Uticopa Blog

Here are the headlines: Disaster looms unless new Alzheimer's drugs work, scientists warn. New drugs which slow the progress of Alzheimer's disease could be available in five years but Britain faces an "unmitigated disaster" if they fail to work, scientists have warned. In the meantime there are 700,000 people in the UK alone who suffer from some form of dementia and need help today, not in 5 years' time.

For those who are constantly searching for that elusive, simple way to help yourself at home, why not try the following.

Remember the acronym CAST (coffee, sudoku, turmeric). Each of these three things is available locally all year round.  Here are the reasons why you should ‘partake' of all three as often as possible:

Coffee

The effects of dementia could be reversed by drinking just a few cups of coffee a day, new research suggests. Caffeine not only helps to stave off the disease but can actively treat it.

A key aspect of Alzheimer's is sticky clumps of an abnormal protein in the brain called beta amyloid plaques, so any treatment (whether by drugs or homeopathic remedies) must destroy that invasive brain plaque.

Here's the good news: mice with a rodent equivalent of the disease showed a 50 per cent reduction in levels of amyloid protein in their brains after the scientists added caffeine to their drinking water.

At the end of the two-month study, the caffeine-drinking mice performed far better on tests of memory and thinking than mice given only water. Their memories were as sharp as those of healthy older mice without dementia. Humans receiving an equivalent dose for their body weight would be consuming 500 milligrams of caffeine a day, equivalent to five cups of ordinary coffee. The same amount of caffeine can be obtained by drinking two cups of strong coffee, 14 cups of tea, or 20 cola drinks.
These new findings provide evidence that caffeine could actually be a realistic 'treatment' for established Alzheimer's disease, and not simply a protective strategy. That's important because caffeine is a safe drug for most people. It easily enters the brain, and it appears to directly affect the disease process.

Sudoku

Researchers have long advocated mental exercise as a way to keep brain activity healthy and vibrant, particularly in the elderly.  There are many puzzles on the market that can satisfy all tastes.  What is particularly good about Sudoku is that it is not nation-specific, relying as it does on numbers rather than the individual language skills you need with crosswords. Sudodu books can be bought all over the world, their puzzles graded according to severity, giving individuals their own goal to reach the dizzying heights of maybe level 8 or 9.

Turmeric

Here's the good news: Eating curry containing turmeric once or twice a week could prevent Alzheimer's disease.

Curcumin, an antioxydant from which turmeric is made, has been found to prevent the spread of plaque found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Plaques build up in the brain and are thought to affect the electrical signals between brain cells producing dementia symptoms. Brain plaques were found to dissolve in mice given high doses of curcumin and in younger mice the spice appeared to prevent them forming in the first place. Curcumin binds to plaques, and basic research on animals engineered to produce human amyloid plaques has shown benefits.

Turmeric is often referred to as the spice of life in ancient Indian medical lore. Indian communities who regularly eat curcumin have a surprisingly low incidence of Alzheimer's disease. Already studies seem to show that you need only consume what is part of the normal diet - but higher doses are being tested to see if they can maximise the effect. It would be equivalent of going on a curry spree for a week.
Don't expect an occasional curry to counterbalance a poor lifestyle, though. However, if you have a good diet and take plenty of exercise, eating curry regularly could help prevent dementia. Trials are currently under way that could lead to a curry pill!

What is clear is that Dementia is a devastating condition that robs people of their lives. Unless we act now, one million people will develop dementia in the next ten years. A cheap accessible and safe treatment could transform the quality of life of thousands of people with the condition.

While we wait for scientific tests to be fully tested, why not try the CAST system? Taking regular doses of caffeine, Sudoku and turmeric is a cheap, safe and already proven way to be effective. Try all three today!