No one gets through life without getting constipated. It’s one of the great equalizers among us humans. But new research shows that the many treatments available for constipation may deliver some unequal results… especially when it comes to your brain and your memory. According to one study, consistent use of this over-the-counter laxative can dampen [...]
The research is clear that staying socially engaged throughout middle age and beyond helps protect your memory against Alzheimer’s disease. But what about getting married and having a family? Being married continuously from mid-life onwards appears to save your memory and reduce your chances of developing dementia in old age. On the flip side, divorced [...]
When children don’t pay attention, act impulsively, or are hyperactive a doctor may diagnose ADHD and prescribe medication to help them have better focus, control their impulses and feel more calm. There are a number of drugs available to help both children and adults with ADHD, but one in particular is catching the eye of [...]
It’s one of the most cited scientific articles on Alzheimer’s ever published - a breakthrough 2006 study that identified amyloid beta star 56 as the cause of memory loss in mice. This single study led to billions of dollars in funding and a major research effort to find a treatment that would sweep the damaging [...]
The statistics are shocking: African American adults are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as white adults. Why is this? Genetic factors come to mind as an explanation. But two new studies presented recently at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in San Diego have come up with a surprising and quite different answer. The [...]
For years researchers have been investigating what they believed was the link between the herpes virus and Alzheimer’s disease. Laboratory tests have consistently shown that there was probably some sort of connection, but scientists have been stymied trying to untangle exactly how the presence of the herpes virus in brain tissue might bring on the [...]
A patient with suspected Alzheimer's may undergo a range of tests and examinations before a diagnosis is ever reached. This is time consuming, and, in the end, the diagnosis might not even be accurate. The reality is, up until recently, it was very difficult to diagnose Alzheimer’s with certainty until after death, during an autopsy [...]
For decades scientists have argued that the protein amyloid beta triggers the process that leads to Alzheimer’s. Others question this and suggest other underlying causes. These include abnormal tau protein metabolism, infections, neurotoxic chemicals, and more. Now, a new potential cause has been added to the list. And if researchers are right, there could be [...]
Prized in Chile as an aphrodisiac, this potato-shaped deep-sea creature is also a very popular delicacy in Japan and South Korea. If you come across one in the wild, take care! When disturbed from a surface it's attached to, it sprays water. This unusual defense is how it got the name sea squirt. Science hasn’t [...]
Ask a mainstream doctor what causes dementia, and they will likely point their finger at three things: your diet, your stress level, and your genetics. And sure, they aren’t wrong – these three factors can contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s. But I’m here to tell you there’s something else you need to look for… [...]
