"The groundwork of all happiness is health." - Leigh Hunt

Can Alzheimer's really be reversed, a brand new documentary claims?

Two people diagnosed with Alzheimer's claim to give you the chance to manage the disease through easy lifestyle changes.

Dementia and Alzheimer's have been the largest killers within the UK for the past ten years, accounting for 11.4% of deaths. 2022. Although New drugs can slow the progression of the disease, more evidence is emerging that something so simple as incorporating a healthy lifestyle can “reverse” Alzheimer's symptoms.

Alzheimer's disease could be divided into two subgroups, familial and sporadic. Only 5% of Alzheimer's patients have it. familyare inherited, and account for 95% of Alzheimer's patients. SporadicDue to environmental, lifestyle and genetic risk aspects. Consequently, probably the most effective strategy for coping with Alzheimer's is prevention and living a healthy lifestyle. This prompted researchers to check the danger aspects related to Alzheimer's.

Two Alzheimer's patients, Cici Zerbe and Simon Nicholls, claim to have beaten the deadly disease with easy lifestyle changes. The couple detailed their journey in a CNN documentary. The last Alzheimer's patient.

Zerbe experienced a reversal of symptoms after participating in a clinical trial within the US. This trial explores the results of acute lifestyle changes on mild cognitive impairment or early dementia because of Alzheimer's disease. The study has not yet been published.

Lifestyle changes include a plant-based weight-reduction plan, regular exercise, group support sessions, yoga and meditation. Zerbi said she feels “much better” than she did before she took part within the trial five years ago, when she was diagnosed with the disease.

A notable improvement

Simon Nichols, age 55, is one other person with Alzheimer's featured within the CNN documentary who took part within the trial. Nicholas carries two copies of a gene variant. ApoE4, which is understood to significantly increase the danger of Alzheimer's. However, after adopting healthy lifestyle changes, Nicholas saw a big improvement in his symptoms.

About 25% of the population carries not less than one copy of a variant of the ApoE4 gene (called an “allele”) and 5% have two. Copies. Carrying an ApoE4 allele increases the danger of developing Alzheimer's three to 4 times. Carrying two copies increases the danger. 12 times Call it the largest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's.

These statistics add to the remarkable and memorable nature of Nicholas' success in reversing Alzheimer's symptoms through his lifestyle selections alone. Its biomarkers for Alzheimer's disappeared in 14 months, which is significantly more practical than most Alzheimer's treatments.

Nicholas highlighted physical activity and dietary changes for his journey. First, she was prescribed tirzepetide, a drug designed to suppress appetite by regulating blood sugar levels. He also added regular exercise, including strength training thrice per week, walking 10,000 steps a day and jogging or cycling every morning.

Clip from CNN documentary on Alzheimer's.

Cardiovascular disease is a very important risk factor and potential future predictor of Alzheimer's. Heart-brain communication is crucial for providing energy and oxygen to brain cells through cerebral blood flow. Thus, poor heart health can increase the danger of Alzheimer's because brain cells receive less energy to operate. This explains why Nicholas' improved heart health and increased cardiovascular activity have improved his symptoms.

He also implemented dietary changes – removing sugar, alcohol and processed foods – and adopted the Mediterranean weight-reduction plan.

The Mediterranean weight-reduction plan is high in antioxidants, which protect brain cells from damage, and research suggests that nutrients from the weight-reduction plan help maintain memory and cognitive abilities. A recent broad the study 60,000 Britons showed that following a Mediterranean weight-reduction plan reduced the danger of dementia by 23%.

Nichols can be implementing good sleep hygiene to enhance his irregular sleep patterns, as some studies show. Lack of sleep Linked to Alzheimer's.

The prevailing theory is that in sleep, toxic proteins, resembling amyloid, could be faraway from the glymphatic system. These will otherwise accumulate and cause dementia. However, it must be noted that a recent Studies in rats calls this theory into query.

Scientists at Imperial College London found that the clearance of poisons actually slows down during sleep, suggesting that sleep may reduce the danger of dementia through other mechanisms which are currently unknown.



These lifestyle changes had a big impact on Nicholas's life. In just nine weeks, he lost nearly 10 kilograms and 80 percent of his body fat and lowered his fasting blood sugar levels.

Nicholls and Zerbe arguably “reversed” their symptoms of Alzheimer's. This is because conditions resembling obesity, hypertension, heart disease, high cholesterol and insomnia are risk aspects for dementia, and could be modified through a healthy lifestyle.

However, these results should be interpreted with caution. These are the outcomes of only two people on the trial. Without details of the claimed results, it’s difficult to find out whether these lifestyle selections have truly “reversed” the progression of the disease.

As the influence of lifestyle on cognition continues to realize attention, more scientists are investigating the advantages. Combining the appearance of latest disease-modifying drugs with drastic lifestyle changes can significantly reduce the symptoms and progression of Alzheimer's.