Here's how patients say they reversed early Alzheimer's symptoms

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- There are two California doctors who are shaking up the medical world, saying their protocols can dramatically improve brain health in children and adults and even reverse diseases such as Alzheimer's. They say it all starts with sugar.

Two prominent California doctors, with bestselling books, insist we have the power to heal our own brains from diseases. They say it should start when we're young and begin with a look at the way we eat. Does it sound too good to be true?

Two women we spoke with who followed that advice say it is true - that their lives changed for the better and they healed their brains.

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The women say they reversed their early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease by making food and lifestyle changes based on research by neuroscientist Dr. Dale Bredesen. He wrote a book called "The End of Alzheimer's."

"Two years ago, I scored mildly cognitively impaired on a cognitive assessment test," said Dr. Sally Weinrich. "Most recently, I scored perfect! I'm really happy about that! I'm claiming it!

Weinrich, a former cancer researcher and grandmother, followed the Bredesen protocol for several months and is able to cook once again for her large family, pick up the grandkids from school and she's learning Spanish.

Deborah, a very active mother of four and a lawyer, says, "Over a period of four to six months, the symptoms I was experiencing all reversed and I returned to my cognitive functioning that had been my norm when I was younger."

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She was able to recover her ability to sight-read notes when she plays the piano. She also regained the ability to help her busy family while working a high-powered job. And she no longer has facial blindness, which meant she couldn't recognize people she knew.

Adda, an active 51-year-old grandmother, told ABC7 by Skype that she improved her ability to think clearly and she lost almost 80 pounds after making dramatic food and lifestyle changes.

"I gave up a lot of red meat and beans and rice and potatoes were my favorite foods," she said.

Adda began making those changes after she started working for cardiologist Dr. Steven Gundry nearly six years ago. He wrote a book called "The Plant Paradox."

Grammy winner Kelly Clarkson also read "The Plant Paradox." She talked about it recently on NBC's "The Today Show." She said she not only lost a lot of weight, but also cleared up her autoimmune disease.

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"For me it wasn't really the weight, but I'm not on my medicine anymore," Kelly said.

Gundry told ABC7 during an in-studio interview, "The temptation is well, let's just stop for a pizza or let's get a bucket of chicken and we'll be okay. But in fact, all those things that make life easy and convenient are actually diminishing our health and our kids' health."

Gundry and Bredesen have joined forces in the fight against brain disease.

Bredesen told ABC7 during an in-studio interview, "If it's in your family, you want to come in, in your 40's and say, 'where do we stand?' We want everyone to get on prevention. We really can reduce the global burden of dementia if we do that."

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Deborah is committed to following Bredesen's anti-Alzheimer's health protocol saying, "It completely changed my life."

Weinrich wants everyone to be aware of Bredesen's health protocol and how it changed her life, saying, "I feel hope. I'm celebrating as the first person in South Carolina to reverse Alzheimer's. If my story can help one person, then my embarrassment at having no brain, I joke about, is worth it."

You can see the full interviews with Dr. Gundry and Dr. Bredesen on ABC7's "Beyond the Headlines". Click here for a look at that full episode with ABC7's Cheryl Jennings.

And if you're concerned about a loved one who might have symptoms of Alzheimer's, visit this page.