The Bredesen Protocol™ – Is nutrition the key to Alzheimer’s?

Following our recent visit to the US, and The Buck Institute, we at Cytoplan are excited to announce a collaboration with Professor Bredesen – and The Bredesen Protocol™ – to help bring his work surrounding Alzheimer’s to the UK. The Bredesen Protocol™, a multi-factorial lifestyle and nutrition based approach to treating, and reversing, early onset Alzheimer’s, has so far successfully reversed Alzheimer’s symptoms in 90% of 110 people.

In this week’s blog we look at The Bredesen Protocol™ in more depth, the scale of the concern surrounding Alzheimer’s disease and the failings of monotherapy.

Reversal of cognitive decline – Diet and lifestyle intervention

From the moment we first saw publication of Professor Bredesen’s research paper ‘Reversal of cognitive Decline; a novel therapeutic programme’ in October 2014, and realised the programme involved almost exclusively diet and lifestyle intervention, it was something that excited us greatly.

Why? – because for 25 years we (at Cytoplan) have promoted a philosophy that diet and lifestyle errors are at the heart of most chronic diseases, and conversely if we can adopt a diet and lifestyle that gives our genes the nourishment and environment they need for health, most chronic diseases would no longer be.

It was particularly exciting to see Professor Bredesen’s work demonstrate that a disease such as Alzheimer’s – which is presently viewed as one which cannot be treated, prevented or reversed and is inciting such widespread fear among the population – is indeed not omnipotent and in fact is far more dynamic than popular medical opinion leads us to believe.

Cytoplan are in collaboration with Professor Bredesen and MPI Cognition, and he visited teh UK in 2016  to provide a talk surrounding the ongoing work of MPI Cognition and The Bredesen Protocol™.

Alzheimer’s disease – The Scale of the Problem

Alzheimer’s disease is reaching epidemic proportions and has ‘touched’ most of us through friends and family who suffer, or have died, from the disease. It is a growing problem that has recently been brought to the fore by many world leaders.

30 million people are affected globally (likely to be 160 million by 2050); it is the 3rd leading cause of death in USA and the leading cause of death for women in England and Wales (2nd for men).

 The Failure of Drugs & Monotherapy

Drug therapy and monotherapies (single agent drug therapy) for neurodegenerative diseases have failed, hundreds of £millions have been spent worldwide on drugs research and there is presently no effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease as a result.

This failure is perhaps best explained by recent genetic and biochemical research, which has revealed an extensive network of molecular interactions involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Hence a network approach, rather than a single target drug approach, is likely to be more appropriate.

Dozens of biological mechanisms need to be brought into a state where they are enhancing a person’s cognitive health. There is a not a single therapy that exerts anything beyond a marginal, unsustained, symptomatic effect with little or no effect on disease progression. Complexity is therefore the main obstacle with Alzheimer’s disease and the people who have this condition.

Professor Bredesen likens this to a roof with many holes. Monotherapy (single agent drug therapy) plugs just one of these holes and one needs to plug a good number of the holes to have any chance of improving the condition. This latter approach utilised in the Bredesen Protocol™ programme equates to a multiple therapeutic approach, identifying and addressing the areas of imbalance.

Professor Bredesen hypothesises that Alzheimer’s disease, considered by much of medical science to be a single disease, actually consists of three distinct sub-types:

  • Inflammatory – in which markers such as C-reactive protein and serum albumin to globulin ratios are increased. These people have biomarkers of systemic inflammation.
  • Non-inflammatory – in which these markers are not increased but other metabolic abnormalities are present. This sub-type is known as ‘cold alzheimer’s’ and is often associated with low levels of vitamin D and high homocysteine.
  • Cortical/distinctly different – affects mainly young individuals and appears more widely distributed across the brain than the other subtypes of Alzheimer’s. Sufferers of this sub-type are always deficient in zinc – often toxic.

 Enter The Bredesen Protocol

Recently the first success in reversing cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s disease and its precursors, [Mild Cognitive Impairment] MCI and [Subjective Cognitive Impairment] SCI, was reported (Impact Aging, Bredesen 2014).  This published study reported the initial 10 patients treated with a novel, therapeutic approach called The Bredesen Protocol™.

“Of the first ten patients tested, nine showed subjective or objective improvement. These included people with memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease and/or varying degrees of cognitive impairment. All six patients who had given up or severely limited work, returned to work or were able to work without difficulty.

And now over 100 patients have been treated, with unprecedented results. A clinical trial is planned in the USA and UK.

What is the Bredesen Protocol?

The Bredesen Protocol™ targets the multiple underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease, with a goal to improve cognitive function.  The list below outlines the targets of the programme and the physiological biomarkers that it aims to change to improve cognition.

It simultaneously addresses:

  • Insoluble and soluble beta-amyloid
  • Tau and tau tangles
  • Metabolic issues
  • Inflammation
  • Toxicity
  • Insufficiency of trophic factors
  • Hormone imbalance
  • Gut health
  • Genetic errors
  • Nutrient deficiencies
  • Cognitive stimulation
  • Lifestyle factors that contribute to the pathology such as poor sleep; stress; lack of exercise; poor diet high in sugar

The same programme can be used by healthy individuals wanting to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and, as Professor Bredesen discovered, it seems to be a protocol that will optimise every area of health.

This is no surprise, really, because it comprises all areas of diet and lifestyle that the human genome needs for optimal health.

Most of the chronic diseases we see today are caused by a mismatch in the diet and lifestyle our genes need for health and the one in which we choose to adopt. We are effectively “fish out of water.”

 This situation can only really be remedied by understanding and meeting our genetic needs within our current environment – which is exactly what The Bredesen Protocol™ achieves.

Moreover it permits for individualisation. We humans are all genetically different in the same way as we look different on the outside. We know that “one man’s meat is another man’s poison,” and this exists because variations in genes that impact on metabolic processes dictate this.

For example, some people can drink large quantities of alcohol and recover well whilst others experience long-term effects from very small quantities. In the main this is due to differences in genetic detoxification and methylation pathways.

The science-based conclusions of Professor Bredesen in respect of Alzheimer’s disease include:

  • Monotherapy has never worked because Alzheimer’s disease is a condition of multiple aetiology affecting multiple pathogenetic and signalling pathways.
  • Alzheimer’s disease involves multiple patho-aetiology that is influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors.
  • Alzheimer’s disease is wholly preventable and modifiable up until the late stages of disease.
  • Nutrition and lifestyle components are at the heart of the Bredesen Protocol™.
  • Inflammation drives metabolism dysfunction. Metabolic dysfunction is at the heart of Alzheimer’s disease.

The Bredesen™ Protocol & Cytoplan

bredesen

Since the  publication of Professor Bredesen’s paper on the subject of reversal of cognitive decline using the ‘MEND’ programme (‘metabolic enhancement for neurodegeneration’, now termed ‘The Bredesen Protocol™’), and his subsequent talk in the UK (March 2015), Cytoplan has been in close contact with Professor Bredesen and his team to try and bring the protocol and research to the UK.

Following our recent visit to the US, and the Buck Institute, we are excited to bring you the news that Professor Bredesen will be in England this September, and that he will be giving a talk on behalf of Cytoplan Education on September 8th.

Clinical trials are planned for the US and UK, and health practitioners and their patients are being sought to collaborate on this project.

Summary

The most important thing to come out of Professor Bredesen’s research is that Alzheimer’s disease is not an omnipotent neurological disorder over which we have no control, but a metabolic disease which is wholly within our control. This is true right up to the late stages of the disease – which is another factor that underpins the importance of early diagnosis.

With this knowledge we can all be self-empowered about our health, not only for Alzheimer’s disease, but for many other chronic diseases too, as similarities have been identified between the disease process in Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases, such as Cancer, Osteoporosis, Atherosclerosis and Parkinson’s.


 Professor Dale Bredesen

A neurologist and Director, Easton Laboratories for Neurodegenerative Disease Research at DaleBredesenUCLA, Professor Bredesen trained with Nobel laureate Prof. Stanley Prusiner, and has published over 200 papers focused on the mechanisms and treatment of neurodegenerative disease. He is the founding President of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in California.

Professor Bredesen has spent over 30 years researching the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and is an acknowledged leader in the field of Alzheimer’s research, utilizing therapeutics rather than outmoded mono-therapeutics.


If you have any questions regarding the health topics raised in this article then please do get in touch via phone (01684 310099) or e-mail (amanda@cytoplan.co.uk)

Amanda Williams & The Cytoplan Editorial Team: Joseph Forsyth, Clare Daley and Simon Holdcroft


Relevant blogs

“Greeting from both myself and my Microbiome” – Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Dr Rangan Chatterjee – A talk on ‘Good Gut Health’

Could Alzheimer’s disease be ‘Type 3 Diabetes’?

Alzheimer’s and Dementia – Time for ‘A Novel Therapeutic Programme’?

Last updated on 1st June 2018 by cytoffice


Facebooktwittermail

108 thoughts on “The Bredesen Protocol™ – Is nutrition the key to Alzheimer’s?

  1. Really fascinating. I haven’t come across alzhemic clients yet but the fact that the protocol is assisting all chronic disease is marvellous news.

  2. The Bresden Protocol sounds interesting but WHAT IS IT? You have left us with a carrot dangling in front of our noses. How can we find out more?

    1. Hi Erica,

      The Bredesen Protocol™ is a comprehensive, personalised programme that targets the multiple underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease, with an overall goal of improving cognitive function. The programme is able to identify all the biochemical and metabolic imbalances in an individual that give rise to the disease, and offers a tailored protocol to restore health and reverse the disease pathology.

      The paper ‘Reversal of cognitive decline: A novel therapeutic program’ (a link to which we provide in the blog) detailing the Bredesen Protocol™ is the first to suggest that memory loss in patients may be reversed – and improvement sustained – by using this 36-point therapeutic system that involves a comprehensive combination therapy approach combining medical expertise with software management to evaluate results and individualise the programme for each person. This paper openly details the science surrounding the protocol in a lot more depth – including recording successful patient case studies. A further paper is also soon to be published.

      The programme takes into account an individual’s genetic, metabolic, hormonal, and behavioural makeup to produce a personalised therapeutic program that is based on the underlying pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, and which involves multiple modalities in the treatment protocol; including diet, supplements, exercise, sleep and other lifestyle changes – we will be going into more depth on the specific elements of the protocol in various blogs over the next few months.

      If you follow the link to another blog of ours – Alzheimer’s and Dementia – Time for ‘A Novel Therapeutic Programme’? – then towards the bottom you will find a number of useful links providing further research, blogs and articles concerning the science surrounding The Bredesen Protocol. You can also find more information on the MPI Cognition Website – the company responsible for leading The Bredesen Protocol ™ in the US.

      As a company we are investing large sums of money (as are our charitable owners – The AIM Foundation) to help bring this protocol to the UK; by helping to fund further research, set up clinics dedicated to the protocol in the UK, and simply raising awareness.

      If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly (amanda@cytoplan.co.uk).

      All the best,
      Amanda

        1. Hi Deb,

          Thank you for your comment on our blog and yes, they are currently updating their website.
          Have you seen the latest Bredesen news? Professor Bredesen spoke to NBC and the Today Show in America last week about his extensive research and protocol to fight against Alzheimer’s disease. You read the full article and watch the video via this link: http://www.today.com/health/new-brain-program-may-fight-alzheimer-s-t104636?platform=hootsuite

          Thanks,
          Amanda

      1. They were asking what it is. In other words, what are the individual treatments, as in what supplements or other substances do you use to address which conditions, etc.

      2. Hi Amanda,
        Thank you for the in depth article outlining how one may choose to be informed and utilize such a wonderful protocol as given by Dr. Bredesen and the assistance of so many others.
        This is great news indeed as I have had symptoms which I cannot diagnose accurately nor treat adequately without some comprehensive direction.
        (hand shaking, 4-6 hours sleep each night, anxiety attacks, weight gain, anxious and irritable, memory loss)
        Can’t wait to get the book “The End of Alzheimer’s” by Dr. Dale Bredesen as I, too, believe that it’s a multifaceted dilemma and requires the same to address it. I’m buying the book today if I can find it.
        Greetings and salutations from KC in Canada.

        1. Dear Philip

          Yes there are dietary changes included as part of the Bredesen protocol. The diet is low carb (or even ketogenic for a period for some patients), high in a wide variety of vegetables, it includes healthy fats (eg walnuts, seeds, oily fish, avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, lean protein (eg fish and meat, but in small quantities), a small amount of fruit (eg blueberries) may be included. Foods that are avoided include sugary or high carbohydrate foods, grains (gluten is eliminated) and undesirable fats. So the foods included are nutrient dense.

          There are also a number of supplements which are used – the specific supplements used will depend on the patient and their blood test results. Supplements are used, for example, to ensure adequate nutrient support for brain cells and reduce inflammation.

          Other areas that are addressed are stress, sleep, exercise and brain training.

          In the UK we have set-up the Action Against Alzheimer’s programme which is being run by qualified nutritional therapists. It is a programme for people before they develop Alzheimer’s, based on the elements of Professor Bredesen’s protocol. You can find more information about the programme – http://www.action-against-alzheimers.co.uk.

          We also have a booklet called Action Against Alzheimer’s which I would be happy to send you if you email me your address – clare@cytoplan.co.uk

          I hope this helps.

          Best wishes
          Clare

  3. Hi, its amazing and exciting! Its the same what T. Colin Cambell said in “China Study” that all the common diseases, like cancer, Alzheimer’s, etc with different names have the same source and causes.

  4. Exciting. I hope Cytoplan will produce information leaflets for those of us who can’t make London. Jill Price

  5. What is The Bredesen Protocol? What nutrients etc? Surely one can’t be bound to attending a lecture to find out? Don’t you have product to see?

    1. Hi Janine,

      The Bredesen Protocol™ is a comprehensive, personalised programme that targets the multiple underlying causes of Alzheimer’s disease, with an overall goal of improving cognitive function. The programme is able to identify all the biochemical and metabolic imbalances in an individual that give rise to the disease, and offers a tailored protocol to restore health and reverse the disease pathology.

      The paper ‘Reversal of cognitive decline: A novel therapeutic program’ (a link to which we provide in the blog) detailing the Bredesen Protocol™ is the first to suggest that memory loss in patients may be reversed – and improvement sustained – by using this 36-point therapeutic system that involves a comprehensive combination therapy approach combining medical expertise with software management to evaluate results and individualise the programme for each person. This paper openly details the science surrounding the protocol in a lot more depth – including recording successful patient case studies. A further paper is also soon to be published.

      The programme takes into account an individual’s genetic, metabolic, hormonal, and behavioural makeup to produce a personalised therapeutic program that is based on the underlying pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, and which involves multiple modalities in the treatment protocol; including diet, supplements, exercise, sleep and other lifestyle changes – we will be going into more depth on the specific elements of the protocol in various blogs over the next few months.

      If you follow the link to another blog of ours – Alzheimer’s and Dementia – Time for ‘A Novel Therapeutic Programme’? – then towards the bottom you will find a number of useful links providing further research, blogs and articles concerning the science surrounding The Bredesen Protocol. You can also find more information on the MPI Cognition Website – the company responsible for leading The Bredesen Protocol ™ in the US.

      As a company we are investing large sums of money (as are our charitable owners – The AIM Foundation) to help bring this protocol to the UK; by helping to fund further research, set up clinics dedicated to the protocol in the UK, and simply raising awareness.

      If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly (amanda@cytoplan.co.uk).

      All the best,
      Amanda

  6. Perfect, just can’t wait for September now. Well done cytoplan for being in the loop of this wonderful news.

  7. very interesting need more detail on treatment and difference between alcheimers and dementia. thanks Dee Heath

  8. My 58 year old husband is desperate to sign up to be a patient for this research. How does he do this?

    1. Hello Stephanie,

      Thank you for your interest in the Alzheimer’s clinical trial. If your husband could please email his contact details to Emma Williams (Emma@cytoplan.co.uk) she will pass them on to the clinical trial recruitment team and they will be in touch later in the year.

      All the best,
      Clare

  9. I am very impressed with the results of work of Dr. Bredesen’s team. It gives hope to many people, including me , who are aware of their ApoE4 carrier, and are bounded by the traditional medicine untill intensification of symptoms … This is the great chance for all of us…

  10. Hi I watched an interview with Dr Bredesen and am blown away iI have a mother who has dementia probably vascular as well as having had carbon monoxide poisoning so I have become very interested in all avenues of research about cognitive decline maybe a bit fearful of myself getting it as well. This seems to make the most sense of a personalized program and getting the different states of the body , biochemical and hormonal as well as ridding the body of toxin levels to optimum levels wow . What I was wondering is if it I could send this information to my moms treating physicians or would it be the wrong thing to do ethically ? We are in South Africa is there anything in the near future of running clinical trials here. This is such a breakthrough and I commend all who are working on thus I Thanks again

    1. Dear Mary Anne,

      Thank you for your comment on our blog. Yes I think it would be a good idea to send that information to your mother’s doctor. You could also forward a link to Professor Bredesen’s 2014 paper: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25324467

      We will shortly be publishing an Action Against Alzheimer’s booklet which goes through diet and lifestyle steps that research has shown beneficial, particularly in the early stages. If you would like to email me your address: clare@cytoplan.co.uk, I will send you a copy. Also we do offer a free health questionnaire service that your mother may be interested in. If your mother completes and returns a health questionnaire we will send some written diet and supplement recommendations. Finally there will also be GP-led clinics in the UK in the future that will be able to consult with Alzheimer’s patients. I hope this information is useful to you. If you have any questions please contact me.

      Best wishes,
      Clare

      1. Hi Clare
        Thanks so much for getting back to me. I definitely would love the questionnaire for my mom and I will definitely send you my email details . I am going to let her physician in the know about prof Bredesen’ s paper too
        Regards Mary Anne

  11. That’s a very strong statement to make that you have reversed 90% 0f 110 people!
    Surely if that’s the case this would be world wide news and save on health budgets and save millions!
    As my wife of 59 has early onset Alzheimers I’m just a bit worried this is going to be a money making exercise out of a lot of people!

    1. Thank you for the comment on our blog,

      I do understand your concerns and reservations and I am so sorry to hear of your wife’s illness. Maybe I can explain a little more about Professor Bredesen’s work and the results of his protocol when used on people with active diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease.

      As I speak today, In the USA over 140 people with Alzheimer’s disease have used Professor Bredesen’s protocol, 90% of which have experienced a reversal of symptoms and returned to health sustainably. At this time there is further independent research planned in America, the UK and also Australia and we hope the results of this will prompt the health services to look more closely at how this protocol could be incorporated into mainstream medicine. As you are probably aware changing health policy is not a light decision and usually it requires research to be positive in many thousands of people and can be very expensive. Our charity are funding small scale research in the UK and we hope that along with the results of other similar research and the biochemical evidence that Professor Bredesen has able to demonstrate will provide the impetus for the NHS and/or other Alzheimer’s related funding bodies to start research on a larger scale.

      When I first saw Professor Bredesen’s research and studied the pathways he was describing, plus the evidence as to how the prescribed diet and lifestyle could impact beneficially on this disease process I was hugely excited as not only does its offer hope for sufferers, it also provides a very sound model that can be used by people wanting to help themselves prevent the disease and/or optimise their cognitive health. Since then I have met many of the people treated by Professor Bredesen and most of them have been able to return to work and are now once again leading normal lives, something that is not thought possible by mainstream UK medicine.

      After getting to know Dr Bredesen over the last 18 months I can tell you that his motivation is purely altruistic and he is personally driven to eradicate the global burden of Alzheimer’s disease.

      I would be very happy to talk to you in more detail as I do appreciate it may appear like a leap of faith whilst in fact it is a programme that is supported by research, biochemistry and scientifically validated evidence and one which is now being widely applied in the USA.

      Our dream would be to see it incorporated into the NHS so that the population at large could benefit.

      Please contact me directly should you have any further questions by emailing amanda@cytoplan.co.uk

      Thanks
      Amanda

    2. I would like to reassure people like Andrew that the protocol appears to be saving my husband’s life.

      He is 58 years old with a lost career and a PET scan to prove young Alzheimer’s. Almost since he started the Protocol he has slowly but surely started coming back to life. Even his driving has improved 🙂

      Today I saw our practice nurse for my own health needs and she looked at my name and without any prompting from me, commented that she had seen my husband last week about an ear infection. She said she had read in his notes that he had dementia. However she said she couldn’t reconcile the gap between the diagnosis and the man she had met.

      This youtube clip of Dr Breseden talking about is research is very helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqQ_X3mD16U

      I like to think that he might be nominated for a Nobel Prize in years to come. He will have earned it.

      1. Ive just watched it and I’m very impressed, what have I got to loose, or what has my wife got to loose. were do I sign up?

      2. just like to say thank you Stephanie for providing that link, what he said made so much sense, looking at the complete picture. As a builder I had to look at the complete picture and he’s right. Now I’m trying to find how to get on the Program and have e/mailed Amanda
        My wife has been on a trial drug for a year and bit and its just been pulled!
        Thanks again

        1. Andrew, we were both very moved by your comments, your wife’s story is gut-wrenching and she is fortunate to have you there to fight her corner. The protocol requires someone around to put it into place and given your job demands, we hope you have family members or friends around to co-opt to the cause as you will probably need their help. (We say this after watching our builders working on a diet of constant tea and biscuits over the summer!) We really hope you have extra support, if you want to think about beginning to do something now which will immediately benefit her, you could look at what a low GL diet will mean – dietdoctor.com/low-carb is a good place to start. we have heard that Cytoplan wants to set up a blog for participants in the protocol and the sooner this kicks off the better. Lots of good wishes from both of us, Stephanie and Tim

      3. My question to Stacy whose husband is the same age as my brother in law, who has just recently started this protocol of life change to battle his early onset Alzheimer’s, is this:
        How long into the program before you started noticing a change and
        is your husband following the protocol according to his personal needs to a “T” (i.e. diet, sleep, exercise, no alcohol etc.)
        Thank you.

  12. We have just attended a talk in Hawick, Scotland by one of your practitioners presenting information about the Bredesen Protocol and we have a copy of your booket ‘Action Against Alzheimer’s Disease’ My husband is keen to take part in any proposed trial and wondered how we could take this forward as the results of previous studies seem very encouraging. Please advise,

    This is pioneering work from which a great many people could benefit and it is good to see Cytoplan so closely involved in this research.

    1. Dear Valerie
      Glad to hear you found Rosemary’s talk interesting. If you would like more information please email Emma@cytoplan.co.uk. The initial trial looks likely to be based in the Lancaster area. However it is possible that it will be replicated in other areas in the future.
      Best wishes
      Clare

  13. My 82 year old mother has always taken very good care of herself, ie healthy weight, exercise, socialization, crossword puzzles, etc. so it is very troubling to observe memory decline, word finding difficulties and emotional lability over the past 12 months. She is living independently in our family home. Please tell me and our family what we can do now for her. She is being followed every 6 months by her physician.

    Thank you,
    Cinda

    1. Dear Cinda

      Thank you for your question on our blog about how to support your mother who you believe has symptoms of cognitive decline. We have an Action Against Alzheimer’s booklet that we could send you. This outlines diet and lifestyle techniques that have been shown in research to reverse symptoms of cognitive decline. We do also offer a free health questionnaire service. If with your assistance, your mother completes and returns a health questionnaire, that can be found at the following link on our website (https://www.cytoplan.co.uk/images/downloads/healthquestionnaire.pdf), we will send her some diet and lifestyle recommendations. This service is not suitable for people with diagnosed dementia. In addition there are a number of private GP led clinics being set-up to support patients with a diagnosis of dementia/Alzheimer’s or mild cognitive impairment. If you would be interested in finding out more about these then please email me and I can give you more information – clare@cytoplan.co.uk – or please email me f you have any further questions.

      Best wishes to you both,
      Clare

  14. My wife (74) and I (69) are keen to maintain our cognitive function and general health. This programme looks very promising: can we join it?

    1. Hello Nicholas

      You may be interested in the Action Against Alzheimer’s programmes that are starting to run around the country. This is a programme for those who want to maintain good brain health. It is run by a qualified nutritional therapist and includes 8 workshops, held usually at weekly intervals. The workshops cover nutrition, gut health, sleep, stress reduction, exercise and brain training. You can also have an individual consultation with the nutritional therapist if you wish. If you would like to email me (clare with your address I can look to see if we have a nutritional therapist within your area.

      Best wishes
      Clare
      clare@cytoplan.co.uk

      1. Hi Clare
        I’m Interested in the Action Against Alzheimer’s workshop programme for those who want to maintain good brain health. Could you please email me details of such programmes in Scotland.

  15. Hi, how much do you think the course of workshops will cost? It is something that i would definitely be interested in doing. I have and had family members with this awful disease and want to do everything I can to optimise my own brain health. I have seen an advert for a preliminary talk in my area for £10, but don’t want to go and get my hopes up only to find that the ‘proper’ information is way out of my budget. Which, incidentally, is unfortunately very small!!

    1. Thank you for your comment on our blog and interest in the Action Against Alzheimer’s programme. The cost of the workshop programme will be for the nutritional therapist running it to decide. Licensed AAA nutritional therapists work independently from us and will set their own costs depending on their fee structure, location etc. If you are looking at a programme that has been advertised and would like to email me with your location I will look into what the cost will be. My email is clare@cytoplan.co.uk

      Best wishes,
      Clare

  16. What about other dementia: Picks, LBD, or even MS, etc. has this protocol helped with that any? ? ? Do you believe it comes from a similar source as the gentleman above suggested in the China study??

    Those can just as bad as ALZ.. and can strike those who are much younger.

    While I feel bad for seniors who experience memory loss in their 60s… its simply unbelievable for one to suffer anything above in their earlier years being that many are STILL raising young children. Life is hard enough!

    Unacceptable! After doing my research I can not believe conditions like this are even possible at this point. All those research dollars for shatty drugs that heal little to nothing and in fact damage so many. How Countries are still tolerating this is beyond me.

    Without reasonable health and peace of mind what do we have really?

    1. Hello Ben,

      Professor Bredesen’s approach has been used with other types of dementia and neurological diseases (eg Parkinson’s). I am not sure that he has worked with those conditions that you mention, however, there is certainly research showing that diet and lifestyle approaches help with autoimmune conditions such as MS.

      As you mention, younger people may suffer these neurological illnesses. Sadly, the pathology seen in Alzheimer’s is now also being seen in younger people. Teenagers in Mexico City are showing changes to the brain as a result of high pollution levels. We have put together an Action Against Alzheimer’s programme – this is a workshop programme for people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, – BEFORE a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. It is based on the principles of Professor Bredesen’s approach and covers nutrition, gut health, stress reduction, sleep optimisation, brain training and exercise. The programme is being delivered around the country by nutritional therapists. If you would like more information on this please email me – clare@cytoplan.co.uk.

      All the best,
      Clare

  17. Have you ever seen/heard of this protocol working on someone who is in the mild to moderate stage, but unwilling or unable to recognize that there is any problem/deficiency and is resistant to help?

  18. I can’t resist saying that anyone who is in this condition is likely to be resistant – the future painted for them is so bleak they can go into denial. As someone who persisted and got my hubbie on to the programme, i would say that it would be a challenge to coerce anyone who is unwilling to make the dramatic changes in life style needed. However if you could find another way in, it might be possible? For example, the low gl diet is great for weight loss as well as great for the brain. So if you are able to find a way to persuade the person you are thinking about to do the diet to support you, or another member of the family, you don’t have to tell them it is about their memory loss. The same could go for supplements and brain training – make it all about someone else and not them and they may co-operate. Equally if they are intelligent they may respond to the youtube films which are available (search Dale Breseden) to explain the science – I know someone who has used this as a starting point. Use your imagination and you may be surprised what you can achieve. However it will be you or someone else who is close to the person you are thinking of who will have to do this. Good luck 🙂

    1. Hi Stephanie,

      Thank you your comment on our blog. It is very difficult if someone doesn’t want to engage, thanks for your useful ideas.

      We do have some private doctors who are working with Alzheimer’s patients – if you might be interested in this please email me – clare@cytoplan.co.uk

  19. Dr. Bredesen is releasing a book called ‘The End of Alzheimer’s: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline’. It is available now for pre-order on Amazon, with a scheduled release date of August 22, 2017. The cost is $16.50 or you can get it on Kindle for a little less. If you type ‘Dale Bredesen’ in the search bar, the book titles comes up immediately.

  20. Excellent article thank you. I had heard of Dale Bredesen via Dr David Perlmutter’s interviews. At 62 my memory is just starting to play up slightly (despite excellent diet) and I want to stop any decline in its tracks. Could you let me know where and at what time Dr Bredesen will be speaking on the 8th Sept? Also I’d be very interested to hear about the Action Against Alzheimer’s programmes in the UK. Many thanks,
    Bev

  21. I would very much like to learn more about the research planned in the UK for this project. I am a qualified nurse with personal family experience of Alzheimers disease and would like to know how to get involved, either as a research assistant or a patient. Thank you

    1. Dear Lisa,

      Thank you for your question. I’m not sure of timescales currently, but the planned research is Likely to be starting towards end of 2018 and running in the Lancaster area in conjunction with Lancaster University. This will be publicised when the trial is due to start.

      Regards,
      Amanda

  22. I am so excited by this, to me, new information. I want to thank you for the article and urge you to expand your range for public awareness.

  23. I am about to launch a website and online community for women in their sixties and beyond called AfterSixtyClub.com. I have nearly finished Dr. Bredesen’s book, ‘The End of Alzheimer’s and I am about to share it on our site in our section on Health. There are many women who are either worried for themselves or for a loved one who is experiencing this disease. My mother died 2 years ago after a 12 year battle and I know first-hand what it is like to watch someone you love disappear. Thank you for expanding your reach with this incredible protocol. I am pleased to be able to share it through our site and hope it can help make a difference for someone. Even one life changed would be a miracle.

  24. Do you have all the specific herbs and other supplements available that are mentioned in the book? I’d like to be able to source everything needed in one place, perhaps even bundled together?

    1. Hi Sarah,

      Thanks for your question. Most are indeed contained in our range to support the Bredesen protocol. But it might not be immediately apparent that they are the same as we have put nutrients together that naturally fit together and our range is mapped to specific programmes as used by Professor Bredesen in different sub types. Please email me at amanda@cytoplan.co.uk if you require any further information.

      All the best,
      Amanda

  25. Dear Amanda,

    I have just read Dr. Bredesen’s fantastic book and have, for the last few days been researching how to make the protocol available for my wife who has been diagnosed and treated for AD for 18 months.

    This has achieved widely differing results from various the medication, none of which have had any noticable positive effect, some indeed having detrimentally affected her by increasing her anxiety and depression.

    Dr Bredesen’s message has for the first time gives me a sense that there might well be a chance to allow my wife to escape the inevitable fate that has been painted for her by all, so far. I have read the contents of your pages and all the comments above, and am in a state of suppressed euphoria sensing that there just may be a future for my wife.

    The big questions are:- how can I get access to the required tests necessary to begin the process of personalising a protocol for her? Are there test interpretation facilities available to us? How do I go about getting these?

    I really feel so desperate to get something started as time is passing and time is not what my wife has on her side. I have helped her to implement the Coconut oil and MCT supplementation to her diet as described by Dr Mary Newport, and this has had a measurably positive effect on her well-being. This has improved and stabilised her to the point of being calm and a lot less depressed, but only whilst there continues to be an input of MCT.

    The suggestion of an LC diet is one that we will both take on-board, but hope that this might be only a stop-gap prior moving on to the Bredesen Protocol.

    As with Sarah, I’d really be most grateful if you were able to let me have details of all the specific herbs and other supplements available that are mentioned in the book, as well as any information you might be able to provide about the tests that are required.

    1. Dear Douglas,

      Many thanks for your post. We will be in contact with you shortly and try to help you with your queries.

      All the best,
      Amanda

  26. Excellent news….. my father has been diagnosed with Alzheimers since Oct. 2016. We live in Ontario, Canada… is there a doctor who is practicing the Bredesen Protocol programme in Ontario… please advise…thank you

    1. Hello Deena,

      Thank you for your question. If you would like to find a functional medicine doctor in Ontario please visit the Institute for Functional Medicine’s website – http://www.ifm.org. You can find more information on The Bredesen Protocol on MPI Cognition’s website – http://www.mpicognition.com. You may also be interested in Professor Bredesen’s recent book – The End of Alzheimer’s, which is available from Amazon.

      Best wishes, Clare

  27. Dear Amanda, please could you let me know more about the trials etc in a project being planned for ?end 2018 at Lancaster University that you mentioned in this thread.
    I live in Kendal Cumbria, have a medical/scientific background and an intense interest in the way real science (as in asking fundamental questions at all stages in the genesis of current medical opinion )is now confirming my suspicions about the true nature of many common diseases whose causes and nature have been inexcusably misunderstood (bad science elevated to dogma consolidated by vested interests) eg diabetes, CVD, hypothyroidism and now cognitive decline.

    I read widely in my quest to understand what is currently being revealed in all these fields by people asking the right questions and am very able to discover quickly if a given source is reliable. Dr Bredeson`s work passed scrutiny – I have read his recently released book from cover to cover and the papers. This is an unbelievable breakthrough, to no longer have to fear for people we care for and for the wider suffering of so many! My biggest fear is that this wonderful news will directly affect only the relatively well-off, it is hard to see how it can be otherwise. Still, it remains a huge step forward, and many will soon be able to benefit from it. I`m so pleased to find your blog and to discover that something will start to happen in the UK, sincere thanks, Sue Madden

    1. Dear Sue,

      Thank you so much for your supportive and positive comments. Our research at Lancaster is progressing slowly through the preliminary and formative stages and we should have more information and a starting date in about 6 months time.

      We concur that most chronic disease has its origin in a combination of diet and lifestyle errors and most particularly in a mismatch between genes and lifestyle. Dale’s work has demonstrated this for Alzheimer’s disease and as a complex and chronic disease it shares many similarities with other chronic diseases such as Parkinson’s, cancers, osteoporosis etc and we feel it is likely and logical that a similar diet and lifestyle programme can be used to prevent most common chronic diseases.

      As you suggest the well-off will be able to benefit most from Dale’s work and receive a higher level of support and therapeutics, but the wonderful reality is that for people who want to prevent the disease or who are in the early stages who are motivated or well-supported by family – the protocol can be applied relatively inexpensively. Motivation is more important than money as this is a long term diet and lifestyle programme. Have you received a copy of our Action Against Alzheimer’s book?? This is a self-help guide for people who want to be self-empowered for optimum cognitive health and utilizes many of the components of the Bredesen therapeutic protocol. I am very happy to send you a free copy if you would like this?

      Also, we have developed a workshop programme that is being run by Nutritional Therapists. This is primarily a programme for people before they develop Alzheimer’s. You can find out more information at http://www.action-against-alzheimers.co.uk.

      All the best,
      Amanda

      1. Amanda, is the Action Against Alzheimer’s guide available electronically? I live in the US and would really like to get a copy.

        1. Hi Heather,

          Thanks for your comment. We will happily get an electronic copy across to you shortly to your supplied email address.

          Regards,
          Amanda

      2. Dear Amanda,
        thanks so much for your reply, I only just found it, I`m sorry! Is there some way of applying to be on a list to enroll in any trial in the Lancaster area? I`d hate to miss the chance. Also do you have the name of any practitioner reasonably near me (Kendal, good rail connections to Manchester, easy to Lancaster) please?
        My only criticism of Dr Bredeson`s book was that there were a lot of supplements (esp herbal) mentioned with no references for the reader to be able to see what claims re their effects were based on. I`ve been unpicking a lot of the current medical guidelines on major chronic diseases and have been staggered at the poor quality of the studies that underpin their claims. I therefore now don`t feel like trusting even apparently scientifically based claims about treatments without being able to check for myself the studies behind them. There were a few other things claimed without refs too and that disturbs me. I must add that his general reasoning re nutrition and life-style being key I find very convincing and had come to similar conclusions myself without having his detailed knowledge of the brain and nervous system.
        Anyway, thanks for your very attentive replies to your readers queries, that is so reassuring….
        best regards,
        Sue Madden

        1. Dear Sue,

          With regard to references for herbal products, if you look online and in PubMed you should be able to find some. Some of the research may have been done in vitro (ie on cells in a test tube) for example – so the scientific basis and mechanisms are understood. The problem with RCTs (randomised controlled trials) is that they usually only test a single compound and Alzheimers is multifactorial with lots of pathways needing to be addressed simultaneously. Using his approach Professor Bredesen has published papers on the first 10 people he worked with. My understanding is that a further paper on a larger number will be forthcoming soon.

          We do not have a date for when the Lancaster trial will be starting and I do not know what the criteria are or from what geographical area people will be recruited. I think it will be a case of the doctors involved recruiting local patients. If you want to work with someone there are nutritional therapists who have a particular interest in Alzheimer’s – nearest to Kendal is a lady called Wendy Griffin in Lytham St Anne’s. Also there is a private GP based near Kendal who is working with Alzheimer’s patients. We usually pass on people’s contact details to him and he would contact you direct.

          If you can email me your postal address I can post you a copy of the Action Against Alzheimer’s book – clare@cytoplan.co.uk and email you contact details for Wendy.

          Kind regards,
          Clare

  28. Hi I writing from malta . My mother suffers from Alzheimer is it possible to be guided on what can help her. I am following Awakening from Alzheimer’s talks on line and their is so much information but unfortunately in Malta we only get medicine for Alzheimer’s which has done absolutely nothing to my mother

    1. Hi Maria,

      Thanks for your comment. I am so sorry to hear of your mother’s illness. If you are able to complete one of our health questionnaires, downloadable from our website, on behalf of your mother I am sure we can give you some help and guidance as to nutrition, supplements and other lifestyle interventions that could help your mother. It is also worth you contacting the Institute of Functional Medicine info@ifm.org to ask if there are any IFM qualified medical practitioners in your country as this would be an ideal solution for you. Ahead of this, and if you are able to give me a postal address, I can also send you a copy of our self help guide called “Action Against Alzheimer’s” which outlines diet and lifestyle practices that can be used by everyone wanting to optimise their cognitive health.

      Kind regards,
      Amanda

  29. I would like a copy of the self help guide “Action against Alzheimers” and any opportunity to participate in trials or other events/programs. I have mild memory loss and saw a neurologist who says I am “normal”. I have been in this state for five years or so and want to have my memory back. My father died of Alzheimers and I want to do what I can to live a non-Alzheimer life. I live in Pinole, CA and would consider myself very grateful to participate in helpful programs. I’ve seen the 12 videos on Alzheimers and after seeing them, I know that I can prevent it. Thank you for your help.

    1. Hi Isami,

      Thank you for your comment. We will happily send you the Action Against Alzheimer’s book and I will contact you on your email regarding this.

      Also, it may be worth worth contacting Dr Bredesen @ http://www.drbredesen.com and IFM @ http://www.ifm.org and asking for list of Doctors in your area who have done the IFM Bredesen Protocol training. We also believe that there is research starting at the Cleveland Clinic which is the medical centre allied to IFM, but either Dr Bredesen’s office or IFM will be able to advise on this.

      All the best,
      Amanda

  30. My older brother has dementia and it’s terrible. I’d love some guidance as to how I could help him. I’m in Ireland

  31. very interesting! it’s so encouraging that there is now a proven way forward and with such great success. I hadn’t heard of it before.

  32. I have been studying the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda (the science of life) thought to be at least 5000 years old. At its heart lies the understanding that all is one that everything exists in relation and not in isolation. Body affects mind and mind affects body According to this eastern philosophy all disease starts with the digestion i.e. “food taken into the body and food (thoughts) taken into the mind are the cause of all disease. Thought processes have physical effects and disorders of the body cause psychological problems” The Tao of Physics.
    C. Katholnig

  33. I am desperate to get my husband who is 79 ,but still very articulate, invoved in the Breseden programme. I believe that the starting point is seeing someone who can give him the necessary tests to identify which type of Alzheimers he has so that appropriate action can be taken.I have read the new book and am convinced that this is the answer. Can anyone in this country help us? We know that there is no time to waste. He has been diagnosed in a totally useless manner,(guesswork). I have him involved in Re-cognition -London , but this is not the answer. We do ,and always have, paid attention to nutrition, but again it’s guesswork. I have also read Gundry’s latest book.

    1. Dear Maureen,

      You might like to have a look at the Action Against Alzheimer’s website – Dr David Morris offers Skype consultations. There is some information about Dr Morris at this link https://www.action-against-alzheimers.co.uk/what-is-the-bredesen-protocol/clinic-dr-david-morris/

      Also you can find Nutritional Therapists who are running the Action Against Alzheimer’s programme on this link https://www.action-against-alzheimers.co.uk/search-for-a-licensed-practitioner/ and they also offer individual consultations and have access to functional testing etc.

      I hope this helps?

      Best wishes,
      Clare

  34. Hi
    My husband is 50 and was diagnosed with PCA 4 months ago and is in early stages. We live in Melbourne Australia and was wondering if he could get onto any tests?
    Thanks

  35. Hi
    I am APOE 3/4, live in Hampshire and would like to adopt the Bredesen protocol for prevention . Are you able to advise where I can get the various. tests done privately , or if it’s possible to get them done on the NHS.

    1. Dear Tracey

      Thanks for your message. We have a programme called Action Against Alzheimer’s – http://www.action-against-alzheimers.co.uk – that is being run by Nutritional Therapists. It is a series of workshops that have been designed for people who want to optimise brain health etc. The workshops are based on Professor Bredesen’s approach and cover nutrition, gut, stress, sleep, brain training and exercise. The NTs running the workshops can also work with clients on a 1-2-1 basis and have access to relevant functional tests. You can find details of local Nutritional Therapists on the website at this link https://www.action-against-alzheimers.co.uk/search-for-a-licensed-practitioner/. If there is not a practitioner in your area I can send you a list of those who offer Skype consultations.

      Alternatively Dr David Morris, a GP, offers private Skype consultation with- https://www.action-against-alzheimers.co.uk/search-for-a-licensed-practitioner/

      If you would like we can send you a copy of our booklet – Action Against Alzheimer’s.

      I hope this helps.

      All the best
      Clare

  36. i am psychotherapist treating a client with the onset of alzheimers i am carrying out this treatment on a voluntary experimental trial with permission from her consultant

  37. My wife has recently been diagnosed with mci or possible a more pressed version. Recognizing
    G that there is no current cure other ethanol the paradigm proposed by dr bredersen. I’d very like to get my wife on the programmer and, was wondering if there were any folks attempting to apply this in south Africa. John

    1. Dear John,

      Best would be if you contact mpicognitiion.com for a list of doctors that have been trained in the Bredesen Protocol in South Africa. In the meantime, we will email you a copy of a guide we have written called – Action Against Alzheimer’s. If you do not manage to find a local doctor, there is a UK doctor who offers Skype consultations – please email me if you would like his details.
      I hope this helps.

      All the best
      Clare

  38. Hi,
    Few days ago my husband, age 33, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, progressing quite quickly .
    Apparently there is no cure for that.
    I was wondering if we can use Bredesen Protocol in young PD ?
    Are there any trials that actually worked and helped people , and if not to improve maybe stopped of getting any worse?

    Thank you
    Anna

    1. Dear Anna – I am sorry to hear of your husband’s diagnosis and that it is progressing quickly. Professor Bredesen has been using his protocol with people with Parkinson’s but I do not have any information on the results that have been achieved and no trials have been done. There are similarities between Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Depending on where you live in the country I could give you details of a practitioner who has attended the Bredesen protocol training if this is of interest to you. There is a practitioner in London who has done the Bredesen training and who works with individuals with Parkinson’s. If you would like his contact details please email me – clare@cytoplan.co.uk.

      Best wishes,
      Clare

    1. Hi Ken,

      Thank you for your comment. There are some practitioners who have been trained in The Bredesen Protocol in the UK. The list is available from MPI Cognition to patients signed up to MPI’s Recode – you can find more information at http://www.mpicognition.com

      We have a programme called The Brain Health Programme (previously called Action Against Alzheimer’s). This is a programme being run by Nutritional Therapists, primarily for people before they have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. However, some of the Nutritional Therapists running this programme are also consulting with individuals with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, using a similar approach to the Bredesen Protocol. A couple of these practitioners have also done Professor Bredesen’s training and if you email me I can send you their contact details – clare@cytoplan.co.uk. You can find practitioners who are running The Brain Health Programme at http://www.thebrainhealthprogramme.co.uk

      We have written a booklet “Action Against Alzheimers” which outlines Professor Bredesen’s approach and I would be happy to send you a copy if you email me your address.

      Kind Regards,
      Clare.

    1. Hi Linda,
      Yes many elements of the protocol will also be of benefit to vascular dementia. Professor Bredesen has categorised Alzheimer’s into 5 sub-types – one of which is vascular Alzheimer’s, this is different to vascular dementia in that beta-amyloid and tau tangles are part of the pathology in the former, however they share many similarities. A Bredesen trained practitioner or nutritional therapist would be able to guide you through the process. If you would like any contact details, please email me – clare@cytoplan.co.uk
      Kind regards,
      Clare

  39. I live in the southeast of England and am very interested in following the Bredesen Protocol. Please can you advise information on where to find relevant practitioners? I am 62 and have a migraine brain (45 yrs’ migraines), and although diet and lifestyle changes have miraculously almost cured my migraines, I am very concerned about my memory and the daily mistakes I make in my work – a great concern to me. I’ve worked in a Care Home for 1 1/2 years and witnessed the devastating effects of Alzheimers, and would do anything it takes to avoid going down that same route.

    1. Dear Adriana,
      Thanks for your post on our blog. We have a 6 workshop programme called The Brain Health Programme – http://www.thebrainhealthprogramme.co.uk which is being run by nutritional therapists. It is a nutrition and lifestyle programme to optimise brain health. You can search for a practitioner in your area on the website. If there is not currently a practitioner in your area, the programme will also be available online in the autumn. In the meantime I will email you a copy of our booklet Action Against Alzheimer’s.
      Best wishes
      Clare

  40. I need to find a medical doctor who is trained in the bredesen protocol who practices in ontario, canada. Do you know of any?

    1. Hello, thank you for your email. We don’t have a list of doctors who are trained in the Bredesen protocol. However, you can contact http://www.mpicognition.com and they may be able to provide you with a list. Alternatively have a look on the IFM website http://www.ifm.org/find-a-practitioner – not everyone on this site will have been trained in the Bredesen Protocol but IFM Certified practitioners are trained in functional medicine and will use a similar approach. I hope this helps. Thanks, Clare.

  41. Hello, I need to find a medical doctor trained in the protocol who practices in Nice (South of France). It would be so kind of you if you could help me or let me know how to proceed if no doctor practices in Nice… Thanks a lot in advance.

  42. Hi, I live in Australia and my husband has early alzheimers. We live in Queensland. Are there any doctors practising your methods here yet? I’m finding your information worth proceeding if possible!

    1. Hello,
      Dr Bredesen will be leading a seminar on ‘Preventing and reversing neurodegenerative diseases’ on 6th April 2019 at The Grange Tower Bridge Hotel in London. You can find out more information and book tickets here.
      Best wishes,
      Kate

  43. I have been toying with the keto diet for a while now – about one year. I have not made a full transition yet but I am aware of improvements in my general wellbeing and skin health. I am 87 years old so I can’t expect too much.
    I have cut out eating lots of sugar and practice intermittent fasting; 13/11 hours.
    My legs and feet were swelling and feeling quite numb when I started experimenting with a higher fat, lower carb diet. The numbness has almost gone and the swelling is controlled by a lower dose of Furosemide. Your book is very interesting. I have just borrowed it from the Petone public library.

  44. Very interesting. I have the ApoE4 gene. It showed up in a genetest. In a Mr test too, but my doctor says it is too early to start with medicination. I am 75,soon 76 and a retired teacher. I have read Dr Dale E Bredesens book Alzheimer Kuren and am very interested in some kind of support.
    I eat well I think, I take a walk of 30 minutes each day, try to sleep 7 to 8hours each night. From what I have read and from your article here I believe I might have the cold Alzheimer type. One thing I know I will start taking vitamin D. Thank you so much.

    1. Hi there, I think it would be a good idea for you to complete our online health questionnaire. That way we can get a really thorough view of your health profile, in terms of your health history, diet and lifestyle, and make some specific recommendations.

We'd love your comments on this article
It's easy, just post your questions, comments or feedback below

Names will be displayed as entered. Your email address will not be published. Required *