Understanding and Managing Alzheimer's Disease

Posted by Axona on January 2nd, 2020

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder which is associated with problems in thought and behaviour patterns. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia- a brain disorder which generally affects people who are over 65 years old and gets worse over time.

In Alzheimer’s, the way the brain functions changes over time. This can cause changes in the way an affected individual thinks, reasons, speaks, behaves and in general, interacts with the world.

Causes of Alzheimer's Disease

Numerous studies and dedicated research is on to find Alzheimer’s disease causes, but so far no concrete reasons have been found for its onset. It is instead found to be a result of a complex series of events which occur in the brain. Different studies are being conducted to map the changes that take place as the human brain ages to find where and how Alzheimer’s begins.

Some factors which combine to contribute to Alzheimer’s in patients are:

•     Age
•     Genetics
•     Lifestyle
•     Environment
•     Specific genes (in rare cases)

While Alzheimer’s disease causes have not been singled out yet, there is a deeper understanding about how the disease progresses- in brains affected by Alzheimer’s, brain cells (known as neurons ) begin to die. As more and more neurons are destroyed as the disease progresses, the more difficult it becomes for the brain to continue functioning properly.

Some startling discoveries have been made with regard to how a brain with Alzheimer’s differs from a brain not affected by it.

#1. Abnormal Structures: Plaques and tangles are the two different kinds of abnormal structures which can be seen in the brain subject to an MRI scan. Research suggests that the structures are part of the process which lead to the death of neurons. To be more specific, these structures are:

•     Amyloid Plaques, which are beta-amyloid protein deposits that surround the brain cells.
•     Neurofibrillary Tangles, which are abnormal collections of a protein called tau that build up inside neurons.

#2. Hypo Metabolism of Glucose

The other difference is how glucose is utilized in the brain of those affected by Alzheimer. A diminished cerebral metabolism of glucose occurs because the machinery that breaks down glucose into energy for brain cells stop functioning properly in some parts of the brain and starved of energy, neurons stop functioning.

Axona, a medical food, provides a solution to tackle this issue. In the absence of glucose, the human body is designed to utilize ketones as an alternative source of fuel. Ketones can be naturally produced by the body when it is exposed to an extremely low carb, high fat diet called the ketogenic diet. Since it is not feasible for individuals with Alzheimer’s to maintain this strict diet, Axona has been widely recommended to improve memory and cognition.

Why Axona Reviews Show Such Positive Benefits in Alzheimer’s Management?

In most Axona reviews, medical food is recommended by caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s. That is because in combination with other drugs which control the chemical processes in the brain to manage the progress of the disease, Axona ( a non-drug) concerns itself with the management of the two overlooked pars affected the most by glucose hypometabolism- memory and cognition. Alexa has MCTs which are converted into ketones that act as a fuel source for the neurons. This method has been clinically proven in medical trials to improve thought and memory in those with mild or moderate Alzheimer’s disease.