Naturopathic Supports for Alzheimer's Disease

naturopathic medicine can provide a great deal of support for patients dealing with alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive conditions.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions of people worldwide and is the most common form of dementia. Risks for AD can include smoking, diabetes, hypertension, alcohol consumption, obesity, and increasing age as these can cause neuroinflammation within the body. While there is no cure for AD, naturopathic approaches offer a holistic perspective by focusing on lifestyle, nutrition, and complementary therapies.

As it is never too early to begin thinking about your cognitive health, here are some things you can start doing today to reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Mediterranean Diet

Studies have shown that individuals who adhered to a Mediterranean diet were associated with a reduced risk of dementia and cognitive decline in comparison to individuals who did not adhere to the diet. The Mediterranean diet is a diet that emphasizes the consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats to lower inflammation within the body thus lowering the risk of developing AD.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Dietary intake or supplementation of omga-3 fatty acids has also been shown to help reduce risk of cognitive decline due to their anti-inflammatory properties. Foods rich in omega-3 include nuts and seeds including flaxseeds, walnuts and chia seeds or cold-water fish including salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring.

Vitamin D

Patients with AD have a higher prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency, low mood and impaired cognitive performance so ensuring that Vitamin D levels are being tested and supplemented accordingly with foods and fats is beneficial.

Yours in good health,

Sami Leung

1. Lu’o’ng, K. V., & Nguyên, L. T. (2011). The beneficial role of vitamin D in Alzheimer’s disease. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease & Other Dementias, 26(7), 511–520. https://doi.org/10.1177/1533317511429321

2. Scarmeas, N., Stern, Y., Tang, M. X., Mayeux, R., & Luchsinger, J. A. (2006). Mediterranean diet and risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Annals of Neurology, 59(6), 912–921. https://doi.org/10.1002/ana.20854

3. Sobue, A., Komine, O. & Yamanaka, K. Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease: microglial signature and their relevance to disease. Inflamm Regenen 43, 26 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41232-023-00277-3

4. Wei, B. Z., Li, L., Dong, C. W., Tan, C. C., Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, & Xu, W. (2023). The Relationship of Omega-3 Fatty Acids with Dementia and Cognitive Decline: Evidence from Prospective Cohort Studies of Supplementation, Dietary Intake, and Blood Markers. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 117(6), 1096–1109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.04.001

5. Welty F. K. (2023). Omega-3 fatty acids and cognitive function. Current Opinion in Lipidology, 34(1), 12–21. https://doi.org/10.1097/MOL.0000000000000862

REDUCE YOUR CANCER RISK!

CANCER PREVENTION

Prevention is the action of stopping something from happening. We often focus on how to support a person who has already been diagnosed with a health condition, however a big focus on health should be ways in which we can prevent the condition from occurring in the first place. Although cancers can develop for many reasons outside our control, there are many factors which we can change (called modifiable factors), which may alter our risk for developing cancer and other chronic diseases. By addressing these modifiable factors, we can focus on prevention.

As you can see from the table above, there are a number of influencing factors that we have the ability to change. In this article, we will briefly touch on some of these modifiable factors and how they impact our health with respect to cancer prevention, and how naturopathic medicine can help!

Diet

Although the information isn’t very clear regarding the impact our diet has on the risk of developing cancer, there are a few associations that have been found between certain dietary factors and cancer risk, according to the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research [1-4]:

• Eating whole grains and high fiber foods (such as fruit, vegetables and legumes) is associated with a protective effect against developing colorectal cancer

• Diets high in “fast foods” or processed foods (which are typically higher in trans/saturated fats, salt and sugar) are associated with increased risk of developing obesity, which is associated with increased risk of cancer

• Higher intakes of red and processed meat are associated with an increased risk in developing colorectal cancer

• High intake of sugar, including in beverages such as soda pop, can contribute to overweight/obesity, which is a risk factor for developing many cancers

Eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains, healthy fats and lean proteins, and limited intake of processed foods and sugar is a great step toward cancer prevention, as well as prevention of other health conditions like obesity. At Saskatoon Naturopathic Medicine, we work with patients to develop an individualized diet plan addressing these risk factors and recommend healthier alternatives.

Physical Activity

Being physically active is associated with a reduced risk of developing colorectal, breast and uterine cancer, and also helps prevent excess weight gain and obesity.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults should be physically active most days of the week, for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. Some examples of moderate-intensity exercise include shovelling snow, jogging, swimming, bicycling, and dancing. By incorporating more physical activity into our week, we are also reducing the amount of time we spend sitting (called sedentary activity), which on its own is a risk factor for developing other conditions like obesity [5].

Toxic Exposures and Lifestyle Factors

Toxic exposures refers to exposures of substances that have the potential to cause harm in high amounts. Exposures can occur through our occupation, the environment (ie. pollution, contaminated water, etc), our diet, and even the hygiene and cosmetic products we use every day (ie. deodorants, perfumes, etc). For example, there are chemicals known as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which can interfere with our own hormonal (endocrine) system, and can result in an increased risk of developing hormone-associated cancers such as breast cancer. EDCs can be found in plastics, shampoos and other cosmetics, pesticides and others [6].

Two other important toxic exposures to discuss are cigarette smoking and alcohol intake, both of which are strongly associated with increased risk of developing cancer. At Saskatoon Naturopathic Medicine, we assess what exposures to toxic substances you may have been or are currently exposed to, and offer recommendations and tools to help reduce exposures and support the body’s own ability to naturally detoxify.

For more information about reducing your exposures to environmental risk factors, check out this webpage by the Canadian Cancer Society: https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/reduce-your-risk/know-your-environment.

Immune Health and Stress

In addition to decreasing the risk of infection, our immune system plays an important role in the development of cancer. A type of white blood cell, called a natural killer (NK) cell, is one of the main immune cells responsible for recognizing cancer cells and preventing them from growing and moving to other areas in the body [7]. Some factors that play a role in how well our immune system functions are adequate sleep, a healthy diet, physical activity levels, sources of inflammation, nutrient deficiencies, and stress levels. It is important to look at any reasons why our immune system may not be functioning optimally, and address these factors to support our health.

The impact of stress on cancer development is still unclear, however there are indirect associations with stress on risk of developing cancer. As mentioned above, stress can impact how well our immune system functions, and can also impact our sleep quality. There are ways in which we can reduce the impact stress has on our health, including meditation, yoga or other restorative exercises, acupuncture, journaling and counselling. Naturopathic Doctors are trained in acupuncture, and are knowledgeable in many stress supports including lifestyle modifications and nutrients/botanicals to manage the body’s stress responses.

There are many ways in which we can make healthier changes to help in the prevention of chronic diseases such as cancer and others like cardiovascular disease and obesity. At Saskatoon Naturopathic Medicine, our Naturopathic Doctors are well-trained in assessing the overall health of patients and identifying where support may be needed. Prevention of disease is not commonly discussed, however it is one of the guiding principles of naturopathic medicine [8] and vital to our overall health.

References:

[1] https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/eat-wholegrains-vegetables-fruit-and-beans/

[2] https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/limit-fast-foods/

[3] https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/limit-red-and-processed-meat/

[4] https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/limit-sugar-sweetened-drinks/

[5] https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/be-physically-active/

[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7731339/

[7] https://molecular-cancer.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12943-020-01238-x

[8] https://aanmc.org/6-principles/

Modifiable Risk Factors for Prostate Cancer

November is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canadian men [1].

Starting at age 50, men are screened for prostate cancer regularly via a digital rectal examination (DRE). A DRE may also be done if men (regardless of age) experience urinary symptoms such as urgency, frequency, incontinence, dribbling, weak flow, pain on urination, blood in the urine, and/or other symptoms such as erectile dysfunction, painful ejaculation, swollen lymph nodes, chronic low back or pelvic pain, and weight loss. Laboratory testing of PSA (prostate-specific antigen) can also be used during the screening process and is used to monitor cancer progression; however, PSA is not specific to prostate cancer and can also be high due to benign prostatic hypertrophy, prostate infection and/or inflammation.

If any of the above screening measures are abnormal, a transrectal-guided biopsy of the prostate gland is conducted, and is the standard method of diagnosing prostate cancer. The results of the biopsy, as well as the PSA levels, will be used to determine the stage of disease, which is then used to determine monitoring/treatments.

Prostate cancer, unlike the majority of other cancers common in North America, tends to be slow-growing, with a high five-year survival rate (97.8%) [2]. Patient with low-risk disease are usually recommended to undergo ‘active surveillance’, which is monitoring of changes in symptoms and laboratory markers for cancer progression (ie. PSA, DRE) every 6-12 months before any treatment is recommended. This can be an incredibly stressful time for many, however there are various ways in which patients can take an active role in promoting beneficial changes to their health.

One of the ways in which people can promote healthy changes is understanding modifiable risk factors - these are various factors that influence the risk of developing prostate cancer that can be changed, unlike non-modifiable risk factors (such as age) [3, 4, 5]. Some risk factors for prostate cancer include:

Non-modifiable

• Age (risk of prostate cancer increases as we age)

• Having a first-degree family member with prostate cancer (ie. a father or a brother)

• Ethnicity - black men are more commonly affected compared to white, Hispanic and Asian men

• Various genetic mutations

• Chemical exposures (e.g. Agent Orange)

• A history of sexually transmitted infections

Modifiable

• Being overweight or obese

• A diet high in red meat and saturated fat

• Lack of physical activity/exercise

• Low blood levels of vitamin D3

• Smoking

How can we modify our risk factors? Here’s a few examples:

Exercise: A 2015 study found that men with localized prostate cancer who engaged in walking/bicycling for at least 20 minutes per day had lower overall mortality rates compared to men who were less physically active [6].

Diet: A 2014 study on more than 47000 men found that there was a 22% lower risk of overall mortality in men who ate a Mediterranean-style diet after their prostate cancer diagnosis [7].

Naturopathic medicine can be a useful addition to a person’s health care regimen. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) are well-trained to optimize diet, lifestyle, and nutritional status and implement evidence-based therapies that support overall health and emphasize disease prevention. NDs help guide patients toward making healthy changes and reducing their risk factors for disease.

Book a consultation today to find out how naturopathic medicine can support you!

Written by Dr. Dana Kolenich ND

References:

[1] Canadian Cancer Statistics 2019

[2] https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/prost.html

[3] http://www.bccancer.bc.ca/health-professionals/clinical-resources/cancer-management-guidelines/genitourinary/prostate#Low-Risk

[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470550/

[5] https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer/prostate-cancer

[6] https://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/24/1/57

[7] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23962747/