Alzheimer's Disease - Prevention/Treatment - Nutrients

Introduction

This section outlines nutrients, endogenous chemicals and hormones that may improve the condition of Alzheimer’s Disease patients or which may help to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease.

Alkaloids

 Betaine (Trimethylglycine (TMG) form) (6,000 mg per day) may retard the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease (by lowering elevated Homocysteine levels).  ^[1]

 Caffeine may help to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease.  ^[2]

 Huperzine A (300 mcg per day) may be a useful treatment for Alzheimer’sDisease (it inhibits the Acetylcholinesterase enzyme that degrades Acetylcholine - Acetylcholinesterase is over-active in Alzheimer’s Disease patients):  ^[3]

 Clinical studies have determined that 82% of Alzheimer’s Disease patients receiving Huperzine A experience Memory and Learning improvement (75% of carers reported that their charges experiences SIGNIFICANT Memory improvement).

 Nicotine (patches or lozenges) may help to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and may improve some aspects of cognitive function in Alzheimer’s Disease patients:  ^[4]

 Nicotine increases Attention Span in Alzheimer’s Disease patients and constant Nicotine exposure (e.g. in persons who smoke Tobacco) has recently been speculated to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease.

 Note that it is not the intention of this program to encourage Nicotine use for this purpose.

 Some epidemiological evidence shows that smokers are statistically less likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease (however other studies have shown that Tobacco smokers have an increased risk of Alzheimer’s Disease).

Amino Acids

 Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) (2,000 - 3,000 mg per day) may improve Alertness, Attention Span and Short-Term Memory in Alzheimer's Disease patients and retards the further progression of Alzheimer's Disease.  ^[5]

 Arginine may be useful for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (due to its ability to repair damaged Axons by increasing Polyamines levels).  ^[6]

 Creatine Monohydrate is speculated to alleviate Alzheimer’s Disease and it is presently undergoing investigation for the treatment of this condition.  ^[7]

 Ethylene-Diamine-Tetra-Acetate (EDTA, the synthetic Amino Acid used in Chelation Therapy) may alleviate some cases of Alzheimer’s Disease.  ^[8]

 Glutamine may improve Mental Function in Alzheimer's Disease patients and Alzheimer’s Disease patients have been demonstrated to have low Brain levels of Glutamine.  ^[9]

 N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) may improve some aspects of cognitive performance in Alzheimer’s Disease patients.  ^[10]

 Ornithine may be useful for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (due to its ability to repair damaged Axons by increasing Polyamines levels).  ^[11]

 Alzheimer’s Disease patients often exhibit decreased levels of S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) within their Brains (indicating that supplemental SAMe may be highly beneficial to Alzheimer’s Disease patients):  ^[12]

 It was previously (prior to 1995) assumed that Alzheimer’s Disease patients had excessive accumulation of SAM - this assumption has now proven erroneous.

 Taurine may be a useful adjunct for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease - especially when supplemental Taurine is combined with Vitamin B2 and Zinc.  ^[13]

 Theanine may help to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s Disease.  ^[14]

 Tyrosine may be useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (Alzheimer’s Disease patients frequently exhibit lowered levels of Dopamine and Norepinephrine;  Tyrosine may help to restore normal levels of these Neurotransmitters).  ^[15]

Carbohydrates

 Fucoidan may be useful for the prevention/treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (it may reduce the toxicity of Amyloid-Beta Protein).  ^[16]

Carotenoids

 Astaxanthin may help to prevent/treat Alzheimer’s Disease.  ^[17]

 Alzheimer’s Disease patients often exhibit low blood Beta-Carotene levels and Beta-Carotene may counteract the toxicity of Amyloid-Beta Protein (the Protein that causes much of the damage associated with Alzheimer’s Disease).  ^[18]

 Lycopene may help to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease:  ^[19]

 People who consume higher levels of Lycopene have a lower incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Coenzymes

 Supplemental, exogenous NADH (10 - 20 mg per day) may improve the Memory of Alzheimer’s Disease patients and retards the further progression of Alzheimer’s Disease (by enhancing the production of Energy within Neurons and by enhancing Dopamine production).  ^[20]

 Alzheimer’s Disease patients have depleted Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) levels of Tetrahydrobiopterin.  ^[21]

Enzymes

 Nattokinase may help to prevent/treat Alzheimer’s Disease (by facilitating the removal of Amyloid-Beta Protein from the Brain).  ^[22]

 Superoxide Dismutase (LIPSOD form injected) is presently under investigation as a treatment for Alzheimer's Disease.

 Reduced activity of Thiamin Diphosphatase occurs during Alzheimer’s Disease.  ^[23]

Growth Factors

 Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) may help to prevent and treat Alzheimer’s Disease (due to its ability to remove Amyloid-Beta Protein from the Brain).  ^[24]

 Supplemental, exogenous Neurotrophic Factors are presently under investigation for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (the basis of these investigations stems from the ability of Neurotrophic Factors to prevent Cell death and to maintain differentiation).  ^[25]

 Exogenous Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is underinvestigation as a treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease (it may improve Glucose utilization by the Brain).  ^[26]

 Depletion of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) is strongly implicated in Alzheimer's Disease.  ^[27]

            Physicians are currently exploring a treatment involving the direct infusion of exogenous NGF into the Brains of Alzheimer’s Disease patients.

            In one study, the intracranial infusion of 6.6 mg of NGF to a female Alzheimer’s Disease patient caused improvement in a number of impaired Brain functions caused by Alzheimer’s Disease (including Memory improvement).

Hormones

 Alzheimer's Disease patients often have abnormally low levels of DHEA (Dehydroepiandrosterone) - Alzheimer’s Disease patients typically have 50% lower levels of DHEA compared to healthy people of the same age:  ^[28]