New Book Blames Burgers For 'Alzheimer's Epidemic'

[MORTARDUDE]

http://www.rense.com/general51/epi.htm

New Book Blames Burgers
For 'Alzheimer's Epidemic'
canada.com
4-11-4


EDMONTON -- A new book could add to the woes of the mad cow ravaged beef industry.

The book is called Dying for a Hamburger: Modern Meat Processing and the Epidemic of Alzheimer's Disease.

It was written by Toronto coroner Dr. Murray Waldman and Marjorie Lamb and it blames hamburgers for an "epidemic of Alzheimer's disease."

Waldman argues hamburger is the main source of prions, a type of malformed protein which trigger the disease in the aged.

But Canada's leading expert on prions says Waldman doesn't know what he's talking about.

Dr. David Westaway of the University of Toronto says Alzheimer's isn't a prion disease, and adds that experiments have shown it isn't transmissible.

Waldman also quotes the studies of University of Indiana epidemiologist Dr. Hugh Hendrie.

But Hendrie says his work has been misinterpreted.

Despite such denunciations, Waldman insists his science is strong.

The book, published by McClelland and Stewart, will hit stores in the next two weeks.

? Copyright 2004 Canadian Press http://www.canada.com/health/story.h...C-26F05114C54F

[Dragon Lady]

FYI -
This disease is characterized by a build up of plaques on the nerve endings in the brain. The current discussion amongst experts in this area is whether or not the plaque causes the alzheimers or the alzheimers causes the plaque. Either way, I know of many current projects at several of the pharmaceutical research companies that are attempting to treat the plaques. The two big problems they are faced with are the blood brain barrier (BBB) which is a very highly effective safety system to keep out harmful particulates...except alcohol is not even slowed down by the BBB. The other issue is that it takes as long as several years for current medications to travel the length of some of the nerves in your body. This is just too long for the meds to be able to break up the plaque growths.

Rest assured...they are working very hard to combat this horrific disease.

DL

[colmurph]

Would seem to me that Alzheimers is more prevalent today than it was 40 years ago for a few reasons.

1. 40 years ago they called it Senile Dementia, not Alzheimers.

2. People are living longer. 77 years today vs 62 in 1965.

If you live long enough, you'll get some form of senile dementia, cancer, emphysemia and a host of other ailments. Before, folks would die of a heart attack or cancer before they lived long enough to get Alzheimers.