Follow
Share

have read it could be Vit D deficiency and the elderly need more Vit D?

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Find Care & Housing
Eating coconut oil, even a teaspoon a day has found by people on this site to help Dementia. Of course there is a connection! How food reacts to us and how the envioronmnet interacts, cause and effect is all chemistry, and I don't mean drugs.
We are also about energy, thoughts, and soul. Just because most of us don't know the chemistry of food to body, it sure doesn't support that there is no connection to cause and effect. Know what I am saying?
It's D3 by the way that is what you all need to consume.
Helpful Answer (6)
Report

Old Bob, I'd go with your hunch too but no scientific evidence nor is their likely to be with big foods special interests and GMO seeds.
Helpful Answer (3)
Report

Actually there IS a whole slew of information to be found on this, and diet DOES certainly play a role....for everyone; not just those with dementia. First thing I would do is switch from a 'man-made' Vitamin D to foods that are high in vit. D, and let her get about 20-25 minutes of good morning sunshine directly on her belly! (no more than this is needed per day) Next question.....is she on any statins for "high" cholesterol? Statins are known to contribute to dementia and alz. as well as heart issues. (I believe Crestor may be the worst, and yet every day our TV tells us that we are just not one of the 'cool kids' if we are not in the Crestor club! Argh!) Coconut oil can be added safely and will contribute to good health in LOTS of ways.....so, everything to gain there and nothing to lose. Also, I would start adding in a dose of fermented cod liver oil daily (google it; you are looking for Green Pastures Blue Ice brand) Even better if you can get the one that has butter oil in it. Try to stay off processed foods as much as possible, buy organic when you can, and try to find a source for grass-fed, pasture raised meat. (no hormones, no antibiotics, no gmo-corn feed) Truth is, our bodies just do not know what to do with all the chemicals we put in through our processed food, body care products, prescriptions, etc. On a cellular level, it's like a slow, life-long poisoning of ourselves. I mention all of these things.....not just for your mother, but for you and your whole family. It WILL make a difference! Best to you!
Helpful Answer (3)
Report

Mom's doc put her on vitamin D (D2, then changed to D3 or vice-versa, forget which). I see no difference whatsoever in the dementia or hallucinations, no better and no worse, and she's been on it awhile. I doubt it will change the course or that what mom has eaten or drunk in her life has made any difference. I let her have anything she wants, even coffee (though decaf afternoon on) and sweets with a pretty balanced diet. She sleeps the same whatever she's given. Knock on wood, all is fairly well at this juncture for us, and we're even in the process of moving with all the stress involved. You can try different things, maybe more vitamin D could help your loved one.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report

I hope your mom does well with the vitamins and limited caffeine in coffee, etc.
My own hunch is that dementia is hastened by lifelong habits of eating processed foods, refined sugar, excess fat grams, etc....Repeat: hunch...I have no basis other than hunch.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report

I can agree with the above but frankly believe the planet/environment is too far gone as far as being able to be totally healthy from birth no matter how hard we try. You could go off the grid and work your rear end off growing and raising your own if you want, probably not a bad idea. I admire that. If I'd had kids, I'd do my best to try to keep them from all the processed/junk foods. I wish things were the way they were when my grandmother was "coming up." She lived to 96 and was dementia free, always ate well and seldom had anything junky till the end of her life. I'm a bible believer and think we are going steadily downhill in all ways, physically and spiritually, just my two cents, but I do try most days of the week to behave myself.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report

My Mom ate very well ,maintained her BMI and exercised like crazy. She could walk 5 miles in a snap in her 70's. She would never take meds for anything. Tried to be as natural as possible until she developed hypertension and started on meds in her mid 70's. When she was 82 I started seeing changes. So today at 87 she is in her home with 24/7 care. I took all caffiene out of her diet and she gets some sun exposure with exercise (walking) several times a week. I believe some of her agitation and seeing things comes mostly in the winter months because of reduced sun exposure/light. Who knows-it is truly a crap shoot. The older we get the more everything just wears out. Who said the brain doesn't age just like our skin, hair ,bones???? Good luck to everyone dealing with this . Prayers help too.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report

With my mother, diet did make a difference for fourteen months. I noted that as long as her sugar was below 200 on a regular basis, she was 'fine'.

When I got there, I changed her diet to lean meats, fish, vegetables. There is a website DaVita that is helpful with regard to kidney, heart, diabetic diets. I used this as a guide she had thirty percent kidney function (which I found out was normal in the elderly) along with Type II Diabetes and heart problems. Her A1C levels when from around 10 to 7, her kidney function improved a few percentage points, and her blood pressure went down significantly.

So, along with the meds, the diet helped. I'd make things like cauliflower mashed potatoes (i.e., no potatoes, just frozen cauliflower mashed and it was actually not bad)....stuff like that. Squash soup, etc. Her potassium had to be limited, so I would leach out anything with potassium. That website will give you some helpful hints as to what to do. Chicken with vegetables, oatmeal with a small amount of different fruits, etc. The creamer I used was basically colored water. She was allowed 'sugar-free' jello with cool whip, stuff like that, but on a limited basis , as a treat. Also, juice in the morning was Trop 50 mixed with water and sugar free cranberry drink. For afternoon lunches, the drink would be that flavor additive mixed with soda water to give the affect of soda. She liked it.

She had coffee (one or two per day) and that didn't seem to affect her. It was only when she ate at Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc., that I would notice the dementia would get worse. Once those holidays were over, it took about a week to get her back to 'normal'.

At some point, nothing will help. I, too, moved her from MA to FL. That didn't seem to bother her. She was here for seven months with seemingly no trouble. I have to add she was aged 89-91 when this happened. Her diet was not the best as people this age tended to eat lots of fat throughout their lives.

Do some homework to see what foods have what in them, etc., etc. She was on D3 through the doctor, along with heart medications, insulin, etc.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

You might also want to look up the difference between the two vitamins, i.e., D2/D3...Mayo Clinic was a good source.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

I agree with YougirlCindy's comments. My father has mid-stage Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease and he has heart disease as well which, from what I understand is common. Usually a person who has AZ also has some other kind of contributing health issue. Scientific studies are now showing a correlation between heart disease and dementia going hand in hand...and what is the life long habit that is creating plaque in the heart and the brain....but sugar. My father has a huge sweet tooth. He is almost like an addict with it. He has it every single day of his life and whenever I confront him on the phone about his sweet tooth habit, he tells me that he is cutting down, but in the meantime, my sister tells me (Dad lives with her) that whenever she goes into his bedroom, she sees candy bars stashed in his drawers. Sugar is implicated in Cancer as well. I'm looking at Cancer alternative protocols and all of the doctors who are being interviewed said that Oncologists have always known that sugar feeds cancer. So whether or not we are talking about preventing or reducing the symptom otology of AZ, Cancer, Heart Disease, helping our loved ones to wean them off of sugar will only help them...and for us as well. My father was also in the habit of feeding himself highly fatty and processed meats throughout his life...all of those breakfast sausages, scrapple and bacon, hot dogs for lunch...OMG!!! It's no wonder that his body rebelled and caused all of the disease processes that he now has. As our parent's adult children, we need to take heed and to take care that we are eating food in their unprocessed form...if we need to eat meat...make sure it is grass fed (not grain fed), antibiotic free, eat whole grains, beans, fresh fruit, vegetables and leafy greens, wild caught fish (not from the Pacific waters where the Fukishima spill is spreading to). My father has also taken a ton of pharmaceutical over the counter and doctor prescribed pills over the years...I'm sure that taking all of these meds has impacted his various conditions as well. Bottom line is that we have to treat our bodies, spirits and minds with respect. It can't always be a party for our mouth. We have to all, me included...I need to be more consistent in heeding this advice, too...to live and eat for health and not to always satisfy my cravings and my taste buds.

I love reading these posts and I love the advice that is being given here. I am so grateful that this online support group exists. Love and hugs,
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

See All Answers
This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter