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For some-time now brain researchers have pretty well reached consensus that accumulation of iron in the brain accelerates brain aging.  A “rusty brain” is a likely trigger for Alzheimer’s memory loss.  For unexplained reasons, this accepted theory has not developed into any practiced treatment for brain disease.

There are prescription drugs for Alzheimer’s disease but they only mildly relieve symptoms, not causes of brain disease, and they have difficulty traversing the blood-brain barrier.  Why the FDA allows ineffective drugs to remain on the market also goes unexplained.  In fact, anti-psychotic drugs double the risk for death among Alzheimer’s patients.   Family members of Alzheimer’s patients are completely deceived that the drugs prescribed for this dreaded disease are beneficial.

THE CALL FOR SELF CARE

In 2018 Canadian-based researchers called for self-care in order to conquer Alzheimer’s disease.  Their approach is to initiate early treatment at home because brain disease begins a decade before symptoms arise.  Quercetin, an iron-binding polyphenol found in red apple peel and onions was identified as a potential therapeutic or preventive agent.

NOT DIETARY IRON

Researchers realize excess iron is associated with brain aging, but confusingly, it is not the result of the patient’s diet.  The excess iron likely comes from micro-bleeds in cerebral arteries, given that hemoglobin in red blood cells carry 70% of the iron in the body.

Magnesium and certain small molecules known as polyphenols can prevent or even reverse the buildup of iron in the brain.  But again, this discovery hasn’t progressed into any widely practiced therapy.   This research emanates from South Africa, not any prestigious research center in the U.S.  Physicians are searching for insurance billing codes and financially rewarding therapies over simple inexpensive remedies or preventives.

DRUGS

There are iron-chelating (key-lay-ting) or binding drugs.  And there is bloodletting (donation or removal of blood via phlebotomy). Historically, in 1672 Dr. Thomas Willis described brain disease as “brain congestion” and bloodletting became a commonplace therapy.  Modern medicine has been taking steps backwards in regard to brain disease ever since then.

In a bizarre demonstration, researchers have shown that connection of the circulatory system of old animals with brain aging to young animals, a practice called parabiosis, rejuvenates brain cells.  But how this would progress into therapeutic treatment has yet to be described.

NATURAL MOLECULES

Inexplicably excess iron remains a puzzlement for modern medicine.  Even with 11,033 published reports involving iron and the brain as archived at the National Library of Medicine dating back to 1945, no anti-rusting agent has been put into practice to halt the progression of or reverse brain disease despite widely available natural molecules that cross the blood brain barrier, bind to iron and pose few if any side effects.

DETECTION

Given the brain is a deeply encased organ that is not accessible for biopsy, modern methods of detecting iron overload must be indirect, such as blood ferritin levels (iron storage molecule).

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an imaging scan that utilizes a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of organs and tissues within the body.

A variety of MRI, transverse relaxation rate R₂*, is a validated MRI marker of brain iron content which can be rapidly measured under clinical conditions.  Just recently R2* MRI has shown a positive correlation between the variation of R₂* and the worsening of motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.  The convincing MRI images are published in a recent issue of RADIOLOGY.  MRI scans have shown over the course of 17 years that iron accumulation in the brain can lead to mental decline.

R2* maps of healthy control participants and participants with Alzheimer disease

An estimated 65% of cases of brain disease are linked with iron overload.  Iron overload in the brain is also associated with mood and emotional changes.

Natural small polyphenols molecules that bind to iron and have sufficiently low molecular weight to pass through the blood brain barrier include:

• Fisetin (natural source: strawberries)
• Resveratrol (red wine)
• Resveratrol (red wine)
• Quercetin (red apples, onions)
• 6 rice bran extract (rice bran)