• Alzheimer’s is the only one of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States that cannot be cured, prevented or slowed. (at least so far)

• 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 65 already has Alzheimer’s.   [2]

Take heart. Although those 2 bullet points paint a pretty bleak picture, Shaklee's Landmark Studies had many participants above the age of 65, and not one of them suffered from Alzheimer’s. More about that later.

I read Dr. Dale Bredesen’s book “The End of Alzheimer’s” in 2022. [3] A family member had been using his approach to address her failing memory with good results, so I wanted to compare his suggestions to what I had already gleaned from the scientific literature between 2008 and 2018. Although his book is an exhausting read, it confirmed that the nutrients we have previously reviewed (and the “Shaklee lifestyle” in general) make up a significant portion of his recommendations.



A Little Background

Between 2010 and 2018, the NIH has rejected every proposed trial to test the Bredesen protocols, because the NIH 'gold standard' trial is designed:

•   to test ONE drug against ONE disease.

Even though hundreds of single drug Alzheimer’s trials have all failed miserably, the NIH continues to stick with their single-cure (silver bullet) approach.

We also need to consider how many researchers are working on this disease. First and foremost are the drug companies who stand to make Billions off of any successful drug treatment.

Then there are the tenured heads of university neurology departments, and their research scientists, who regularly receive grant money from the NIH (National Institutes of Health) to better understand this disease.

Unfortunately, all that work has led to a long string of failed clinical trials for the next miracle drug, and since 2003, not one of them has succeeded (or been approved for use).

Dr. Bredesen’s approach is different. It is based on 30 years of work by a group of scientists and researchers. Rather than looking for a silver bullet that might be aimed at the existing disease itself, his group studied the various underlying CAUSES of the Alzheimer’s disease process.

To date they have discovered 36 specific underlying issues, from genetic, environmental, and dietary issues, as well as several well-documented imbalances within the hormonal system.

For those who would like a more in-depth review I strongly recommend his book. [3]
I got a LOT more from it reading it for the second time.

Although his approach is based on numerous blood tests and a battery of cognitive testing exams before the treatment component even begins, I believe that an early, targeted program of supplementation and lifestyle management can be very successful. When and if that does not appear to be the case, we can always take the next step by adopting the full Bredesen protocol.

The KEY is starting to act during the early stages of onset of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (more on that below). This also means being truthful with yourself.

The major contributors to cognitive decline fall into the following categories:

1.   Chronic inflammation.

2.   Insulin resistance.

3.   Chronic stress

4.   Toxicity (from various sources)

5.   Insufficient sleep

6.   Hormonal, nutritional and trophic factors [4] that are below optimum levels.

To address all the imbalances that lead to the decline in brain function called mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Dr. Bredesen developed a program called metabolic enhancement for neurodegeneration (MEND) and over the following years, as their research expanded, they introduced the current program, named reversal of cognitive decline (ReCODE).   [5]

Both programs have been shown to successfully help patients overcome memory loss from diagnosed MCI or the early stages of Alzheimer’s (AD) with impressive results [6], [7], [8], and an exploratory clinical trial is finally underway.   [9]



Prevention is ALWAYS the wisest approach