Alzheimer's Disease affects more than just a person's memory. Alzheimer's also affects a person's ability to make simple decisions, to communicate, to analyze, to learn and to reason. A person with advanced Alzheimer's cannot carry out the business of normal, daily life. It is a currently incurable brain disorder which eventually affects even the person's personality.

A Progressive Disease

Alzheimer's is progressive. The way this brain disorder unfolds varies greatly from person to person. Some people will live with Alzheimer's for 20 years before dying from the disease, whereas other people are diagnosed and die within a few years. Some aspects of the disease's progress, however, are the same from person to person.

For instance, the disease always first attacks the part of the brain that controls both memory and thinking. It then spreads to other cells in the brain. Eventually, the brain damage becomes so severe that it leads to death, even if the patient is otherwise perfectly healthy.

One of the myths surrounding Alzheimer's is that it is an inevitability. When people grow old, they are bound to grow senile. This is not actually true. Even very old people can be perfectly lucid and clear-thinking. Severe memory loss should be taken for what it really is--a sign of serious illness, even in people of very old age. Preventative measures should be taken at that point, such as looking into supplements to boost glutathione levels.

People with Alzheimer's can begin taking supplements to improve the health of their immune systems. Much evidence points to the powerful impact glutathione levels can have on the health of a person with Alzheimer's. Glutathione is a tripeptide that naturally occurs in every cell of the human body. In those who are sick, glutathione levels tend to be low. Oral glutathione supplements are not effective, because glutathione is digested and broken down in the stomach, meaning very little actually reaches the bloodstream. It's important to take a precursor or building block of glutathione, and the most important of these is cysteine. Cysteine is best supplied by bioactive undenatured whey proteins. People with Alzheimer's can benefit from undenatured whey proteins that raise their glutathione back up to a normal, healthy level.