Does Vitamin D and Calcium Cause Dementia?

According to a research study from Duke University in Durham, N.C., consuming too much calcium and vitamin D may increase the risk of dementia in seniors. Researchers believe that excess calcium can cause blood vessels in the brain to narrow, leading to neural damage. Vitamin D, which regulates the amount and activity of calcium maintained in the brain, may compound the problem.

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Dr. Young's comments: Is Vitamin D and calcium the problem or the solution to the problem? I would suggest that the release of calcium into the blood stream is for buffering dietary and metabolic acids to prevent internal bleeding and neural damage.

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Researchers scanned the brains of over 200 men and women between the ages of 60 and 86. All had a number of brain lesions which varied in size, but the men and women who consumed the most calcium and vitamin D tended to have a significantly higher total volume of lesions.

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Dr. Young's comments: This study does not consider the levels of acidity of the body by measuring the pH of the blood, urine and saliva. I am suggesting that Vitamin D and calcium do not cause lesions - dietary and metabolic acids cause brain lesions.

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The guilty party may be the calcium in dairy foods combined with vitamin D, which is also found in dairy foods but in vitamin-enriched foods as well, such as breads and breakfast cereals.

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Dr. Young's comments: I would suggest that the lactose sugar in dairy products will break down to lactic acid and this is a major acid that may be responsible for brain lesions causing the symptoms of dementia. Breads and breakfast cereals are also acidic and should be eliminated from the diet in order to protect the brain.

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“At this point, we do not know if high calcium and vitamin D intake are involved with the causation of brain lesions,” said study leader Dr. Martha Payne, from Duke University in Durham, N.C., “but the study provides support to the growing number of researchers who are concerned about the effects of too much calcium, particularly among older adults, given the current emphasis on promoting high intakes of calcium and vitamin D.”

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Dr. Young's comments: Calcium is one of the most important buffers for dietary and metabolic acid not properly eliminated through urination, perspiration, respiration and defecation.
The focus for dementia should not be on reducing Vitamin D and calcium but the focus should be on limiting or eliminating ALL acidic lifetsyle and dietary habits.

Refer to The pH Miracle, The pH Miracle for Diabetes or The pH Miracle for Weight Loss for a list of acidic and alkaline foods and drinks.

http://www.phmiracleliving.com/books.htm

Dietary and metabolic acids are the likely cause of brain lesions and the symptoms of dementia.
One of the most powerful buffers to protect the brain from dietary and metabolic acid is the tri-peptide, glutathione.

Glutathione is critically important to our brain as it is one of the most important brain antioxidants. Glutathione helps preserve brain tissue by preventing damage from free radicals (acids).

In addition to quenching dangerous acids, glutathione also acts to recycle vitamin E which also has the ability to reduce acidity in the brain. (Perlmutter D., BrainRecovery.com July 2004, 5th ed:13)

- Autism - Medical literature documents that an out-fection can lead to a lowering of glutathione which participates in detoxification, interacts with metallothioneins, and supports many crucial aspects of immunity. A link between glutathione and autism regression may derive from the fact that transient or chronic intestinal problems can impair an infant's or toddler's nutritional status, thereby minimizing the levels of amino-acids required for the production of glutathione (McCandless, J. Children With Starving Brains. 2003, 2nd ed; 252)

- Parkinson's Disease - Glutathione helps to preserve brain tissue by preventing damage from free radicals (acids) and destructive chemicals formed by the normal processes of metabolism, toxic elements in the environment, and as a normal response of the body to challenges by acidic agents or other stresses. With the understanding that glutathione is important for brain protection and that this protection many be lacking in the brains of Parkinson's clients due to glutathione deficiency, it can be seen as very beneficial. (Di Monte DA, Cahn P, Sandy MS. Glutathione in Parkinson's Disease: A Link Between Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Damage? An Neurol. 32 Suppl; S111-115, 1992.)

- Alzheimer's Dis-ease - Woltjer, R.L., Hgheim W., Maezawa I., Vaisar T, Montine K.S., Montine T.J., Role of Glutathione in Intracellular Amyloid-Alpha Recursor Protein/Carboxy- Terminal Fragment Aggregation and Associated Cytotoxicity. J Neurochem. 2005 May; 93 (4): 1047-56.
- Huntington's Dis-Ease - Choo Y.S., Mao Z, Johnson GV, Lesort M. Increased Glutathione Levels In Cortical Striatal Mitochondria of the R6/2 Huntington's Disease Mouse Model. Neuroscience Letter. 2005 Sep 23; 386(1): 63-8.

- Multiple Sclerosis - Calabrese V, Scapaginini G, Ravagna A, Bella R, Butterfield DA, Calvani M, Pennisi G, Giuffrida Stella AM. Disruption of Thiol Homeostasis and Nitrostative Stress in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Active Multiple Sclerosis: Evidence for a Protective Role of Acetylcarnitine. 2003 Sep; 28(9): 1321-8. Mann CL, Davies MB, Aldersea J, Fryer AA, Jones PK, Ko Ko C, Young C, Strange RC, Hawkins CP. Glutathione S-Transferase Polymorphisms in MS: Their Relationship to Disability. Neurology. 2000 Feb 8;54(3):542-7.
- ALS - Tohgi H, Abe T, Yamazaki K, Murata T, Ishizake E, Isobe C. Increase in Oxidized Products and Reduction in Oxidized Glutathione in Cerborospinal Fluid From Patients with Sporadic Form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Neurosci Lett. 1999 Feb 5; 260(3):204-6.

- Cataract formation - Macular degeneration - Cancers of aging - Prostate problems

- Osteoarthritis - Hammarqvist F, Luo JL, cotgreave IA, Andersson K, Wernerman J. Skeletal Muscle Glutathione is Depleted In Critically Ill Patients. Crit Care Med. 25(1):78-84 1997 Jan.

For more information on the antioxidant benefits of Glutathione go to:

http://www.phmiracleliving.com/glutathione.htm