What is Neurodegenerative Disease?
What is Neurodegenerative Disease?
You’ve probably heard the term “neurodegenerative disease” if you’ve ever been interested in, or concerned about, your brain health. You may have even had a family member that had one of these disorders. But what is it?
Basically, the term neurodegenerative disease is used to describe what happens when nerve cells in the brain or surrounding nervous system begin to degenerate and die. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) are a few of the most common neurodegenerative conditions.
While there are treatments to alleviate some of the symptoms, once neurodegenerative disease starts, it’s difficult to slow its progression. As we age, our personal risk of being affected by a neurodegenerative disease increases. And with more and more of our fellow citizens living longer, there are more people living with these conditions than ever.
What Causes Neurodegenerative Disease?
According to the National Institutes of Health, “Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions of people worldwide. In 2016, an estimated 5.4 million Americans were living with Alzheimer’s disease. An estimated 930,000 people in the United States could be living with Parkinson’s disease by 2020.”
Neurodegenerative diseases happen over time, as nervous system cells (neurons) in the brain and spinal cord start to deconstruct, with degrading cells begin to function abnormally, eventually causing the cell’s death.
As the nerve cells begin to degrade, it may cause only mild symptoms, like a slight lack of balance or difficulty pulling up a word in the middle of a sentence. However, the symptoms become increasingly severe as more of the neurons die. Neurodegenerative disease progression may extend over a decade or more, and the actual beginning of neurodegeneration may precede its diagnosis by many years. Over time, patients become unable to walk and lose cognitive functioning. Many neurodegenerative diseases are fatal.
The Increasing Impact of Neurodegenerative Disease
In 2020, an estimated 5,000,000 Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, 1,000,000 have Parkinson’s and 400,000 suffer with multiple sclerosis (MS). Many others suffer from similar neurodegenerative diseases, which strike primarily after midlife.
As our population gets older, the numbers of Americans suffering from these illnesses will increase. In fact, Harvard researchers say, “If left unchecked 30 years from now, more than 12 million Americans will suffer from neurodegenerative diseases. Finding treatments and cures for neurodegenerative diseases is a goal of increasing urgency.”
There are many things that can be done to reduce your risk of neurodegenerative disease, including following the doctor-recommended tenets of a proper nutritious diet, regular intellectual stimulation in the forms of work or brain challenges, adequate daily hydration, and at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise every week, among others.
Unfortunately, research has shown that 90%+ of Americans don’t get the recommended daily vitamins and minerals they need from their diets. Supplementing with a product that’s specifically designed to promote your brain’s health is a good place to start.
In one independent clinical study, patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) who supplemented their diets with carotenoids and omega-3s achieved statistically significant positive results. In this study, research participants who took these supplements (commercially known as the Memory Health® supplement) slowed their progression of AD and showed functional benefits in their performance of daily activities.
The Memory Health® supplement was used in the independent study mentioned above and became the first supplement awarded a patent for the prevention and or treatment of neurodegenerative disease, specifically Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. It is currently available to everyone and delivers carotenoids and omega-3s directly through the blood-brain barrier to the brain.
Specifically, the researchers concluded that,
"The results from the current study suggest that the improvements we identified in patients with Alzheimer's disease were uniquely achieved only when a combination of the xanthophyll carotenoids and omega-3 fatty acids were provided to the patients. The carers for patients in Trial 2 reported functional benefits in memory, sight and mood. Following completion of the trial, families and carers of the patients in Trial 2 have contacted our research center requesting continued access to the supplement, as they are adamant that the intervention with xanthophyll carotenoids and fish oil has had a very positive impact for the patient.”
Memory Health® is made from an all-natural, patented formula of Lutein, Zeaxanthin and Meso-Zeaxanthin, combined with Omega-3s (DHA and EPA) and Natural Vitamin E. It is also the only brain supplement currently on the market to receive a patent for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia.
The Gold Standard of Brain Supplements
Memory Health® was tested and proven in double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials, becoming the first supplement to receive a patent for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative disease, specifically Alzheimer's and dementia. It has been clinically proven to improve cognitive functions and memory. Other tested benefits include improvement in sight, focus, clarity, and mood.
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