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Smart Drugs & Nutrients:

How to Improve Your Memory and Increase Your Intelligence Using the Latest Discoveries In Neuroscience

VOLUME 1 in the Smart Drugs Series

by Ward Dean, M.D. & John Morgenthaler
$12.95 - 224 pages, softcover (Out of Stock)

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Appendix B:
Aluminum and Alzheimer's Disease

When people with Alzheimer's disease die and their brains are examined, researchers usually find aluminum ions. Aluminum is a highly reactive cross-linking agent. Such an agent binds separate molecules or parts of the same molecule. Molecules thus bound are no longer able to absorb water, oxygen, or nutrients from the blood vessels (Kaufman 1986). Aluminum is used to tan the covers of baseballs because it cross-links and hardens the leather.

When injected into the brains of experimental animals, aluminum causes neurofibrillary tangles (tangles of nerve filaments). These tangles are also found in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease.

Aluminum can reduce the transport of choline into nerve cells. Choline is the precursor of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter (see choline). People with Alzheimer's disease have low levels of acetylcholine in their brains.

Aluminum sulfate is used by water utilities to remove fine particles from drinking water. One recent study found that areas in England that had elevated levels of aluminum sulfate in the drinking water have elevated incidence of Alzheimer's disease (Martyn, 1989).

Whether aluminum is the actual cause of Alzheimer's disease is still a matter of scientific controversy. It is, however, classified as a toxic metal, and many people will wish to minimize their intake of aluminum. Here too, there is controversy. Aluminum cookware is totally avoided by some, while others only avoid it for the cooking of acid foods. Everyone involved with this issue should be aware that aluminum is also found in less obvious places: deodorants, antacids and baking powder. As for drinking water, we have listed information below about a water filter for removing aluminum sulfate from drinking water.

More reasons for concern about aluminum are brewing. Researchers recently have begun developing data that suggests that aluminum also may be linked to multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease (Piccardo, 1988).

Two fruit acids, citric acid and malic acid, have been demonstrated to facilitate the excretion of aluminum in mouse experiments. The acids are commonly found in foods such as fruit and wine, and are used as flavorings. Citric acid and malic acid bond with the aluminum and carry it out of the body safely. Malic acid is better than citric at removing aluminum from brain and nerve tissue and citric acid is better at removing aluminum from body tissue of lab mice.

Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw report hearing of a very strange case where one identical twin sister had come down with Alzheimer's disease while after 10 years the other twin had not. The researcher describing the case told Pearson and Shaw that the twins both ate the same food and drank the same water. The researcher found only one difference in the two women's lifestyles—the woman who did not get Alzheimer's disease had been drinking half a bottle of wine per day for years. Pearson and Shaw note that half of a bottle of wine contains about 1.5 grams of malic acid. This story is not proof of anything in the scientific sense, but it raises questions for further research.

When we discuss a smart drug or nutrient in this book, we usually do so because we find a large body of research establishing its efficacy. In this case there are only a few papers showing that fruit acids remove aluminum from the brain and body. Also, we have not seen any studies that tried to show the effectiveness of these fruit acids in treating or preventing Alzheimer's disease.

Having said this, we nevertheless included the information about fruit acids in this appendix for two reasons. First, we hope that this might stimulate some well-planned scientific research into the potential of fruit acids. Second, we realize that many people will be willing to try a common substance of low cost and apparent lack of side effects without waiting for scientific validation. If you do plan to add fruit acids to the diet of an Alzheimer's patient, inform the physician involved.

Sources for fruit acids: Fruit acids are found in significant quantities in wine, apples, cherries, and other fruits. We would not, of course, recommend drinking half a bottle of wine per day. Fruit acids are also included as flavoring agents in many soda pop drinks, but we have no data on the quantities used. Pearson and Shaw have developed a number of nutrient drink formulas that contain fruit acids as flavoring agents where the quantity is known. One example is a choline drink formula that contains 1.8 grams of citric acid and 200mg of malic acid per serving. See Appendix A (page 165) to find out where to purchase these drink mixes.

We would like anyone who uses fruit acids or the Pearson and Shaw drink mixes for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease to contact us. Any data we collect can serve as a direction for future research.

Precautions: Some persons who have herpes simplex get cold sores when they increase their fruit acid intake. Others are allergic to citrus. We do not know of any other adverse effects of citric or malic acid.

Sources for a water filter for filtering aluminum: We have seen a chemical analysis of water filtered through a Multi-Pure Model 500 Activated Carbon Block water filter that indicates that the filter removes more than 99.99% of aluminum sulfate from the water. Multi-Pure filters can be purchased from:

Multi-Pure Drinking Water Systems
P.O. Box 8190
Santa Cruz, CA 95061

Write for a free brochure and a copy of the aluminum sulfate assay.

Other water filters may remove aluminum sulfate, but be certain that the manufacturer has tested the filter for filtering aluminum and can show you a test assay.

References:

Domingo, J., et al. "Citric, Malic and Succinic Acids as Possible Alterna­tives to Deferoxamine in Aluminum Toxicity." Journal of Toxicology - Clinical Toxicology. 1988, 26 (1‑2), pp. 67‑79.

Kaufman, R. The Age Reduction System. New York: Rawson Associ­ates 1986.

Martyn, C.N., Barker, D.J.P., Osmond, C., Harris, E.C., Edwardson, J.A., Lacey, R.F. "Geographical Relation Between Alz­heimer's Disease and Aluminum in Drinking Water." The Lancet. January 14, 1989, pp. 59‑62.

Pearson, D., Shaw, S. Durk Pearson & Sandy Shaw's Life Extension Newsletter. June 1988, Vol 1, Number 4, p. 30.

Pearson, D., Shaw, S. Durk Pearson & Sandy Shaw's Life Extension Newsletter. November 1988, Vol 1, Number 9, p. 74. Ibid. January 1989, Vol 1, Number 11, p. 98.

Pearson, D., Shaw, S. Durk Pearson & Sandy Shaw's Life Extension Newsletter. January‑February 1990, Vol 2, Number 10, pp. 84‑6.

Piccardo, P., Yanagihara, R., Garruto, R.M., Gibbs, C.J. Jr., Gajdusek, D.C. "Histochemical and X-ray Microanalytical Localization of Aluminum in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinson­ism-Dementia of Guam." Acta Neuropathologica. 1988, 77 (1) pp.1‑4.