AltMedAngel: Alternative Medicine Angel
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Aluminum and Alzheimer's
According to a Reuters on-line article from April 14, University of California researchers recently found a positive correlation between the incidence of Alzheimer's disease and levels of aluminum in drinking water.
The study focused on a region of northwestern Italy that's noted for its higher-than-average rate of Alzheimer's deaths. As it turns out, that region's water supply is abnormally high in its concentration of aluminum... by as much as six times the maximum amount recommended by most environmental agencies! The study also probed aluminum's effects on human cells, revealing that even minute amounts of the metal hastened cellular death, especially when combined with beta-amyloid, a protein prevalent in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
The first use of alum (which contains aluminum) to rapidly filter drinking water was in Frankfurt in 1880. The first cases of Alzheimers were described in 1907 in the Frankfurt vicinity by Alois Alzheimer. The theory behind aluminum as a factor in developing Alzheimers is that it binds to an iron carrier protein known as transferrin and concentrates in brain regions. The Al
3+ ion is just about the same size as the Fe2+ ion, so it easily latches onto transferrin quite tightly and can then be transferred to the brain. Aluminum accumulates in the brain in regions where transferrin receptors are highest. It also displaces magnesium in key metabolic reactions in brain cells.Almost all municipal water sources in the USA contain various amounts of aluminum. Also important to note is that the fluoride our government adds to the water supply for our brighter smiles has actually been shown in animal studies to enhance absorption of aluminum. It has been documented that silicon helps aluminum excretion. Aluminum and silicon also bind tightly together, so silicon may be a protective factor against aluminum exposure.
If you or someone you love is showing signs of Alzheimer's, the first step is to establish a pure source of drinking, cooking and bathing water. See this sites article called Water: The Misunderstood Nutrient for an in-depth discussion of various filtration systems and also some of the other harmful chemicals found in, or added to, our drinking water.
For information on natural treatments for Alzheimer's Disease, see this site's article called Flower Power for Alzheimer's Sufferers and look up Alzheimer's in the Story Links section of the Links page on this site.
Also see What Causes Alzheimer's Disease?
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