Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — Ethnobotanist Paul Cox and film producer Bo Landin are trying to solve a toxic puzzle. Could large algal blooms, which closed Utah Lake last year, be a risk factor for Alzheimer's?
"We didn't know how long this was going to take," said producer/director Landin. "We didn't know where in the world this would take us."
The film, narrated by Harrison Ford, shows how Cox studied villagers in Guam who had 100 times the rate of an ALS-type disease. He traced it to a toxin produced by cyanobacteria in the green scum on lakes and reservoirs.
Though other scientists have been skeptical of a link in the past, Cox says research at Dartmouth Medical School is proving his theories.
"It looks now like there really is a link between exposure to cyanobacterial blooms and risk of getting ALS," said Cox, whose nonprofit organization, Brain Chemistry Labs, developed a treatment for Alzheimer's which is now in clinical trials at Dartmouth. "Cross your fingers," he said.
Through chronic exposure to the toxin, if you have a predisposition, they believe you increase your risk. "Genetics loads the gun but environment pulls the trigger," Landin said.
"The big question is could this also translate into an increased risk of Alzheimer's?" Cox said.
They traveled to Okinawa and said they met 100-year-old women who are healthy and active, with sharp minds free of neurodegenerative diseases. Cox and Landin believe it's because of what they're eating.
"Their food store is like a pharmacy. They just eat these things like sweet potato and large brown algae," Landin said.
Their diets contain an amino acid called L-Serine, which Cox believes prevents the brain diseases and slows progression. It also comes in a supplement available at larger health food stores. Landin said he stirs the powder into a warm glass of water and drinks it.
The FDA-approved human clinical trials at Dartmouth Medical School are designed to determine if L-serine can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, but we won’t know if it works until the trials are completed.
Cox said his research is not only a warning, but a message of hope for the millions of people who are suffering.
The film, "Toxic Puzzle- Hunt for the Hidden Killer," premieres at the City Library Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free.
