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Alzheimer’s – Slowing its Progression, Some Ideas
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Alzheimer’s – Slowing its Progression, Some Ideas
*Note: I am using markdown formatting in hopes that it will be compatible with this website.* – Nahh! That did not work! Oh well, it is still readable as is.
## A Few Foods That Might Help
*Some things I came across while reading about diet and brain health — in case any of this is useful. None of this replaces medical advice, of course. Please run anything new by your doctor, especially if you’re on blood pressure medication or blood thinners.* My initial motivation for gathering this information was to help a friend recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I am posting it here in hopes it might be of interest and/or use to some of my fellow IMA advocates.
*Also, note that this advice was aimed at cognitive health, and was not specifically framed as suitable for Alzheimer’s; but I thought, “Why not aim it at Alzheimer’s? Of course it is reasonable to at least **try** it as a useful set of dietary foods for Alzheimer’s – despite the lack of research on this application by Big Pharma and Big Government, who are not interested in such a simple and inexpensive intervention that might detract from their bottom line!”*
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### The Foods (and Why They’re Worth Considering)
**🍒 Tart Cherry Juice (unsweetened, Montmorency variety)**
Contains natural melatonin to support deep sleep, plus anthocyanins — anti-inflammatory compounds that can cross into the brain and help protect neurons involved in memory. The research uses 8 oz (one cup). If blood sugar is a concern, starting with half a cup is fine.
**🍯 Raw Unfiltered Honey (1–2 teaspoons)**
Contains pinocembrin, a flavonoid that appears to promote the growth of new neurons in the hippocampus — the brain’s memory center. Daily raw honey consumption has been shown to raise BDNF, a protein essential for neuron growth, maintenance, and repair. Stir it into the cherry juice.
**🌰 Raw Walnuts (about 14 halves)**
Rich in alpha-linolenic acid (a plant omega-3), polyphenols, and ellagic acid — all of which support healthy brain cell membranes. Important for the brain’s overnight cleaning process that clears out metabolic waste, including amyloid plaques. Use raw walnuts, not roasted or salted.
**🥛 Plain Greek Yogurt (1 cup)**
The slow-digesting casein protein provides a steady release of amino acids through the night — raw materials the brain needs for repair. The research behind this used up to 1.9 cups daily, but 1 cup before bed is more practical.
**🐟 Fatty Fish — Sardines, Wild Salmon, or Mackerel (one serving / one tin)**
The best dietary source of preformed DHA, which makes up about 60% of the brain’s structural fat. Also provides astaxanthin (in salmon — supports mitochondrial health), vitamin D3, B12, and selenium. Sardines are the easiest to digest before sleep and are lowest in mercury.
**💊 Low-Dose Melatonin — 0.3 mg, Immediate-Release (not time-release)**
A small, physiological dose to support sleep onset. Immediate-release clears before morning, so it’s less likely to cause grogginess than time-release formulas — especially with a shorter sleep window. Take about 30 minutes before bed, on any night.
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### How to Pair These — A Few Simple Options
| Night | What to Have | When | Notes |
|—|—|—|—|
| **2–3 nights/week** | 8 oz tart cherry juice + 1–2 tsp raw honey | 30–45 min before bed | Lightest option. Least likely to affect digestion. Stir the honey into the juice. |
| **2 nights/week** | One tin of sardines (or a serving of wild salmon/mackerel) | 1–2 hours before bed | Sardines digest easiest. Keep the portion modest. |
| **1–2 nights/week** | 14 raw walnut halves + 1 cup plain Greek yogurt | ~1 hour before bed | If dairy before bed causes any digestive discomfort, the walnuts alone are still valuable. |
| **Occasionally (~1 night/week)** | All four together: cherry juice + honey, walnuts, fish, yogurt | At least 2 hours before bed | Only if genuinely hungry and there’s time to digest. Don’t force it. |
**The melatonin tablet** can be taken any night, about 30 minutes before bed — it doesn’t interfere with any of the foods.
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### A Few Quick Principles
– **Rotate, don’t stack everything every night.** The goal is weaving these into the week naturally, not checking every box daily.
– **Listen to your body.** If a particular food or pairing disrupts sleep, move it earlier in the evening or drop it.
– **The cherry juice has real benefits, but also real sugar.** If blood sugar is a concern, half a cup is a reasonable starting point.
– **Sardines are the sleep-friendliest fish** — small, easy to digest, low on the food chain.
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*This is for informational purposes only — just things I came across that seemed worth sharing. Please check with your doctor before adding anything new, especially melatonin if you’re on blood pressure medication or blood thinners.*
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4 Replies
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Look into Dr Dale Bredesen’s work. He has a book titled The End of Alzheimer’s with suggestions that should help and he has a program called Recode. There is a link on the website to find Recode trained practitioners. He has reversed Alzheimer’s particularly in people who start early. He also has another book that came out later, I think it gives some case histories. He says it’s like having a bucket with 32 holes that need to be checked and filled. Just two of his recommendations are a low carb diet and at least a 12 hour overnight fast.
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I really like his approach to getting tests done early so you can see changes in brain function and then as he says, do not be scared, but it gives you a chance to be active in managing your brain health.
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Bredesen’s published the astounding effect on dementia of a list of supplements. He also published some videos for those who do not read much.
The ketogenic diet has much potential as a way to stop dementia as detailed in the writing of neonatologist Mary Newport, M. D. who stopped her husband’s early dementia by administering coconut oil as an alternative fuel source for the brain cells which have lost the ability to sue glucose as fuel. (See You Tube for encouragement to read her books.)
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Thanks for starting the conversation and for these wonderful everyday foods that help our brains. It seems Altzheimers has had billions spent on research, and like Cancer, we have seen very little in the way of results.
Thought I would add some guidfes from the IMA website to the mix:
https://imahealth.org/tools-and-guides/alzheimers-brain-health-guide/
https://imahealth.org/tools-and-guides/brain-and-mental-health-guide/
https://imahealth.org/tools-and-guides/magnesium-and-brain-health/
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This reply was modified 1 week, 1 day ago by IMA-HelenT.
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This reply was modified 1 week, 1 day ago by
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