Beware Big Pharma’s Alzheimer’s-sleeping pill scam

I urge you not to be fooled by the latest Big Pharma hype that claims sleeping pills can slow down - [Click here](1770d7/ct0_0/1/ms?sid=TV2%3A4q146Xisi) to view this message in your browser | [Click here](1770d7/l-002e/zout?sid=TV2%3A4q146Xisi) to stop receiving our messages [] [] Al Sears, MD 11905 Southern Blvd. Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 [] May 12, 2023 [] Reader, I urge you not to be fooled by the latest Big Pharma hype that claims sleeping pills can slow down or even prevent Alzheimer’s disease. A new study out of Washington University in St. Louis claims to have discovered that the common sleeping pill Suvorexant, sold under the brand name Belsomra, has the power to reduce levels of the amyloid beta and tau proteins, both hallmark characteristics of Alzheimer’s.1 I very much doubt it. The conclusions of the study are flawed at so many levels; I hardly know where to begin. First of all, there’s an obvious conflict of interest between Suvorexant maker Merck and several researchers, who have been paid as consultants by the pharma giant, as well as C2N Diagnostics, the company used to measure the amyloid beta and tau protein levels. Second, it’s ridiculous to claim that Suvorexant – or any other sleeping agent – can prevent Alzheimer’s when amyloid beta and tau proteins are symptoms of the disease, not the cause. On top of that, the study was tiny and too short to be of any serious value. It involved just 38 participants over a period of just two days – hardly enough time or participants to make any kind of critical disease claim. And get this… None of the study participants were suffering from Alzheimer’s or any other kind of cognitive impairment! Most importantly, it’s already well-known that sleeplessness has a negative impact on almost every key biological aspect of your body – including your brain. But sleeping pills are by far the worst remedy you can think of. They never get to the root of the problem. Poor sleeping patterns most often occur because your natural circadian rhythms and cycles have been thrown out of whack. But instead of trying to realign these natural cycles, Big Pharma has made a multi-billion-dollar industry out of sleep. And on average, sleeping pills give you only 11 extra minutes of sleep a night – and that’s from our government’s National Institutes of Health.2 Now Big Pharma and their paid researchers are claiming those extra 11 minutes of sleep can impact the onset of Alzheimer’s. This is highly suspicious – at best. To me, it’s just another example of researchers and Big Pharma pushing existing drugs to treat another disease – and cash in on a bunch of spurious claims in the process. It’s true that lack of sleep is likely connected to Alzheimer’s – but that’s hardly a new discovery. You see, too little sleep grinds down the length of your telomeres. And the shorter your telomeres are, the more prone you become to chronic diseases and “old age” like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis – and Alzheimer’s. If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that telomeres are the tiny tails of genetic code at the end of each strand of DNA in the nucleus of your cells. They are also your hidden biological clock, and determine how fast you age. But sleeping pills are not the answer. The real solution to sleeplessness is the sleep hormone, melatonin, which is produced in the tiny pineal gland in your brain. Melatonin is your body’s way of making sure your circadian rhythms are aligned, and you are cycling naturally through all five stages of sleep. And a raft of studies also shows that melatonin is critical for keeping your telomeres long and youthful. That’s because this hormone is a potent activator of telomerase, the enzyme that rebuilds and lengthens your telomeres.3,4 You can take melatonin supplements to increase your telomerase levels, but there are also good natural ways to help your body boost melatonin levels by itself. Protect your brain with a good night’s sleep – naturally Here’s what I recommend to my patients for getting a regular good night’s sleep… - Take a supplement. Melatonin supplements are the fastest way to get your circadian rhythms back on track. The problem is that the standard recommended dosage is way too high. Too much melatonin induces different biological responses, and the sleep benefits fade. Studies at MIT reveal your body needs only 0.3 mg for the restful effect. I’ve found that melatonin is absorbed fastest when taken in spray form. Take it about half an hour before bedtime. - Get more of this mushroom. Consuming Reishi mushrooms can help you reach deep, restful sleep in as little as three days.5 In a recent study, researchers determined that the mushrooms “significantly increased total sleep time and non-rapid eye movement sleep.” They found that Reishi promotes sleep by increasing TNF-a in the brain. TNF-a plays a key role in sleep regulation. In a second study, researchers found Reishi works by influencing certain gut microbes that naturally produce sleep-promoting neurotransmitters.6 - Get more magnesium. Multiple studies show that magnesium is highly effective against all kinds of sleeping disorders. Sadly, nearly 80% of Americans are deficient in this mineral. You can get more by eating nuts, seeds, dairy products, and dark green, leafy vegetables. But given the depleted state of our soil, there’s not much magnesium vegetables anymore. I recommend a supplement – between 600 mg and 1,000 mg a day for sleeping disorders. The most absorbable forms are magnesium citrate and glycinate taurate. And take it with vitamin B6, which increases the amount of magnesium that accumulates in your cells. To Your Good Health, Al Sears, MD, CNS --------------------------------------------------------------- References: 1. Lucey BP, et al. “Suvorexant acutely decreases tau phosphorylation and Aβ in the human CNS.” Annal of Neurology. March 10, 2023 2. Saul S. “Sleep drugs found only mildly effective, but wildly popular.” New York Times. October 23, 2007. 3. Akbulut K, et. al. “The role of melatonin on gastric mucosal cell proliferation and telomerase activity in ageing.” J Pineal Res. 2009;308-12. 4. Rastmanesh R. “Potential of melatonin to treat or prevent age-related macular degeneration through stimulation of telomerase activity.” Med Hypotheses. 2011;76(1):79-85 5. Cui X, et al. “Extract of Ganoderma lucidum prolongs sleep time in rats.” Ethnopharmacol. 2012 Feb 15;139(3):796-800. 6. Yao C, et al. “Ganoderma lucidum promotes sleep through a gut microbiota-dependent and serotonin-involved pathway in mice.” Sci Rep. 2021 Jul 1;11(1):13660. alsearsmd@send.alsearsmd.com [Preferences | Unsubscribe](1770d7/l-002e/zout?sid=TV2%3A4q146Xisi) 11905 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach, Florida 33411, United States