You are already familiar with the 4 Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention™, which include diet and supplements, exercise, and stress management. Make a commitment to eat healthier. Just like your body, your brain needs proper nutrition, blood flow, energy, and care to operate effectively. There is growing evidence that links brain health to heart health. Many of the conditions that damage the heart or blood vessels, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, and diabetes, appear to increase the risk of developing vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s. Eating a heart-healthy diet rich in cold-water fish, lean protein, nuts, whole grains, olive oil and healthy fats, and fresh fruits and vegetables can help protect against these conditions. Additionally, antioxidants found in foods and supplements, such as Vitamins A, C and E, help protect against free radicals, which are highly-reactive forms of oxygen that create chemical reactions that damage brain cells. Foods such as broccoli, tomatoes, kale, citrus, green leafy vegetables, blueberries, wheat germ, and seeds, are great sources of antioxidants.

If you want to maintain a healthy body and mind, you must exercise. Physical exercise increases oxygen to your brain, releases helpful brain chemicals, such as endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, and protects brain cells. Make a commitment to exercise for 30 minutes every day. It need not be rigorous and so demanding that you’re not enjoying it. Try walking, dancing, biking or swimming. Include weight training several times a week as well as gentle stretching. In addition to physical exercises, add mental exercises as well. Try stimulating your brain every day by working a crossword puzzle, studying a foreign language, practicing a musical instrument, reading a good book, or taking up a new hobby.

Studies show that the more socially connected we are, the better we fare on tests of memory and cognition. Make a commitment to spend more time with family and friends. Find something that you and your spouse, parents, siblings or friends enjoy doing together…coffee together in the morning, an evening walk, a shared hobby, or taking a class together. Try making a weekly date and consider volunteering some time to a cause you believe in.

The effects of stress on your body are well known, but your brain also suffers. Chronic stress can lead to shrinkage in the hippocampus, a key memory area of the brain, and an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Make a commitment to manage stress. Try incorporating yoga, aromatherapy, breathing exercises, or meditation into your daily routine. Regular meditation may help protect you against the damaging effects of stress. In fact, ARPF research revealed that the first area that decreases in function in Alzheimer’s disease…an area called the posterior cingulate gyrus…is actually activated during the 12-minute Kirtan Kriya meditation, a type of meditation from the Kundalini yoga tradition, which has been practiced for thousands of years. This meditation can help improve memory, energy, mood, and overall well-being. Learn more by visiting www.alzheimersprevention.org.

The more you strengthen each of the four pillars in your daily life, the healthier your brain, body and lifestyle will be. Make a commitment to a healthier lifestyle for 2012.

Numerous studies have shown that stress may adversely affect our ability to focus and solve problems, and may also cause short term memory loss. Here’s what happens chemically: the stress hormone cortisol damages the cells in the memory center of your brain. As stress and cortisol levels increase, so does the chance of developing memory loss. Remember frequent visits to the grocery store for ingredients that never made it on the shopping list? High levels of cortisol also impact your ability to learn and retain new information, which is called short-term memory loss.

So how can we cope with holiday stress?

Stress Management
Stress-relaxation techniques work by reducing stress, thus lowering cortisol levels, and improving many aspects of mental function. Research has shown that the benefits of a regular stress-relaxation practice can improve your overall health…such as improved heart function, reduced anxiety and chronic pain, and increased longevity…and can especially improve focus, attention, and optimal mental performance.

There are many ways to manage stress, the most obvious of which is to avoid stressful situations. Since this is less likely to occur during the holiday season, other techniques to lower stress and anxiety might include yoga, meditation, exercise, deep breathing, and chanting. Proper nutrition and proper sleep are also important for brain health.

During the holiday season and beyond, it is important for us to learn how to manage the stress in our lives so we can be better prepared for life’s unexpected and challenging situations. Stress management is essential for our continued mental and physical well-being.

Learn more about the 4 Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention™, which includes Diet, Stress Management, and Exercise, at www.alzheimersprevention.org.

Wishing you a stress-free holiday season!

The best way to make strides against Alzheimer’s is to not only maintain your brain as you age, but actually make it better by creating a lifetime of peak mental performance. An aging brain does not have to be the norm. You can make your brain, mind, and memory younger as you age and not allow yourself to lose it all.

According to my investigations, if we can delay the onset of memory loss by only 5 years, we can virtually drop the rate by 50%. More impressively, if we can delay the rate of memory loss by 10 years, which is possible, then we will never suffer from loss of mental function as we age. How you live your life today will go a long way towards determining the state of your mind and memory tomorrow.

You can protect and repair your brain with your lifestyle choices. You need to find a solution that first recognizes and then reduces the factors that put you at risk. The answer? The 4 Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention™:

• Diet and Supplements: Just like the rest of your body, your brain needs proper nutrition, blood flow, energy, and care. Discover how simple it can be to supercharge your brain health with the right diet and supplements. Diet and nutrition can prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s.

• Stress Management: The effects of the daily grind on your body are well known, but did you know your brain also suffers when you’re stressed out? Find out how you can benefit from easy stress-relieving techniques that can dramatically reduce your risk for developing Alzheimer’s.

• Exercise: It’s simple: if you want to maintain a healthy body and mind, you must exercise. But, in addition to physical exercises, it’s time for you to discover how mental and mind-body exercises are essential for your health and wellbeing.

• Medicines: Medications and hormones can be an important part of the answer. Working with your physician, it’s vital that you understand how pharmaceuticals may be an important part of your overall solution if you have an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

By following these lifestyle changes, prevention is possible. Let’s spread the word together so that “60 seconds” will turn into zero.

In New York, some unusual research was done by Bianca Acevedo, a New York neuroscientist.  Her research concluded that love is in the head and not the heart!

Acevedo is part of a new field in science that seeks to biologically explain love, and so far they have found that love is mostly understood through hormones, genetics, and brain images, according to a report from the Associated Press.

“It has a biological basis. We know some of the key players,” said Larry Young of the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, where he searches for clues as to what goes on in the minds of those who love.

Acevedo, who works on a team at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, believes there are four areas of the brain that form the love circuit; the ventral tegmental area (VTA), the nucleus accumbens, the ventral pallidum and raphe nucleus.

The VTA is believed to be a key reward system in the brain.

The team saw the teardrop-shaped VTA light up when people newly in love were tested under a functional magnetic resonance imaging machine and were shown pictures of their darling.

“These are cells that make dopamine and send it to different brain regions,” said Helen Fisher of Rutgers University. “This part of the system becomes activated because you’re trying to win life’s greatest prize – a mating partner.”

The team also studied couples who had been married nearly 20 years and still participated in “lovey-dovey” actions such as holding hands.  Researchers discovered that the ventral pallidum and raphe nucleus both lit up along with the VTA.

According to Fisher, the ventral pallidum is linked to attachment and hormones that decrease stress while the raphe nucleus secretes serotonin which calms people.

The combination of those areas in action causes “a feeling of nothing wrong,” said Brown.

The researchers hope their studies could eventually lead to medicines that help troubled relationships, and possibly treat social-interaction conditions like autism.

Brain researchers are limited in how much they can test the human brain, so they have turned to testing other mammals that bond for life, and believe they now have a better understanding of how to keep the love circuits lit.

Love keeps your brain healthy – how cool is that?

As you may have heard, a recent announcement at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s disease hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association in Paris, France, states that the prevention of cognitive decline is now within reach. This statement has drawn an enthusiastic response from many industry leaders.  The ARPF is among those quick to affirm the news. As you may recall, in 1993, we were the first to begin this pioneering prevention research work.

I’m thrilled that the Alzheimer’s Association and others have joined our prevention camp. When I first started speaking publicly about Alzheimer’s prevention, I wasn’t the most popular physician in the room. But science has always been on our side, and I was patiently optimistic that the conventional medical establishment would embrace the concept one day. Listening to the news that the other experts now agree with me that with lifestyle measures, we can reduce the number of people who develop Alzheimer’s by as much as 50 percent is validating – not of me personally, but of the science that we have been promoting for many years.

 The ARPF’s Four Pillars of Prevention™ represent the state-of-the-art of a lifestyle approach, which is now the mainstream method to reducing your risk factors for the development of this terrible disease.

 In addition, our meditative memory exercise known as Kirtan Kriya has been vigorously studied by the ARPF in concert with scientists at top medical schools, and its findings have been published in leading medical journals. Our research shows that Kirtan Kriya, when practiced only 12 minutes a day, strengthens your brain, increases blood flow to it, and reverses established memory loss.  

Moreover, our innovative research has also revealed a reduction in inflammation, less depression, and a 44 percent increase in the enzyme known as telomerase, which is a breakthrough anti-aging discovery. When you have more telomerase, you have longer telomeres, part of your DNA, and that means you live longer in better health and with an improved memory.

Now that it appears there is growing consensus around the potential of prevention, we all need to work together to educate the public. Our message is one of hope and optimism. There are things that you can do right now to stimulate your brain, make it younger and stronger, and improve your memory with age.

We owe it to ourselves, as well as to our children and grandchildren, to join forces to empower everyone to make lifestyle modifications so they’ll enjoy a long life with a clear and vital mind.

Now is the time.

Please join us in this hopeful and optimistic movement!

Sincerely yours,

Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.
Founding President/Medical Director

Life expectancy increases due to healthcare improvements like the introduction of vaccines, the development of drugs or positive behavior changes like the reduction in smoking or drinking rates. During the 20th century, the average lifespan in the United States increased by more than 30 years as the rates of infectious diseases declined.

Which countries have the longest life expectancies? Japan’s life expectancy is nearly 83 years with European countries like Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Sweden, and others such as Israel and Australia only a year or two behind. Japan’s relative advantage is related to not only genetics but also its universal health care system, generally better diet and low levels of inequality.

Unfortunately, the United States is a very different story; it has a life expectancy of around 78 years, comparable to Cuba and the near bottom of many developed countries. The few countries that lag behind the United States (Czech Republic, Poland, Mexico, Slovak Republic, Estonia, Hungary and Turkey) all have vastly lower measures of wealth. In 2000, the World Health Organization rated the United States’ health system as 37th in the world, below middle income countries such as Columbia, Costa Rica, and Chile.

It is remarkable that American’s pay 2-5 times more for healthcare than most developed countries while having one of the shortest life expectancies. If you think of health expenditures as an investment, with longevity as the return on investment, then we can say that the United States receives a much lower return on its investment than other wealthy countries.

What individuals can do to rise above the fairly dismal statistics on life and health is to invest the time, energy, and money that make health a very high priority. In general many wait until they lose their health and then try and regain it again. But that’s tough to do.  Instead, people should do everything they can to stay vital and active with a clear mind for ever. The 4 Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention^TM - consisting of nutrition, exercise, stress management and pharmaceuticals - is a good way to raise your life expectancy, and your brain longevity.  And it’s never too late to start.

Researchers at Harvard showed women with shorter telomeres were 12 times more likely to have MCI, a prelude to Alzheimer’s.  Shorter telomeres translate to brain shrinkage

Inflammation and free radicals are the worst causes of shortened telomeres. Both are caused by bad diet, pollution, smoking, obesity, no exercise, and not reducing your stress levels. However, multivitamins, containing A’s, B’s, C, E, D, and Folic acid, counteract telomere shortening.

According to the researchers, the women who regularly took multivitamins with antioxidants had longer and younger looking telomeres. The women that didn’t take them, not only had shorter and unhealthier telomeres but they also looked 10 years older.

Another study of over 1,000 people from the University of Washington reported an association between shorter telomere length and an increased risk of dying over a six year follow-up period. Of the people whose telomeres were among the shortest 25%, had a 60% greater risk of dying compared with people who had telomeres that were among the longest 25%.

The authors state that the “erosion of telomeres is the result of an increasing burden of cell stress and inflammation.” Once again, stress and inflammation are found to be the leading cause of shortened telomeres.

The conclusion of these and other studies is that taking a combination of B’s, antioxidants such as A, C and E, and minerals improved memory performance.

Dr. Dharma, Kirti Khalsa and Conni Ingallina visit with David Cassidy

David’s grandfather had severe dementia and his mother is currently in 24-hour nursing with severe dementia.  Alzheimer’s disease is near and dear to his heart and he chose the ARPF as his charity to help raise awareness that this disease can be prevented.

We were honored that David chose the ARPF as his charity for the Celebrity Apprentice and we went to Las Vegas last weekend to tell him so in person. David’s passion about this issue rings through in every word he speaks and we were privileged to hear his heart on this issue, as well as discuss other opportunities to raise awareness about Alzheimers and dementia. 

And what visit would be complete without going to a Vegas show?  We had the privilege of seeing David Cassidy in concert – he puts on a fantastic and entertaining show! 

What a great weekend, and a great opportunity for the ARPF to raise even more awareness regarding our research and programs.  Stay tuned for more…

Who would have thought that 40 years after the first email was successfully sent that we would be creating virtual spaces to connect with our friends, family and community via “the net!”  Not only has it become a modern phenomenon but it is a way of life.  I’m talking about Facebook.  Yes, the noun, the verb and the adverb– Facebook. 

Something that started as a way to rate chicks on college campuses in the early 2000s has essentially become THE hub to reconnect, invite, like, friend and chat with folks from all over the world.  And it doesn’t just stop there – social media tools such as Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Skype have also joined the ranks.

A recent study involving two senior resident facilities in Italy gave their participants laptops with wireless connections, along with tutorials on how to maneuver on the internet.  The men and women were schooled on the ins and outs of Facebook, Twitter and Skype. Those folks who got the knack of it were successful at using the social networking sites and demonstrated better cognition than those who chose to remain detached from internet use. 

Yes, it’s true.   Those who are actively learning- whether it be a new language, a musical instrument or technology, are more likely to improve brain cognition in both memory and brain health. 

Not only is it about keeping the mind active, but it has long been reported that sites like Facebook can actually help reduce stress, anxiety and depression.  What’s even more amazing is that researchers have added brain flexibility to the list.  A study conducted by the Italian Association of Psychogeriatrics, an organization that promotes better geriatric mental health, revealed that Facebook and internet technology in general helps to keep elderly peoples cultural curiosity alive.  It stimulates attention span and memory, keeping them mentally young. 

Still not convinced? Let the numbers tell the rest of the story.

In recent years, the number of silver-set members who are entertaining themselves via sites like Facebook has increased by 80 percent.  The number of seniors who have profiles on Facebook exceeds 1.5 million.

A pretty impressive number!  However, though you might not be apt to navigate all of the social media trends or update your status via Twitter regularly, one thing is for sure– Facebook ,whether it’s just a way to keep up on your children at college, voice your political views or just good for your brain, IS fun!  So, what are you waiting for?  Join the 500 million people around the world and post on!

This is significant, because what was discussed was also the fact that aging baby boomers want is to create a lifetime of peak mental performance. In other words, they want to be able to maintain their cognitive function as they age, and not have their memory decline.

The AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) did a study and found that 80% of the respondents said that

“Staying mentally sharp as they age”

was their number one priority.

The results of this study show the following top four goals of aging baby boomers in order to achieve that priority:

1. To be able to handle stressful situations
2. To be able to do physical exercise
3. To stay mentally active
4. To learn to meditate

The ARPF has been providing leading edge work in this field since 1993 and, for the past 10 years, has been focused on meditation and memory.

The Foundation is proud to be a leader in this field of meditation and memory in the Alzheimer’s community and beyond. We will continue to pursue this focus as our main area of research and hope to establish a larger network of like-minded people with whom to share this knowledge.

And that’s why we value your help!