According to Alzheimer's research, every 71 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer’s disease. As more and more baby boomers enter old age, Alzheimer’s may well become the public health crisis of the 21st century. By the year 2050, it is estimated that as many as 16 million Americans will be afflicted.

Alzheimer’s is no different than other chronic disorder. It is something we have created with our modern diets and lifestyles. Since we have created it, we can uncreate it. The question to ask is: Why are these brain cells malfunctioning and what can be done to prevent and reverse it? There are many factors to consider.

Alzheimer’s is characterized by the formation of beta-amyloid peptides around brain cells. Beta-amyloid is the protein fragment considered by many experts to be the prime suspect triggering nerve cell degeneration in Alzheimer’s patients.

Research shows that when these naturally-produced beta-amyloid peptides accumulate, they cause high levels of destructive free radical activity. If beta-amyloid peptide accumulation creates damaging free radicals, it would be useful to understand why this happens so that we can prevent it.

A study in the May 2003 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences offers one explanation: It has to do with the deadly metabolic poison known as refined sugar. Eating sugar increases blood sugar levels, causing an increase in blood insulin.

The enzyme insulysin degrades insulin so as to restore normal insulin levels. However, this same enzyme also degrades beta-amyloid peptides in the brain. The researchers believe that regular refined sugar consumption creates chronically high insulin levels. High insulin uses up too much of the available insulysin capacity, thereby preventing the normal degradation of amyloid peptides and leading to an accumulation of these peptides that is found in Alzheimer’s.

Secondly, high homocysteine (a by-product of the metabolism of animal protein) levels generate brain-damaging free radicals. According to a study in a February 2002 New England Journal of Medicine, people with high levels of homocysteine have double the risk of Alzheimer’s compared to those with normal homocysteine.

Since B vitamins break down homocysteine, people who are deficient in B6, B12 and folic acid often develop high homocysteine levels. Supplemental B12 has been shown to completely reverse memory loss in some older people. B vitamins are critical to controlling homocysteine and B vitamins are depleted by eating refined sugar.

Since Alzheimer’s results from free radical damage to the brain, the need to supply the body with antioxidant nutrients such as vitamins C and E is obvious. There is overwhelming evidence that antioxidants are highly protective in both prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s. For example, in a recent animal study, vitamin E was found to prevent beta-amyloid peptides from killing brain cells.

How can a hair analysis help one achieve better health? If we consider that diet is what we consume and nutrition is what we retain, then we can see that discovering what the body needs when it needs it is a valuable tool in creating health. A hair analysis can determine which essential minerals the body is needing more of and which toxic elements it needs to eliminate. It also provides valuable insight into the body's metaoblism and what dietary changes would be most helpful for recovery.