Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is still in many ways a mystery to the modern medical world. There are clues to its inner workings but little is known as to what causes it to manifest in the first place. One thing that is agreed upon is that hormones such as estrogen and progesterone play an important role in the defense against dementia. Estrogen, for instance, is responsible for helping different parts of the brain communicate while also maintaining certain brain functions. Less estrogen can lead to a degeneration of certain brain functions commonly found in those suffering from dementia.

As anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory hormones such as amylin, insulin and leptin drop off with age, our bodies’ become less able to stave off free radicals and remove excess cortisol. The hormonal swings in women entering menopause can lead to bouts of insomnia; potentially increasing the risk of both physical and mental fatigue. When we are not able to reach deep sleep, our bodies’ ability to repair itself is hampered and this can lead to inflammation and stress. Deep sleep is also the time when our short-term memories are moved into long-term storage so interrupted or a lack of sleep is basically a memory shredder.