Have you watched the film The Notebook? If you did, then you are probably aware of how a person with Alzheimer's disease acts. The lead female character, Allie, struggles with Alzheimer's disease?she does not recognize her husband, she does not remember her past, and she keeps having panic fits when she lapses back into her demented condition. Though the movie was a romanticized take on Alzheimer's, it nevertheless depicted how everyone suffers from this depressing condition.

What is Alzheimer's?

Considered to be the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer's disease is an illness that usually afflicts older people, aged 65 and above. However, there are also evidences of early-onset Alzheimer's, wherein the illness can start as early as 30 years of age, though these cases are extremely rare. Alzheimer's disease has a poor prognosis, since it is incurable and degenerative. In the end, a person with Alzheimer's loses the means to live independently and properly take care of oneself.

The disease starts with a gradual onset and progresses over time. It is difficult to diagnose Alzheimer's during its early stages because the initial symptoms include memory problems that are considered to be a normal part of aging. However, these memory problems start to interfere with the normal functioning of the patient, and that's when the patient's family realizes that it's not normal anymore. Examples of these memory problems include forgetting what he ate just a while ago, or forgetting events that he just attended the day before. These can be coupled with personality changes, like having the tendency to be less sociable and more withdrawn.

As the disease progresses, problems regarding cognitive functions and abstract thinking start to surface. There are also problems with regard to behavior and physical appearance. During the latter stage of the disease, the patient may lose the ability to properly take care of himself, thus having a deteriorated state of health. The patient may die due to complications, although this is not exactly a leading underlying cause of death among elderly people.

The four stages of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease can be divided into four stages, which shows how the patient's functioning deteriorates over time.

First, the predementia state shows the early symptoms of Alzheimer's, which are considered as part of the normal aging process. Memory loss is the key symptom during this stage, and there are also some abstract thinking and attentiveness problems involved. Patients in the predementia state are observed to be apathetic.

When a patient enters the early dementia state, there is increased learning and memory impairment. This is usually the time when a person is officially diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Language problems and deterioration in performing fine motor tasks may also be present. However, those in the early dementia state can still perform tasks independently and may only need supervision in the most demanding tasks.

In moderate dementia, complete independence is already out of the question as the condition of the patient deteriorates. Speech difficulties are already present, and there are problems involving reading and writing skills, complex motor activities, and performance of daily living activities. Long-term memory starts to get affected, and behavioral changes are apparent. Some people even develop delusions and urinary incontinence.

Finally, in advanced dementia, the patient cannot function without his caregivers. There can be complete loss of speech, although the patient can often understand emotional signals. All tasks need to be assisted, and the patient may even lose the ability to feed himself. Death comes as a result of being bedridden, such as pneumonia or pressure sores.

Causes

There are different theories that seek to explain what causes Alzheimer's disease. One of these theories is the cholinergic hypothesis, which states that the lack of the acetylcholine causes the disease. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter in the autonomic nervous system responsible for excitatory actions. However, this theory is not widely supported, since medications used to increase acetylcholine have not been particularly effective in treating Alzheimer's.

Another theory is the amyloid cascade hypothesis, stating that the excess production of the protein amyloid beta in the brain is responsible for the development of Alzheimer's disease. This is the most widely discussed Alzheimer's theory nowadays.

Finally, the tau hypothesis works on the idea that the abnormalities found in tau protein are what starts the Alzheimer's cascade. Until now, the real cause for Alzheimer's is unknown.

Risk factors

People aged 65 years old and above are more at risk in developing Alzheimer's disease. The older a person is, the more at risk he becomes, even though there are growing evidences of early onset Alzheimer's.

Women are also found to be more at risk for Alzheimer's disease. Estrogen is somehow linked to the development of the disease, though its actual connection is not clear and is still under research. Alzheimer's is also associated with people with low educational level, reflecting a decreased ?cognitive reserve.?

Treatment

There are different medications that are available for Alzheimer's disease nowadays. However, these pharmaceutical options are usually symptomatic and palliative, meaning they only manage the symptoms and not necessarily cure the disease. These drugs are cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil hydrochloride, rivastigmine, galantamine, and tacrine) and partial glutamate antagonists (memantine). Psychosocial interventions are also available.

Prevention

Although there is no proven way to prevent Alzheimer's disease, it wouldn't hurt if one still takes an active role in preventing Alzheimer's. There is growing evidence that antioxidants have the potential to protect one against Alzheimer's disease. Antioxidants can be found in fruits and vegetables, and one of the fruits that is known to be high in antioxidants is acai berry.

Acai berry is rich in vitamins C and E, which are the main antioxidants that are said to prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease. There have been studies in the past that show that a combination of vitamins C and E in one supplement can actually prevent Alzheimer's by protecting the brain against free radical damage. They might also contribute to the slowing down of the disease process for people already afflicted with Alzheimer's. However, these studies still need more conclusive evidence in order to be counted as a fact. Still, taking in vitamins has never been considered bad for the health, right?

What Acai form is better for me?

Acai berry supplements are best taken in powder form, since this is the most concentrated type of acai berry supplement. Unlike the liquid form, the powder or capsule form does not contain preservatives, so consumers are assured that they are getting 100% acai berry extract. Of course, it is better if you can eat the acai berry in its raw form. However, exporting the fruit exposes it to radiation, which is required by the law in order to kill microorganisms. This radiation may do more harm than good to your health, so the best recommended way to take acai berry is through its freeze dried or powdered form.