.  Dr. Bob found many chronic diseases led to vitamin B6 deficiency.  He therefore advised supplementation of high doses of vitamin B6 in many cases involving chronic disease.  You can laboratory test B6 levels.  If levels are too low or deficient you can consider appropriate supplementation.

6.      Dr. Bob advised supplementation of melatonin.  Melatonin is a hormone in the body.  It is an important antioxidant in the brain and it is also a controlling hormone in the body.  Antioxidants are a method the body uses to neutralize damage and it is mentioned in this article that hyper-cortisol levels lead to hormonal imbalance, including depleting DHEA.  Melatonin helps to maintain hormonal balance and it is a helpful antioxidant in the brain.  Melatonin is a hormone and Dr. Bob advised all hormonal supplementation in a disease condition like Alzheimer’s be done in conjunction with a doctor.  We recommend the doctors from the American Academy of Antiaging Medicine, called the A-4 doctors.  They are cutting edge and must pass tests that involve a great deal of the cutting edge information about hormones.  Their national number is 773-528-4333.

7.      Dr. Bob advised supplementing 2-4 grams of acetyl-L-carnitine daily in divided doses. ALC can protect the brain by neutralizing free radicals.  In addition it can help improve various aspects of nerve function. The dose should depend on age, mental conditions, weight, and tolerance.  You should consult with a doctor who is familiar with nutritional protocols when using high doses of supplementation for the brain.  We advise contacting orthomolecular doctors for nutritional and supplementation planning.  There is a list of orthomolecular doctors on this web site. 

8.      Dr. Bob advised DHEA supplementation.  See an expert such as an A-4 doctor.  In the cases of chronic disease such as Alzheimer’s, amounts of supplementation and the times of day when the supplements are taken will probably vary considerably for each individual case.  Remember DHEA is often depleted in chronic diseases, due to hyper-cortisol levels.  DHEA is a vital controlling hormone and needs to be replaced to optimal levels to help balance hormone levels.

9.      Dr. Bob advised vitamin E supplementation.  Vitamin E is an antioxidant that can help protect brain tissue.  The amounts to use should be much higher than in a healthy person, due to the stress from Alzheimer’s.  Get guidance from a nutritional expert such as an orthomolecular doctor.

10.  Dr. Bob advised selenium supplementation.  Dr. Bob found that selenium could pinch hit for many important duties in the body including many aspects of detox.  Detox functions help to repair and rebuild the brain.  A stressful condition such as Alzheimer’s will usually require much higher amounts of supplementation than for a healthy individual, and therefore a nutritional expert is needed such as an orthomolecular doctor.  For example, the first FDA approved supplement for a medical condition was the use of niacin for reducing cholesterol levels.  A normal recommended dose of niacin may be 20 mg daily.  However in over 2,000 research papers on niacin lowering cholesterol levels, often 3-6 grams daily were required before the effect of lowering cholesterol happened.

11.  Dr. Bob advised ginkgo biloba supplementation.  A total of 120-240-mg daily in divided doses can help improve circulation in the brain tissue.  Improving blood circulation in the brain tissue can help balance the damaging effects of the stress of Alzheimer.  Consult with a nutritional expert for the proper dose.  Remember a healthy person and a sick person requires different doses.

12.  Dr. Bob advised considering the use of hydergine.  You need a doctor's prescription for the drug hydergine.  Hydergine is a drug that can increase oxygen in brain tissue.  This can help with the aspects of decreased circulation that may be occurring to brain tissue in Alzheimer’s.  Hydergine is considered safe and effective, especially when you start it at a low dose and build up slowly.  Dr. Bob usually combined hydergine and piracetam because they help increase the effects of both many times the normal.  You need a doctor who is familiar with hydergine and piracetam used at the same time, because they can increase the effectiveness of each.  Therefore incorrect doses, in particular due to lack of knowledge and experience of the potentiating effect between hydergine and piracetam, may result in side effects.

13.  Dr. Bob advised supplementing CoQ10.  This supplement helps improve oxygen exchange and increases energy at the cell level.  CoQ10 has many other positive effects in the body, but improving oxygen exchange and improving energy at the cell level, can help many of the chemical reactions needed in the brain.

14.  Dr. Bob advised ion-exchange whey protein concentrate. Whey is a high quality protein supplement.  We have mentioned decreased nutrients as a potential problem occurring to brain tissue in Alzheimer’s.  Protein is a vital part of all cell structure and is therefore an important nutrient you should consider supplementing.  All the other supplements described in this article will not work or not work as well without appropriate amounts of the right kind and right amounts of protein.  Whey concentrate can provide valuable high quality protein.  Furthermore, as we age we may eat less and digestion may not work as efficiently, and supplementation of high quality protein can help balance the effects of aging and digestion.  Note – Dr. Bob advised protein supplements.  He did not recommend Alzheimer patients get all their protein from foods due to the potential of foods in the elderly to be improperly digested and absorbed.  Whey protein is predigested and contains about 98% of the essential amino acids your brain and body needs.

15.  Drink distilled water.  Distilled water is pure water.  Tap water, bottled water, spring water, and most other water are not pure and therefore contain toxins.  The stress from Alzheimer’s means you cannot afford additional stress from the toxins in impure water.

16.  Check for toxic metals in the bloodstream, especially aluminum.  Toxic metals have been found as a potential problem in Alzheimer’s.  See an Environmental doctor and check for chemical toxicity, metal toxicity and food allergies.  Allergies can add a great amount of toxic load to the body, which can lead to greater stress and Alzheimer patients cannot afford more stress.

17.  Consider supplementing cytidine choline (CDP).  It is a supplement that can build levels of acetylcholine in the brain as well as other important neurotransmitters.  We have mentioned that in Alzheimer’s there may be low levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.  CDP supplementation is one method to help restore acetylcholine levels in the brain.

18.  Check thyroid levels.  Often low thyroid levels can mimic Alzheimer’s disease.

19.  Consider supplementing SAMe and/or TMG.  Dr. Bob advised SAMe, which has many benefits in the body.  SAMe can help reduce toxic levels of homocysteine, a metabolite of the amino acid methionine.  Homocysteine can be damaging to cells that line the arteries.  This can result in damaging circulation to brain tissue.  We also recommend TMG, which can help SAMe work better or pinch hit for SAMe.

20.  Consider supplementing 1500 mg calcium – 1000 mg magnesium daily in cases of improper parathyroid hormone levels.  Dr. Bob advised most of the dose taken at nighttime.  Do not eat chocolate or drink milk with calcium supplementation.  The stress of chronic disease often disrupts cellular balance, by increasing calcium inside cells.  Supplementing calcium-magnesium in the appropriate ratio can help maintain cellular balance, by controlling parathyroid hormone (PTH).  The parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretions maintain cellular balance by helping maintain appropriate levels of calcium in the bloodstream.  “PTH secretion is inversely related to the ambient concentration of ionized calcium.  Serum PTH declines in a rectilinear fashion in relation to serum calcium levels between 7.5 ml and 10.5 mg/dl.  (Ref. Robert K. Murray, MD, Ph.D., Daryl K. Granmer, MD, Peter A. Mayes, Ph.D., D.Sc., Victor W. Fodwell, Ph.D., Harper's Biochemistry, twenty-fifth edition.  Appleton & Lance, Stanford, Connecticut, 2000, page 570.)”  This means levels of calcium in the bloodstream regulate PTH.  The amount of PTH in the bloodstream helps regulate normal extra cellular fluid calcium.  Magnesium is a cofactor in this cell regulation process.  You can laboratory test your PTH levels.  If they are not normal consider appropriate supplementation ideas.  Some times even higher doses of calcium-magnesium are needed to help control PTH levels than what is recommended in this article.  Consult with an orthomolecular doctor for proper supplementation in these cases.  Calcium levels in the blood stream need to be regulated in order to regulate calcium-magnesium levels of the cells.

In conclusion, there are many methods and ideas to help in Alzheimer's disease.  Dr. Bob recommended to eliminate as much stress as possible by breathing pure air as much as possible (for example using air filters), eating only pure food such as organic or not genetically altered food, and drinking only pure water.  He recommended other ideas to optimize health such as exercise, meditation, brainwork (such as puzzles, stimulating reading, and so on), and many other ideas.  However, he felt that as accumulated damage starts happening in brain tissue, whether you are already chronically ill from the damage, or still considered healthy, that the problems of inflammation, decreased circulation, decreased nutrients and antioxidants, hyper-cortisol, free radical accumulation, depletion of the steroid hormones, and suppression of the immune system created to many damaging conditions and made healing difficult.  Once many of these damaging effects could be reduced or stopped Dr. Bob advised the chances of improving health was much greater.  Therefore he highly recommended you consider a brain nutritional supplementation program in conjunction with a nutritional expert such as an orthomolecular doctor.  Dr. Bob reminded everyone that most MD doctors learn very little about nutrition in medical school and therefore specifically seek out nutritional experts.  Dr. Bob often said, "go with the flow and contribute to the music of the motion."  The flow might be to see that a person with chronic disease could do a great number of things to help himself or herself.

Note – You can email us for Dr. Bob’s frequency and amounts of his doses used for many of the supplements described in this article.  RHONDELLM@aol.com

WARNING:  DO NOT STOP ANY TREATMENT OR MEDICATION YOU CURRENTLY USE.  CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING THE USE OF SUPPLEMENTS. 

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