Alzheimer's, Aromatherapy, and the Sense of Smell

Essential Oils to Prevent Cognitive Loss and Restore Memory

Jean-Pierre Willem

• Publisher: Healing Arts Press
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN:
  9781644114438
• eBook ISBN:
  9781644114445
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Alternative & Complementary Medicine

• Cites multiple clinical studies to show how Alzheimer’s is critically bound with the sense of smell and how the loss of this sense is often the first symptom of onset

• Details how to use essential oils to stimulate memory, prevent cognitive loss, and counter the isolation, withdrawal, and depression of Alzheimer’s patients

• Reveals the striking results seen in several French hospitals and senior living homes where aromatherapy has been used as a therapy for Alzheimer’s

While there is still no known cure for Alzheimer’s, new research and trials from France reveal that it is possible to slow its progression, ameliorate some of its effects, and improve the quality of life for those suffering from this degenerative condition, using the sense of smell.

Citing years of clinical evidence, Jean-Pierre Willem, M.D., shows how Alzheimer’s is critically bound with the sense of smell. He explains how the olfactory system is connected to the limbic area of the brain, which holds the keys to memory and emotion and is the area of the brain most severely afflicted by Alzheimer’s. He reveals how one of the very first signs of Alzheimer’s is typically the loss of the sense of smell. Sharing the striking results seen in French hospitals and senior living homes where aromatherapy has been used as a therapy for Alzheimer’s for more than 10 years, Dr. Willem details how to use essential oils to stimulate memory, prevent cognitive loss, and counter the isolation, withdrawal, and depression these patients are likely to feel. He explains how essential oils make a direct connection with the cerebral structures involved in emotion and memory and make it possible for the patient to bring deeply buried memories back to the thinking surface. This allows the patient to recover a portion of their identity, which can become the foundation for additional healing, including regaining the ability to communicate and reducing behavioral issues. Tracing the evolutionary links between smell and taste, he also explores the effects of diet and nutrition on Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, explaining the benefits of raw foods, what foods to avoid, and what supplements can help.

Offering a hands-on and medication-free way to help those suffering from Alzheimer’s, this guide provides a way for Alzheimer’s patients and their families to recover the joy of living again.

Table of contents

• Cover Image
• Title Page
• Epigraph
• Table of Contents
• Introduction. Understanding Alzheimer’s
• Chapter 1. Alzheimer’s Disease Decoded: Evolution of the Human Olfactory System
• Chapter 2. Cerebral Lesions and Their Consequences: A Look inside the Anomalies of the Alzheimer’s Brain
• Chapter 3. How to Establish the Diagnosis: A Multidisciplinary Approach
• Chapter 4. Laboratory Analysis: Biochemical Factors for Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment
• Chapter 5. The Brain and Its Neurons: A Primer
• Chapter 6. A Stroll Down Memory Lane: The Systems and Stages of Memory
• Chapter 7. Development of the Disease: The Stages and Progression of Alzheimer’s
• Chapter 8. The Multiple Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease: Medications, Mitochondria, and More
• Chapter 9. Additional Risk Factors and Considerations: Knowledge Is Power
• Chapter 10. The Body’s Five Protective Barriers: And What Happens When They Rupture
• Chapter 11. Neuroplasticity: Caring for the Brain
• Chapter 12. Alzheimer’s Disease and the Sense of Smell: A Closer Look at Our Primary Sense
• Chapter 13. Finding Help from Essential Oils: The Benefits and Practice of Olfactory Therapy
• Chapter 14. The Cooking of Food: Problems and Solutions
• Chapter 15. Return to the Raw: Establishing an Olfactory-Friendly Diet
• Chapter 16. Prevention: Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Mental State
• Chapter 17. We Are What We Eat: Brain Food Supplements
• Chapter 18. Navigating Alzheimer’s Disease: A Guide for Families and Caregivers
• CONCLUSION. Writing a New Page of Medical History
• APPENDIX 1. Diseases Akin to Alzheimer’s
• APPENDIX 2. The Nose Knows: Learning from Man’s Best Friend
• Footnote
• Bibliography
• About the Author
• About Inner Traditions • Bear & Company
• Books of Related Interest
• Copyright & Permission
• Index