From TheWorldData.com (https://theworlddata.com/alzheimer-disease-statistics-in-us/) we learn that Alzheimer’s disease with its inexorable loss of memory and cognition is expected to rise over the next quarter century:
“2025 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, US Census Bureau Population Projections The projected growth trajectory for Alzheimer’s disease presents a sobering view of America’s healthcare future, with cases expected to reach 13.8 million by 2050, nearly doubling.”
TheGlobalStatistics.com (https://www.theglobalstatistics.com/united-states-dementia-statistics/) puts the current US state of this related disease as 1 in 9 seniors:
“Dementia has emerged as one of the most pressing public health challenges facing the United States in 2025. An estimated 6.9 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with dementia, representing about 1 in 9 people (10.9%) of the U.S. population.”
This all sounds pretty grim, as if, after we retire, in addition to sore joints, we can anticipate mental decline. Into this valley of despair, I saw a video purporting to be Dr. Sanjay Gupta with Anderson Cooper, an interview which also included ethnobotanist Dr. Paul Cox, who discovered a proliferation of Alzheimer’s in Guam downstream of a chemical plant releasing cadmium chloride into the potable water supply. This was what the video put forth. It also purported that Dr. Cox discovered that Himalayan cedar honey contained a unique compound that nullified the destructive effects of cadmium. It further postulated that the amyloid plaques are formed as a type of scarring in the brain, not causing the damage, but what’s left after the cadmium chloride exposure. The final message was that, combined with Bacopa Monnieri, a well-known Ayurvedic treatment for age related mental decline, this would be a powerful combination, clearing dementia in 3 to 6 months depending upon the degree of decline.
Several articles I found show CNN and Dr. Gupta’s claiming that these were “deep fake” AI-generated characters. Then again, the same “fact checkers” claimed that our 2020 elections were not interfered with. They claimed that JFK’s demise was at the hands of a lone gunman, and that Joe Biden’s publicly displayed mental decline was just “conspiracy theory” and the Hunter Biden laptop didn’t really exist and was just “Russian disinformation.” (Now, even the liberal media admit that it is real.) So, the critically thinking health writer in me wonders just how dependable or truthful these same “fact checkers” (consensus protectors) actually are. Are they simply doing the bidding of big pharma, not wanting to risk losing such a big cash cow of human suffering, almost as plump a cow as cancer?
I probably don’t have the time or space in this format to resolve these questions here but I thought I’d check out some of the claims in the alleged Gupta-Cox video. Bacopa Monnieri I’ve already covered in articles in this blog covering brain health protection. There is much to say for its traditional use in Ayurveda.
Of the reviewers only Freexamine.com gave a favorable review:
“The Memory-Energy Boost: How Bacopa Monnieri and Honey Amplify Brain …(https://freexamine.com/indetail/can-you-take-bacopa-monnieri-and-honey-together-real-safety-and-benefits-revealed)
When you take Bacopa Monnieri and honey together, your body creates a powerful brain-boosting partnership that works better than either supplement alone. The honey helps your digestive system absorb more of the active compounds from Bacopa Monnieri, while the herb slows down how quickly your body processes the natural sugars in honey. This means the brain gets steady energy flow while memory-enhancing compounds stay active longer in your system.”
In the promotional video, Cox claims that Cedar Honey (famous for its flavor, found in Lebanon) has a unique property of detoxifying the cadmium chloride.
“Discover IronBrain with Cedar Honey, scientifically formulated to reverse Alzheimer’s and memory loss. Removes harmful cadmium chloride brain toxins while restoring acetylcholine levels naturally.
IronBrain – Cedar Honey Supplement for Memory Restoration & Brain Health(https://ironbrainsupplement.com/)”
So here we have some inconvenient facts which the “fact checkers” seemed to have not discovered in their diligent research, that not only does such a mechanism of action exist, but there is a product for it.
How about cadmium chloride, then? Is it really a persistent neurotoxin? When I queried Brave browser’s search assistant, I got an earful:
“Cadmium chloride exposure is associated with significant neurotoxic effects across various experimental models. In rat primary mid-brain neuron-glia cultures, cadmium chloride (Cd) accumulates and induces cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner, with an IC50 of 2.5 μM after 24 hours of exposure. The compound also impairs dopaminergic function, as evidenced by a decrease in 3H-dopamine uptake with an IC50 of 0.9 μM after 7 days of exposure, indicating the high sensitivity of dopaminergic neurons to cadmium toxicity. This neurotoxicity is linked to oxidative stress, as cadmium significantly increases intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in microglia-enriched cultures, with a threefold increase in 2′,7′-dichlorofluorescein signals and a 3.5-fold increase in electron spin resonance signals using a spin-trapping agent. These oxidative effects are further supported by the activation of redox-sensitive transcription factors such as nuclear factor kappa B and activator protein-1 (AP-1), along with upregulated expression of oxidative stress-related genes like metallothionein and heme oxygenase-1.
In animal studies, cadmium chloride exposure leads to alterations in key enzymes and neurotransmitter systems. Subacute and chronic exposure in rats and mice results in decreased activities of Ca2+-ATPase, Na+/K+-ATPase, and Mg2+-ATPase in brain regions such as the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Additionally, cadmium exposure increases acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in various brain areas, including the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and striatum, particularly under chronic exposure conditions. These changes are associated with oxidative stress markers, including elevated levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a product of lipid peroxidation, and reduced levels of antioxidants such as glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT).
Cadmium chloride also induces neurodegeneration in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of rodents, promoting cell death through both intrinsic (mitochondria-mediated) and extrinsic (Fas-mediated) apoptotic pathways. The activation of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway, along with the JNK/p66Shc/NADPH oxidase axis, has been implicated in cadmium-induced memory deficits and hippocampal damage. Furthermore, parental exposure to cadmium chloride in zebrafish leads to transgenerational neurotoxicity, affecting offspring behavior, reducing swimming speed and distance, and disrupting neurotransmitter levels such as dopamine, serotonin, and AChE, as well as altering the expression of genes related to neuronal development.
Human studies, though limited, suggest that cadmium exposure—particularly in occupational settings or through environmental contamination—can lead to neurological impairments such as anosmia, polyneuropathy, cognitive deficits, and behavioral issues including learning disabilities, hyperactivity, and attention problems. These findings collectively indicate that cadmium chloride is a potent neurotoxin capable of inducing oxidative stress, disrupting neurotransmitter systems, impairing neuronal function, and causing long-term neurological damage across species.
In addition to cedar honey as a potential mitigating agent or cure for cadmium toxicity, Gallic and ascorbic acids appear to be effective in reversing some of the symptoms:”
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-28893-6
Is this element, then, frequently found in products with which we routinely come into contact? According to Australia’s version of the Environmental Protection Agency, it is:
“Cadmium compounds are used in the metal plating and battery industry, and as stabilizing agents in many polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products. Cadmium metal is alloyed with copper in the production of automobile radiators. Cadmium chloride is used in the dyeing and printing of fabrics, in electronics component manufacture and in photography. Cadmium oxide is used in electroplating, in semiconductors, and in glass and ceramic glazes. Cadmium sulfide is used in the electronics industry for photocells and light emitting diodes. It is also used as a curing agent in tires. Cadmium is a component of petrol, diesel fuel and lubricating oils (https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/npi/substances/fact-sheets/cadmium-and-compounds).”
One wonders, then, if it is also found in our food and water. NCBI’s Toxilogical Research paper goes into how cadmium enters our food web, where it is ubiquitous:
“Cd enters the environments through natural and various anthropogenic sources. However, the accumulation of Cd in the soil–plant environment mainly through anthropogenic activities such as application of phosphate fertilizers, waste water, sewage sludge and manures. The high mobility in soils make Cd accumulation in plants poses a serious threat to animal and human health (4). The possible pathways of human exposure to Cd via the food chain are shown in Fig. 1. Cd is a common contaminant found in most human foodstuffs due to the high transfer factor properties of plants. (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4780235/)”
I will leave it to our readers to do their own further research and to reach their conclusions as to whether or not Cd poisoning is the major factor behind our growth in Alzheimer’s and dementia and whether or not it is just coincidental that it’s build up in the environment and food chain accidentally or causally parallels that growth in neurotoxigenic diseases.
In the video as I recall, Gupta or his “deep fake” self-stated that over 13.5 billion dollars are going to buy the current drugs used, none of which cure and many of which only mask the symptoms as the mental deterioration continues, so perhaps big pharma and big medicine have a vested interest in “managing” our decline, while they gain nothing from an environmental policy to limit use of this substance and prevent its accumulation in our food supply. It would seem, my opinion only, to be another case where corporate profits rather than public weal determines policy direction, so I would not look for any serious investigation by establishment medical or pharmaceutical authorities into the efficacy of such products as cedar honey + Bacopa Monnieri or the product which Gupta’s doppelgänger appeared to promote, Neurocept.