Healing your brain with the Bredesen RECODE protocol: treatment, reversal and prevention of Alzheimer’s dementia
Alzheimer’s disease is on the rise in the United States. It is estimated that by 2060, a total of 14 million American adults will suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. The estimated average cost for the care of an individual with Alzherimer’s is over $400,000. Healthcare costs of Alzheimer’s is projected to surpass $1 trillion dollars per year by 2060. This devastating and costly disease is becoming more and more common, and luckily, we’ve discovered a promising way out—read on to learn more.
What is Alzheimer’s dementia?
Alzheimer’s Dementia (AD) is a type of dementia that causes progressive decline in cognitive function over time. AD begins during middle or later life; when symptoms begin before the age of 65, it is considered early onset. The first symptoms of AD might include problems with short term memory, difficulties with executive functioning such as following recipes, trouble carrying out daily activities, and emotional dysregulation including anxiety and depression. AD is known for the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles of tau proteins. When detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through a spinal tap procedure, their presence indicates that Alzheimer’s is the cause of the dementia.
AD is known to be an incurable disease, progressive over a period of years and ending in death even with the latest pharmaceutical treatments. Dying of AD is painful for the patient and just as heartbreaking for the family as they watch their loved one disappear over time, becoming a shell of who they once were.
What causes Alzheimer’s dementia?
In the past few years, revolutionary research by Dr. Dale Bredesen is, for the first time, giving hope to the future of Azheimer’s treatment. Through his decades’ long scientific research, Dr. Bredesen has studied and identified a few dozen independent factors that contribute to the development of AD. Contrary to what current medical literature implies, it’s not the build up of tau and amyloid proteins that causes cognitive decline; it’s the imbalance of these few dozen inputs that prompt the protective production of these proteins.
Current cutting-edge treatments in neurology focus on a mono-drug approach: seeking to find one or a few pharmaceuticals that will intervene in the build up of these proteins to halt the progression of the disease. However, as Dr. Bredesen describes in his work, intervening at the level of these proteins is not the right approach. Doctors need to look up stream at what is causing the body to prompt this build up.
Dr. Bredesen has discovered a collection of hormones, nutrients, signaling molecules, and toxins that contribute to either 1) building up the brain tissue, or 2) breaking down the brain tissue. When the balance tips toward insufficient supportive factors and an excess of toxic factors, this leads to cell death and progression of dementia.
Here is a complete list of blood markers and other factors identified by Dr. Bredesen that contribute to the progession of AD:
Homocysteine
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Folate
Insulin
CRP
A:G ratio
Omega 6:omega 3 ratio
IL-6 and TNF-alpha
Vitamin D
Thyroid
Estrogens
Progesterone
Testosterone
Cortisol
Pregnenolone
DHEA
Copper:zinc ratio
Magnesium
Selenium and glutathione
Heavy metals mercury, arsenic, lead, cadmium
Sleep apnea
Cholesterol
Vitamin E
Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
Leaky gut
Blood brain barrier permeability
Gluten sensitivity
Autoantibodies
Biotoxins (mold, Lyme, endotoxin, etc.)
Mitochondrial function
Body mass index (BMI)
ApoE status
As you can clearly see, this list is long. With Dr. Bredesen’s research, we now understand that AD is not merely caused by a buildup of abnormal proteins in the brain, but is the result of many imbalances tipping the scale toward disease. The good news about this new understanding is that we can actively work toward tipping the scale away from disease and in the direction of healing.
Can you prevent Alzheimer’s dementia?
According to Dr. Bredesen, as of the publishing of his book The End of Alzheimer’s in 2017, he has successfully treated over 200 patients with AD. Using his detailed and personalized RECODE (REversing COgnitive DEcline) protocol, patients with mild to moderate AD have been able to halt progression and even begin to reverse symptoms. Patients in advanced stages of the disease are less likely to see such marked improvement.
Is this too good to be true? What’s the catch? There are a couple. Read on.
Healing the root cause of dementia is a lifelong commitment.
A patient of mine with whom I am in the beginning stages of implementing the Bredesen protocol for treatment of their dementia asked me, “How long do we need to take [supplement x]?” And I explained, you need to take these as long as you want to prevent the progression of your cognitive decline. The Bredesen protocol is not a quick fix. It is a commitment to making lifelong lifestyle changes for the sake of your brain health.
Healing the root cause of dementia is complex.
If you’re looking for something simple, the RECODE protocol is not it. There are 36 or more factors to investigate regarding an individuals’s brain health. Dr. Bredesen' describes the analogy of a roof with 36 holes. It may not be necessary to identify and fix every single hole, but the more holes you can patch up, the more likely you are to fix the problem.
If you choose to embark into the RECODE protocol, your diagnosis and treatment process may include any or all of the following:
Comprehensive blood testing at regular time intervals
Neurological testing
Sleep study and treatment for sleep apnea
Stool testing
Ketoflex 12/3 diet
Elimination of certain foods
Additions and discontinuation of medications
Changes to movement and exercise
Testing your home for water damage and mold growth
Hormone replacement
Vitamins, minerals, antiinflammatories and other supplements
Regular visits with your provider guiding you through the RECODE protocol
Despite the challenges of RECODE as described above, below are a few reasons you may want to say yes to the commitment of healing the root cause of dementia.
Healing the root cause of dementia costs money, but Alzheimer’s care costs more
Progressing through the RECODE protocol will likely cost you multiple thousands of dollars, paying for doctor’s visits, out-of-pocket supplements, and costs of comprehensive labs, imaging, and functional medicine testing. However, this upfront cost is a drop in the bucket compared to the costs of managing advances AD. Memory care facilities can cost upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. This doesn’t include the physical, mental, emotional, and energetic costs taken on by the caregivers of the person with AD.
If you’re concerned about the costs of RECODE treatment, consider it a smart financial move to invest now, especially if you or your loved one’s dementia hasn’t reached advanced stages. When the patient is older and the disease is advanced, the family must weigh the pros and cons of committing to such an involved, complex treatment plan.
If you don’t have your brain, you don’t have your life
Without your brain, you are a shell of yourself. As AD advances, you lose your ability to perform daily tasks like brushing your teeth, the ability to effectively communicate with others, and your longterm memory.
Families suffer when they lose loved ones to dementia
Watching a loved one progress through AD and lose their independence, affect, and cognitive function is heartbreaking. Supporting your brain health today, whether you have symptoms of cognitive decline or are looking to prevent them, could save your family from immense suffering
To summarize, this disease is complex, and Dr. Bredesen’s integrative protocol is no different. But when this protocol is done thoroughly and the treatments are implemented correctly, it could add decades to your life of the life of someone you love.
Are you or a loved one in need of a root-cause treatment approach to dementia and other brain health concerns? Click the button below to see about working personally with Dr. Savannah