Dementia epidemic looms as number of sufferers expected to more than triple by 2050

Tuesday, December 17, 2013 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
Tags: dementia epidemic, neurodegenerative disease, cognitive decline

(NaturalNews) More people than previously thought are believed to be suffering from some form of dementia, says a new report issued by Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI). The latest estimates reveal that as many as 135 million people globally will be suffering from the disease in 2050, a 17 percent increase over previous figures released by ADI in its 2009 World Alzheimer Report.

Entitled The Global Impact of Dementia 2013-2050, the new report shatters earlier estimates by predicting a more than threefold increase in dementia cases over the next several decades. Roughly 44 million people today suffer from some form of dementia, and this number is expected to almost double by 2030. And in the 20 years following, that number is expected to almost double again as a result of a global dementia epidemic

"It's a global epidemic and it is only getting worse," says ADI executive director Marc Wortmann. "If we look into the future the numbers of elderly people will rise dramatically. It's vital that the World Health Organization [WHO] makes dementia a priority, so the world is ready to face this condition."

In Wortmann's view, many governments, including the U.S. government, are woefully unprepared for the unprecedented number of new dementia cases that are expected to emerge in the coming decades. This is especially true in both poor and developing countries, where rates of dementia are expected to balloon the most.

"By 2050, 71% of all people with dementia will live in low or middle income countries," explains a policy brief accompanying the report that was released ahead of the G8 Dementia Summit, which took place in London on December 11. East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the same policy brief, will likely be hit the hardest.

ADI report avoids discussing practical approaches to avoiding dementia

As far as preventative advice, the ADI report averts from offering any practical recommendations whatsoever about how to avoid developing cognitive neurodegeneration in the first place. While it claims that about 10 percent of dementia cases can be avoided through improvements in public health, it does not spell out what these improvements entail.

"Campaigns that target smoking, underactivity, obesity, hypertension and
diabetes should be prioritised as well as education and other cognitive
enhancement," reads the policy brief accompanying the report.

But again, what this "education" entails is not clearly spelled out in the report, other than a few blips about the need for "optimizing physical health." Not surprisingly, most of the attention is focused on investing in a phantom cure, as well as improving access to existing symptom management services and developing "better diagnosis protocols."

This all sounds a lot like the "race for the cure" and pink bracelet hoopla promoted by the conventional cancer industry -- lots of hype with no real substance. At least, not substance that will actually help people avoid developing Alzheimer's disease.

So what can you and your loved ones do to help avoid developing dementia? Here are a few helpful pointers:

1) Consume plenty of turmeric. The primary active compound in turmeric, curcumin, has been shown to help block the formation of beta-amyloid plaques, which are a hallmark of dementia.

2) Avoid trans-fats and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Numerous studies have linked hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils and fats to causing dementia. Even the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now admits that they are toxic. GMOs have also been linked to the types of neurological damage associated with dementia.

3) Make coconut oil an essential part of your diet. Emerging research continues to affirm the brain-protecting power of coconut oil, which has been shown to help protect and even repair brain tissue. And like turmeric, coconut oil contains unique compounds that help prevent the formation of beta-amyloid plaques.

To learn more, check out this list of five preventative foods that help prevent dementia:
http://www.naturalnews.com.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.alz.co.uk

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com