Alternative Medicine Graduate

There were a few isolated topics that blew my mind while studying alternative medicine. Topics that shocked me⁠— not because of how far out they seemed, but because they were actually reasonable. So, I'm sharing them with you here, now.

Parkinson's and Alzheimer's; are they really idiopathic?

Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease are probably two of the most feared diseases out there. I bring these two up together because they are both neurodegenerative diseases, meaning they are caused by the degeneration of nerves over a period of time; the difference is one effects mostly the body, one effects mostly the mind. Many studies show that these diseases are idiopathic; meaning the cause is unknown. When a disease is deemed idiopathic, it takes away hope. Now these two diseases sound like blackholes that pick and chooses who to swallow up at random, right? Let me be a twinkling light in the middle of that blackhole, like that Interstellar bookshelf for Matthew McConaughey.

What I absolutely know:

·The accumulation of nutritional neglect— the consistent malnourishment of the brain and body— and oxidative stress eventually leads to mitochondrial dysfunction in major cells. Mitochondrial dysfunction is believed to be the root cause of these major neurodegenerative diseases.

·Oxidative stress is a naturally occurring chemical process that takes place in the body. Different factors like breathing oxygen (kind of hard to avoid), heavy metal consumption, and various types of pollution exacerbate this process. Everyday that we breathe and eat, our bodies are bombarded with the backlash of this internal stress; it's called aging.

·I know you know this one too, say it with me!

mitochondria👏 is👏 the👏 powerhouse👏 of👏 the👏 cell👏

YES! thank you high school biology.

·If the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell, then there must be a way to nourish our cell walls and essentially, safeguard our good friend, the mitochondria.

·The light cannot exist without darkness, and vice versa; if there are oxidants, there must be antioxidants.

·Antioxidants have become a buzz word, with good reason. Antioxidants help to combat free radicals⁠— the rioters that cause oxidative stress⁠— and lessen the detrimental affects of this process. Many health food companies have hijacked the word and slapped it on so hard on everything that's supposed to be "healthy". The reality is, many of those food items with buzz words on the packaging are greenwashed. You don't need to look for buzz words on food packages to know what is good for you. So I am inviting you to stop overpaying for regular foods that shouldn't even be packaged and listen up.

Regular fruits and vegetables, preferably organic, are RICH in antioxidants; various vitamins and minerals that are essential to optimal function in the human body. When I say "optimal function", I mean how humans were meant to function; thriving, in the absence of neurotoxins such as pesticides and other pollutants.

Since oxidative stress is impossible to avoid, it should be an indisputable MUST to consume antioxidants EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

The human body responds to the choices we've made throughout our lives, usually when we've reached old age. Symptoms of bad habits don't show up a day after we've committed them, they accumulate for years until any changes can be observed. Unfortunately, by the time the symptoms show up, the changes are irreversible.

TLDR; here's the point:

While there are some good tips out there for dealing with neurodegenerative diseases, there is a HUGE gap in acknowledgement when it comes to prevention⁠— NUTRITION.

Oxidative stress may be impossible to avoid, but consuming antioxidants as part of a balanced diet and lifestyle is the way to bring balance into this showdown of a lifetime.

Consistently bringing antioxidants into the body is like having Spartan warriors fight off oxidative stress, protecting the queen that is the mitochondria. They might not win in the end, but— you know the story.

***DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor (yet); I simply have access to a wealth of information (as do you), I put them into my own words and I have dutifully cited credible sources (as links). Do your own research and consult your doctor before making any medical decisions.