If you read my blog regularly, I post frequent warnings about some the health-harming side effects connected to "one-stop-cures" like gastric bypass, weight-loss medications and even over-the-counter pain relievers. A recent study has finally acknowledged some dangerous side effects I posted six years ago on my Web site: The use of anticholinergic drugs may mimic the early signs of dementia.
Anticholinergic medications are often prescribed to "cure" problems such as incontinence, anxiety, stiffness and sleep problems, seemingly at the expense of one's cholinergic system, consisting of neurotransmitters that regulate much of our mental functioning, particularly related to memory, according to the lead researcher.
Of more than 350 elderly patients monitored over eight years for the study, 10 percent of them had been using anticholinergics for a while. Patients who used them generally had poorer cognitive abilities, and 85 percent were diagnosed as having mild cognitive impairment, more than twice the percentage of patients who didn't take them.
The best way to protect and enhance your health so you won't need to rely on toxic, health-harming drugs and procedures begins with a decision on your end to make some lifestyle changes. You'll begin to move in the right direction if you pay closer attention to what foods your body burns best. You can find out by taking my free online test that will help you determine your body's unique nutritional type.
British Medical Journal February 1, 2006
MSNBC January 31, 2006