793. Helping Every Day to Reduce the Alzheimer's Pandemic

Ralph Sanchez

“This is the first time I had heard of it, and I was very immersed in the functional medicine community by then and people weren’t talking about these risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease back then, like they are now. And so I started to dig into the research and I was just enthralled. I could not learn enough. And I was looking at the time for an area like this that I could excel in and develop an expertise in because I knew I had some books in me. That was part of the thing that I wanted to do. And a light went on during all of this time in my research. I said, “This is it. Wow. I’m going to specialize in Alzheimer’s disease and help people eventually with this knowledge base that I’m accumulating.”

Ralph Sanchez is the author of “The Diabetic Brain in Alzheimer’s Disease,” and The “Improved MIND Diet” Inspired by his own risk for dementia, Ralph has spent the last two decades in research on the prime risk factors and related causes of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, and the complex, genetic, biochemical and metabolic underpinnings that are linked to these disorders. Ralph’s passion is to share his insights on the Alzheimer’s pandemic that is drawn from his in-depth review of the research, and how that body of science can be transformed into actionable steps for risk reduction and prevention.

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

“In 1999 I discovered I had a risk of dementia because of some issues in my health history. During my many years working in landscaping I had exposed myself to pesticides. Like so many people at that time I was unaware that these exposures can be highly toxic. I sought out some healthcare professionals who were able to help me feel better but were unable to get to the root causes of the problem. Because of my recent degree and experience in Chinese medicine, I began my journey into researching the many underlying factors, which has taken me on my current 20-year quest.”

The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?

1. Spirituality, in whatever form it takes for you, is vitally important. Find a connection to a higher cause within yourself that really helps you get grounded into something you can always fall back on as a way to guide you.

2. Meditation has been quite important to my spiritual journey. I love Buddhism because it is not discriminatory at all. You can be Catholic, Protestant or whatever religious persuasion and the principles of meditation and mindfulness can still benefit you in profound ways.