Surprising dementia link found in your liver and kidneys

I think most people would agree that Alzheimer’s is the cruelest of all diseases since it doesn’t just steal your life…

It also steals who you are as a person.

Besides that, what makes it even worse is that no real advancements have been made in the treatment of the disease. But research is offering up clues.

Most recently, a study appears to point to how to prevent Alzheimer’s from developing in the first place…

And it has to do with a surprising link to dementia that’s been found in your liver and kidneys.

Ammonia, urea and brain damage

It starts with ammonia — no not that stuff you use to mop your floor… but the ammonia that is produced when the bacteria in your intestines break down protein from the food you eat.

Normally, this isn’t a problem because your liver converts the ammonia to urea and then your kidneys eliminate the urea from your body — easy peasy, right?

Well, not so much.

You see, if a problem occurs anywhere along that process — your liver isn’t functioning optimally or you have a kidney problem that keeps you from getting rid of the urea — and that ammonia and urea build up in your brain, the result is brain damage…

The kind that leads to dementia!

In fact, a global team of researchers from the University of Manchester, the University of Auckland, AgResearch New Zealand, the South Australian Research and Development Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University have now linked the build-up of urea in the brain to both Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s — two of the major types of age-related dementia.

Not only that, the researchers demonstrated that those high urea levels occur before dementia ever sets in — meaning that controlling those levels could hold the key to stopping dementia development in its tracks.

Help your organs keep you dementia-free

This latest research makes it vital to support your body’s detox organs: your liver and kidneys.

And you may think yours are just fine. But more than 30 million Americans have fatty liver disease.

In a perfect world, as long as you’re relatively healthy, your liver and kidneys can hold their own to protect you. But in the modern pollution-filled environment we live in, you come into daily contact with toxins in the food you eat, the products you use, the water you drink, and even the air you breathe — which has already been tied to airborne Alzheimer’s.

So, because these organs are already under strain to protect you, you’ll need them in tip-top shape so ammonia is efficiently turned into urea and the urea is moved out of your body through your kidneys.

But, how do you do that?

Liver support

There are a few compounds that are excellent for boosting the function of your liver and keeping it healthy.

The first is N-Acetyl Cysteine or NAC. NAC is a powerful amino acid that has been shown to help your liver detoxify and get rid of all of the tobacco and other types of carbon monoxide-rich smoke, alcohol and other air pollutants your body is exposed to on a daily basis. Plus, studies show NAC can help provide liver protection.

The second is milk thistle. In fact, milk thistle has been used since ancient times to optimize liver function by eliminating heavy metal build-up, medication residue, environmental pollutants and alcohol.

And, the third is alpha lipoic acid (ALA). ALA is important because it’s a potent antioxidant that helps keep fats from accumulating in your liver and destroying its function.

Kidney support

Next, you need to support your kidneys.

The best way to do this is to follow a few simple rules.

1. Stay hydrated – Your kidneys don’t function properly without enough fluid, so give them the water they need.
2. Slim down – Excess weight can raise your blood pressure which puts unnecessary stress on your kidneys. Take steps now to drop the extra weight and your kidneys will thank you.
3. Exercise – Exercise is also important in preventing the high blood pressure that can cause kidney damage, so be sure to get regular physical activity.
4. Kick the habit – Smoking damages blood vessels, which can decrease blood flow to your kidneys. And, to make matters worse, it also raises your blood pressure. Quit smoking now for healthier kidneys.

Although Alzheimer’s and dementia are diseases of the brain, they don’t necessarily start there. Your liver and kidneys may play a larger role than you’ve ever realized. Take steps today to support the health of these vital organs to preserve your memory and stave off the dementia that steals the very essence of who you are.