Native Americans Swore By This Californian Herb, And Experts Say It May Help Treat Dementia Today

Cases of Alzheimer’s are on the rise in America. In 2019, according to figures from the Alzheimer’s Association, there were 5.8 million people living with the disease across the United States. Of these, approximately 5.6 million were aged 65 and over, while an estimated 200,000 were under 65.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association statistics, someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s every 65 seconds in the U.S. But there are some groups that are more at risk than others. While age increases the chances of a person developing the disease, it appears to affect women more than men. Furthermore, older people of African-American or Hispanic heritage are more likely to have Alzheimer’s than their white counterparts.

With our aging population, it is likely that cases of Alzheimer’s will continue to increase rapidly in the U.S. By 2015 it’s estimated that there could be 13.8 million cases of the disease in people aged 65 and above, at an approximated cost of $1.1 trillion to the nation. As a result, it’s important that we learn as much as we can about Alzheimer’s and how we might stem its growth.

So what exactly is Alzheimer’s? Put simply, it is the most prevalent form of dementia and a form of degenerative brain disease. One of the first symptoms of the illness is memory loss, though others can include disorientation, language problems and behavioral issues, which often get worse as Alzheimer’s progresses.

As Alzheimer’s advances, a person can often withdraw from society and even their family. Over time, they lose bodily functions, and in the end, the disease becomes fatal. The speed at which progression occurs differs between patients, but the typical post-diagnosis life expectancy is three-to-nine years.

As of 2019 Alzheimer’s was the sixth-biggest cause of death in America, with one in three seniors succumbing to the disease or falling victim to another form of dementia. And while deaths caused by other major factors have gone down over the years, records suggest that fatalities from Alzheimer’s disease have surged.

And America isn’t the only country dealing with the increased threat of Alzheimer’s. According to figures from the Bright Focus Foundation, almost 50 million people worldwide are living with the disease or a related dementia. However, only one-in-four people with Alzheimer’s have been diagnosed, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International.

Given the problems that Alzheimer’s poses, the race is on to find a cure. Currently, the only treatment on offer to patients simply reduces symptoms. However, medical experts are yet to find a way to eradicate the illness completely, and it seems unlikely that a single cure will be identified.

That’s because all dementias are caused by a number of different diseases that damage the brain. In recent years, the medical community has made significant breakthroughs in their understanding of how these illnesses work, and there are more and more trials and studies taking place all the time.

However, as work towards a cure to Alzheimer’s continues, one of the best ways to tackle the disease is through prevention. Studies have shown that the same risk factors in stroke and heart disease apply to dementia. These include obesity, smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure. So by tackling these issues in mid-life, a person’s risk of developing dementia could be decreased by up to 30 percent.

It’s also believed that some lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of a person developing Alzheimer’s, or at least delay the onset of the disease. These include quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake, maintaining a healthy weight and eating a well-balanced diet. Staying fit both physically and mentally is also important.

Furthermore, a 2019 study based on research gathered by the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, found that those who were multilingual may have a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s. As a result, it has been suggested that there may be a link between languages and dementia.

The team at Waterloo looked at the health outcomes of 325 Sisters of Notre Dame nuns in the United States. And amazingly, they found that only 6 percent of the nuns who knew four or more languages went on to have dementia. This figure was significantly lower than the 31 percent of those who spoke just one language who developed the disease.

The data used by the University of Waterloo had been compiled as part of a major examination known as the Nun Study. But while the team found that speaking four or more languages seemed to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, speaking two or three didn’t significantly lower the risk.

Suzanne Tyas, a professor in public health at Waterloo, explained the significance of the findings in quotes obtained by U.K. tabloid the Daily Express in January 2020. She explained, “The Nun Study is unique: It is a natural experiment, with very different lives in childhood and adolescence before entering the convent, contrasted with very similar adult lives in the convent.”

Continuing, Tyas explained that the consistency between the nuns’ adult lives meant that researchers could focus solely on “early-life factors on health later in life.” And it was their understanding that speaking many languages was a great way of keeping the brain healthy even in advancing years.

Tyas explained, “Language is a complex ability of the human brain, and switching between different languages takes cognitive flexibility. So it makes sense that the extra mental exercise multilinguals would get from speaking four or more languages might help their brains be in better shape than monolinguals.”

Elsewhere, other research has suggested that those who speak more than one language had a greater cognitive reserve. Dr. David Reynolds from Alzheimer’s Research U.K. explained, “Cognitive reserve is thought to explain why some people’s brains are more resilient to damage than others, and there is increasing evidence that being bilingual throughout life could increase our cognitive reserve.”

Another life skill that might help to protect a person from developing Alzheimer’s is playing an instrument. This finding was reported back in 2015 when a study of twins set out to determine the links between music and dementia. And researchers found that those who were musical had a lesser risk of getting the disease by a third.

The research looked at 157 sets of twins in which one sibling had dementia while the other didn’t. This meant that it could examine the risk factors specific to the twin with the illness and the protective factors unique to the healthy one. Because the participants were so closely related, genetic differences were less of a factor to consider.

Interestingly, the study found that those who played an instrument as an older adult were less likely to develop dementia by 36 percent than those who didn’t. The research, which was gathered by a team at the University of California, was later shared in the International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

It wasn’t clear how playing an instrument worked to reduce an individual’s chances of developing dementia. However, much like speaking multiple languages, it was believed that such a skill boosted the cognitive reserve, in turn protecting the brain. It’s also been noted that music processing engages many regions of the brain, keeping it active.

While maintaining an active brain may help us to ward off Alzheimer’s, preventing the disease may be as easy as incorporating a little-known herb into our lifestyles. The supplement in question is called horsetail. What’s more, it has been used for its medicinal properties as far back as the prehistoric era.

Horsetail – or to give the plant its proper name, Equisetum – is known as a “living fossil” given that it’s the only surviving member of the ancient Equisetidae plant group. The plant uses spores to reproduce, rather than seeds and is found on every continent, bar Antarctica. It is most common in Canada and the northern United States.

Throughout the ages, horsetail had been used as a form of traditional medicine. The plant was even known to the Romans and Greeks, who valued its supposed health benefits. And despite a lack of evidence of horsetail’s healing abilities, people continue to use the plant as a herbal remedy to this day.

One of the reasons that horsetail has gained a reputation in traditional medicine is because of the high quantity of silica it contains. The trace mineral – otherwise known as silicon dioxide – can apparently aid hair growth and improve bone density. As such, horsetail is still used as a supplement by some.

There’s also evidence to suggest that horsetail can aid brain health. Some studies have found that the plant can improve neural pathway efficiency, in turn boosting cognitive function. And it is also thought that horsetail might lower a person’s risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

One of the ways that horsetail may help to combat Alzheimer’s is by ridding the body of heavy metals, such as aluminum. These compounds have been tied to a number of illnesses including cancer, as well as dementia and Alzheimer’s. However, research has shown that horsetail may assist the body in removing them.

The study was carried out by Dr. Exley and later published in the US National Library of Medicine. Exley found that drinking around one liter (2.1 pints) of silica-rich water per day over 12 weeks reduced aluminum levels in Alzheimer’s patients and may have boosted their cognitive performance.

Silica decreases aluminum levels by binding together with the heavy metal molecules. These are then expelled from the body through urine. Horsetail is well known for its high silica levels, and the dried version of the herb can be made into a tea and consumed responsibly to aid the body with removing heavy metals.

However, the consumption of horsetail is not without risk. Writing for HowStuffWorks, Dr. Jennifer Brett explained, “Avoid horsetail if you have high blood pressure. Some cases of high blood pressure are due to kidney abnormalities (a condition called renal hypertension), and horsetail can irritate the kidneys.”

Brett continued, “Those who have a family history of silica kidney stones also should avoid horsetail. Horsetail may make breast milk less palatable to nursing infants. Ask herb suppliers where they gathered their horsetail. Make sure it doesn’t come from roadsides or other possibly polluted environments. Horsetail is known to concentrate heavy metals and other toxins in its leaves.”

Too much silica can irritate the kidney, and therefore people prone to silica kidney stones should not consume horsetail. Brett explained, “Kidney irritation could occur with long-term, repetitive and frequent use. Limit its use to one month at a time, or stop for one week every three weeks when taking this herb.”

However, if taken responsibly, it seems that there are numerous benefits to be reaped from the use of horsetail. For one, used as a supplement, the silica-rich herb can help to maintain healthy teeth and bones. According to one 1999 study, prolonged use of horsetail has also been beneficial in increasing the bone density of postmenopausal women experiencing osteoporosis.

Alternatively, horsetail can be used in skin, hair and nail care, as it boosts collagen levels. The plant can also be used to aid regrowth after hair loss. A study from 2016 found that hair rich in silica appeared healthier and was less likely to shed. Horsetail can also be applied to the nails to stop them from breaking or splitting.

Drinking horsetail tea might also be a remedy for bladder problems. This is because it works as a diuretic, ridding the body of excess water. The herb could also help the kidneys to expel uric acid, which can lead to kidney stones. Meanwhile, bathing in horsetail could relieve the symptoms of urinary tract infections.

Applied topically, horsetail can be used to treat blisters, burns and boils. Simply grind the plant into a paste with water, and apply to the affected area. Let it sit, and the herb’s anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties should do the rest. It’s thought that horsetail has been used in this way for centuries.

Horsetail may also be helpful in the treatment of sore throats. Mixing the herb with boiling water, lemon juice and salt to create a gargling concoction can help to reduce symptoms. For the best result, use a couple of times a day until the pain subsides. Furthermore, horsetail can be used in a similar way to treat gingivitis.

That being said, it’s worth remembering that the health benefits of horsetail are yet to be proven – even when it comes to preventing Alzheimer’s. To ward off the disease, medical professionals advise a healthy lifestyle in general. So if you’re worried about dementia, perhaps consider tweaking your diet or exercise regime before you reach for the horsetail.