Summary
see also dementia,
mental acuity
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common disease leading to
the symptoms of dementia. These symptoms include loss
of memory, language skills, judgment, social skills and
other functions of the brain to the point that the loss
interferes with a person’s normal functioning. A
person may exhibit changes in mood and social behavior with
dementia. Loss of memory alone is not regarded as
dementia but rather when there is a loss of at least two of
the major brain functions.
The cause of Alzheimer’s is not clearly understood but
advanced age, family history, and some gene combinations
increase the risk of having Alzheimer’s. Recent
research also links Alzheimer’s with nutritional
deficiencies. Other factors that are believed to lead
to higher risk is prolonged high blood pressure and head
injuries. The incidence is higher among females.
Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease wherein the neurons
in the brain are damaged or die and as the disease
progresses more brain cells degenerate and hence a steady
advance in the symptoms if left unchecked. The phases and
symptoms are:
MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment)
•
Short term memory loss
•
Difficulty in multitasking
• Slow
in solving more difficult tasks
Early AD (Alzheimer’s Disease)
•
Forgetting names of common objects
•
Misplacing items
•
Forgetting places and routes
•
Difficulty in social settings
• Not
interested in previous hobbies or activities
•
Difficulty with previously understood task
Advanced AD
•
Forgetting current events and personal history
•
Difficulty reading or writing
•
Misuse or forget words
•
Unusual sleep patterns
•
Withdrawing socially, depression, agitation
•
Unusual or violent behavior
Severe AD
• Not
able to understand conversations or instructions
• Not
recognizing family or close acquaintances
•
Difficulty with basic tasks such as eating, dressing, etc.
•
Incontinence or swallowing problems
[search helps: AD, mild
cognitive impairment, MCI, Alzeimer’s, Altheimer’s,
Alzeimers, Altheimers, Alzheimer, Alzhiemer’s]
Oils, blends & products
recommended:
Oils & Blends:
Balance,
Frankincense, Lavender, Melissa, Patchouli,
Peppermint, Rosemary,
Serenity, Ylang Ylang
Essential oils based
products:
AromaTouch Technique, Life Long Vitality supplements
Also consider:
Basil, Cassia, Cinnamon, Clove, Cypress, Helichrysum, Marjoram,
Myrrh, Oregano, Sandalwood
Suggested protocols:
Basic health and prevention:
Life Long Vitality supplements and Balance, Frankincense,
or Melissa. Apply 1 to 3 drops of the oil topically to
the brain stem (back of neck) twice daily.
To help with depression and sleep:
Diffuse Serenity or Lavender. Give the AromaTouch
Technique weekly or more often if possible.
For agitation and depression:
1 - 2 drops of Melissa and/or Frankincense on brain stem,
bottoms of feet, roof of mouth, or under the tongue.
To improve cognitive impairment:
1 - 2 drops of Patchouli on brain stem, bottoms of feet,
roof of mouth, or under the tongue.
Experiences and Testimonials of others
Stacy - Has anyone had any experience
with Alzheimer’s? My friend's father has been diagnosed
with it.
Kathy - Neurological diseases are very
complex and come with a wide range of underling causes,
triggers and varying disorders. It is definitely one of
those issues where you can’t say that what is good for
Johnny is good for Sally. You need to be patient,
experiment, use intuition, divine guidance, and consistency.
With that in mind, I can give you a range of essential
oils that I have personally found successful on some level
of success in stabilizing the various issues of associated
with Alzheimer’s. It will be up to you after
that.
Most useful has been the use of Frankincense and
Peppermint. Nothing has been better than using these as a
blend to help clarify the mind and to calm fear, anger, and
emotions of confusion. Diffusion of these oils, inhaling
the blend or even having a bottle of water nearby with a
drop of each, and hydrating often has shown as very
effective. Sometimes Rosemary can be exchanged for
Peppermint so the body does not grow tired of the blend.
A weekly “raindrop” application (similar to AromaTouch
Technique) has also shown very positive effects. Incorporate
the oils mentioned above as well as Balance, Helichrysum, Ylang Ylang and Clove(hot). Also consider daily topical
application of Frankincense and Elevation to the brain stem,
the crown chakra, key reflex points, and the bottoms of the
feet. At night to reduce sleeplessness and dread dreams,
diffuse Serenity.
Diet and nutrition is very important. The Lifelong
Wellness Supplements should be encouraged. Some other
oils to consider…Basil, Helichrysum, Oregano, Marjoram,
Lavender, Cinnamon or Cassia and Cypress.
Most of all, kind touch, loving patience, pleasant
interaction, and prayer.
BK - Great advice Kathy. I wanted to
add, Stacy, that Frankincense contain sesquiterpenes which
enable it to pass the blood-barrier which is important and
necessary for aiding Alzheimer’s. Sesquiterpenes also
increase the number of certain receptors in the brain that
make it ideal for help with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and
schizophrenia. I would also include Myrrh among the oils
that Kathy listed as possible singles that might help. But
for sure use Frankincense everywhere, and often. Especially
cranially, on the bottom of the feet, and internally.
Kristi - I know
Frankincense is so good for Alzheimer’s, but recently gave
some to my aunt to try on her husband, she said he seemed to
get more agitated. She had to give him Serenity to calm him
down. I was thinking it could have been a little too
stimulating on it's own, but maybe mixed with Lavender, orYlang Ylang, or Serenity each time, might be better in his
case. Any experiences out there, are welcome.
Leah - How about Balance, since that has
Frankincense in it.
Pat - Balance is great for Alzheimer’s
and/or dementia since they have a tendency toward anxiety.
However, if you have to pick just one oil I would stay with
Frankincense, if you are fortunate enough to make a choice
then add Balance.
Carol - You may want to try Melissa on
the back of the neck and diffuse Rosemary.
Janyce - My Mom has advanced Alzheimer's
disease. She had gotten to the point where she was sitting
or lying down with her eyes closed all the time and would
open them when spoken to. She wasn't recognizing my brother
any more for maybe 6 months. She had to be prompted to eat,
was not socializing, was weak and unsteady on her feet.
In March we started her on LLV. Within days, the staff
were saying, you know - she seems to be doing better. Each
week we have watched her improve - with much delight! After
2 weeks she recognized my brother and with a huge smile on
her face said, Oh Wow! I haven't seen you in so long! I
asked her how she was and she said, "Fine", I said you are?
She said, "yes - VERY GOOD!" we were grinning from ear to
ear! The following week she was strong in her legs and we
didn't have to support her to walk. She was no longer
closing her eyes, she was trying to talk and she was going
to the social hall.
Now, 3.5 months later, with only 1/2 dose per day, she is
having great days. She is playing bingo, eating better,
strong in her body, talking, interested in working her
word-find puzzles, recognizing my brother, whew! Last
Sunday, she even had communion at the church service! And
we are all so delighted at the positive changes that have
taken place, with only adding the LLV to her routine.
If I were able to get her doctor to authorize an oil, I
would give her Frankincense on the back of the skull a
couple times per day, and I would also love to give her the
GX Assist and PB Assist. Get rid of any candida, etc. Many
blessings to all of you caregivers out there. This is not
an easy one.
Jeanette - What a wonderful testimony!
May your mother continue to be well and happy! I'm in my
middle years had a great check up with a natural health
practitioner who ran a test on me for minerals and nutrients
and she could not believe how high my levels were! I take
the LLV and would not be without it! I intend to pass into
the next life worn out from living - not from some invading
disease! I'm so glad doTERRA found ME!
Lauri - I love
coconut oil and use it regularly, daily I use it as my
moisturizer. I have read that it helps Alzheimer's Patients.
Speaking of Alzheimer's my mom is dealing w/memory issues
already at 69. At convention Dr Hill introduced Patchouli
and Melissa. After he spoke on Patchouli and the blood brain
barrier, I was thinking Patchouli would be what could help
her. Then with Melissa he actually mentioned a protocol of
Melissa and On Guard for Alzheimer’s. I could use suggestions
on how to take Melissa and On Guard internally as Dr. Hill
suggested. Thanks
ReNay - Just put drops of oil in a
capsule and take them internally.
Ginny – A newsletter I get discussed an
Alzheimers study in Hawaii that showed that about half of
those that were diagnosed actually did not have Alzheimers
(based on autopsy). The author further discusses vitamin
deficiency as the cause of the dementia. At any rate I
thought I'd share it because to me it further supports using
LLV in treatment for Alzheimers and dementia.
What Science & Research are saying
Essential oils to calm Alzheimer's patients
The International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry reports
two studies using essential oils to calm agitated
Alzheimer’s patients. One study of 15 patients in
Canada seems to report modest success while the other (2007)
in China with 70 patients reports “significant decrease in
agitated behavior”. The latter was a placebo/Lavender
controlled test over a three-week period with one half the
group given Lavender and the other the placebo. After
three weeks the groups were reversed and the test continued
for another three weeks.
References:
· Holmes C, Hopkins V, Hensford C, et al.
Lavender oil as a treatment for agitated behaviour in severe
dementia: a placebo controlled study. International Journal
of Geriatric Psychiatry . 2002;17:305-308.
· Lin PW, Chan WC, Ng BF, et al. Efficacy of
aromatherapy ( Lavandula angustifolia ) as an intervention
for agitated behaviours in Chinese older persons with
dementia: a cross-over randomized trial. International
Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 2007 Mar 7.
Should nursing take aromatherapy more
seriously?
British Journal of Nursing, 16, (2), 116-120. Buckle, J.
(2007).
This article discusses the expansion of aromatherapy
within the U.S. and follows 10 years of developing protocol
and policies that led to pilot studies on radiation burns,
chemo-induced nausea, slow-healing wounds, Alzheimers and
end-of-life agitation. This article outlines pilot studies,
carried out in the U.S. by nurses, that subsequently led to
the integration of aromatherapy in hospitals.
Melissa in the treatment of
patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's
Journal of Neurological and Neurosurgical
Psychiatry. 2003 July; S Akhondzadeh, M Noroozian, M
Mohammadi, S Ohadinia, A Jamshidi, and M Khani Roozbeh
Psychiatric Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences,
Tehran, Iran.
Melissa officinalis extract in the treatment of patients
with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: a double blind,
randomised, placebo controlled trial.
Abstract
Objective: To assess the efficacy and safety of Melissa
officinalis extract using a fixed dose (60 drops/day) in
patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.
Design: A four month, parallel group, placebo controlled
trial undertaken in three centres in Tehran, Iran. Methods:
Patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease aged
between 65 and 80 years (n = 42; 18 women, 24 men) with a
score of ≥ 12 on the cognitive subscale of Alzheimer's
disease assessment scale (ADAS-cog) and ≤ 2 on the clinical
dementia rating (CDR) were randomised to placebo or fixed
dose of Melissa officinalis extract. The main efficacy
measures were the change in the ADAS-cog and CDR-SB scores
compared with baseline. Side effects were systematically
recorded. Results: At four months, Melissa officinalis
extract produced a significantly better outcome on cognitive
function than placebo (ADAS-cog: df = 1, F = 6.93, p = 0.01;
CDR: df = 1, F = 16.87, p < 0.0001). There were no
significant differences in the two groups in terms of
observed side effects except agitation, which was more
common in the placebo group (p = 0.03).
Conclusions: Melissa officinalis extract is of value in
the management of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease and
has a positive effect on agitation in such patients.
Nutritional deficiencies in
Alzheimer's patients
McCaddon, A., Davies, G., Hudson, P., Tandy, S. and
Cattell, H. (1998), Total serum homocysteine in senile
dementia of Alzheimer type. International Journal of
Geriatric Psychiatry, 13: 235–239. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1166(199804)13:4<235::AID-GPS761>3.0.CO;2-8
Abstract
Objective. The main hypothesis was that subtle vitamin
B12 deficiencies occur more commonly in senile dementia of
Alzheimer type (SDAT) than in healthy elderly individuals,
and may be revealed by elevated total serum homocysteine (tHcy).
A subsidiary hypothesis was that such deficiencies would be
nutritionally independent as determined by retinol binding
protein (RBP).
...
Results. Patients had a highly significant elevation of
tHcy compared with controls (p<0·0001). Multiple regression
highlighted the interrelated effects of tHcy and total serum
cobalamin on cognitive scores. RBP did not differ between
groups. Macrocytosis was absent, and neutrophil
hypersegmentation uncommon, in hyperhomocysteinaemic
patients.
Conclusions. SDAT patients have significantly elevated
tHcy. This is independent of RBP determined nutritional
status. ‘Classical’ haematological changes of cobalamin or
folate deficiency are poor predictors of tHcy in these
patients. Aberrant cobalamin tissue delivery appears to
contribute to SDAT cognitive decline. Relative contributions
of other tHcy determinants require further investigation. ©
1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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