At least five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease, a progressive form of dementia that affects the ability to think, reason and remember, the National Institute on Aging says. In the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, symptoms normally start after age 60, but brain changes may begin much earlier. Because there are no definitive medical treatments for Alzheimer's, many people turn to alternative treatments and supplements hoping for a cure. No supplement has proven to change the course of Alzheimer's disease. Ask your doctor before taking supplements.
Fish Oil
The omega-3 fatty acids in fish, DHA and EPA, have been tested for use in Alzheimer's treatment, but results have been mixed. High amounts of DHA are found in the brain around nerve junctions. A study in the Nov. 3, 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association conducted by the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study, however, found no benefit to those with mild Alzheimer's who took 2g DHA over those given a placebo. A slight potential benefit was noted in those who do not have the gene responsible for some cases of Alzheimer's.
A second study, published in the May issue of Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association and funded by Martek Biosciences, a manufacturer of fish oil, gave either 900mg DHA or a placebo daily to 485 people with cognitive decline. The study, called the MIDAS study, showed that those who took the fish oil had almost twice the reduction in errors on cognitive tests at the end of the six months. More studies are needed to prove definitive benefit, the Alzheimer's Association says.
Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo biloba, a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine that appears to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, underwent testing in a large clinical trial conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a division of the National Institutes of Health. The study, announced in 2009, said 3,069 people took 120mg ginkgo or placebo over six years. All had no or mild cognitive impairment at the start of the study. The study found no evidence that ginkgo improved cognitive thought processes. However, Mark Blumenthal, founder of the American Botanical Council, noted some limitations of the study -- including the fact that the data were drawn from a previous clinical trial, which wasn't meant to determine the decline in cognition; and that about 40 percent of the subjects dropped out during the six years.
Vitamins
Some people with Alzheimer's disease have low levels of certain B vitamins such as folate and B12, as well as low levels of homocysteine, a chemical implicated in causing chronic illness. Because folate helps decrease homocysteine, taking B-complex vitamins might have a benefit, especially if homocysteine levels are high, the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center says.
Considerations
Many treatments touted as helping treat Alzheimer's have not been proven to have any benefit, including coral calcium, huperzine A and tramiprosate. Use caution when taking supplements of any type to treat Alzheimer's, and take them only with your medical practitioner's approval.
References
- Alzheimer's Association: Alternative Treatments
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Alzheimer's Disease
- National Institute on Aging: Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet
- Milton S. Hershey Medical Center: Alzheimer's Disease
- PRWeb:Study Published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association Shows Algal DHA Improved Memory and Learning in Healthy Adults Age 55 and Older
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Ginkgo biloba Does Not Slow Cognitive Decline in Large Study of Older Adults
