Ginkgo Fails Alzheimer’s Trial
Over two thousand people with memory complaints were given Ginkgo biloba extract or placebo as part of a five-year study. The results, published this week, showed no difference between the groups in the percentage who eventually developed Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. See how this compares to other studies of ginkgo in the updated Ginkgo Biloba Supplements Review, which includes our tests and reviews of ginkgo products. More > >
Clinical Update
8/08/2014
Just 6 Minutes Of High
DUNEDIN, New Zealand Just six minutes of strenuous exercise each day could stave off Alzheimers, according to new research.
Researchers in New Zealand say short bursts of activity that work up a big sweat boost a protein essential for brain formation, learning, and memory. The substance also appears to reduce the risk of other age-related neurological diseases such as Parkinsons.
The molecule, called brain-derived neurotrophic factor , increased up to five-fold after a hard session of cycling.
BDNF has shown great promise in animal models, but pharmaceutical interventions have thus far failed to safely harness the protective power of BDNF in humans. We saw the need to explore non-pharmacological approaches that can preserve the brains capacity which humans can use to naturally increase BDNF to help with healthy aging, says lead author Travis Gibbons from the University of Otago in a media release.
Dementia cases worldwide will triple to more than 150 million by 2050, according to estimates. Although there are now potential treatments for the condition, there is still no definitive cure.
The key chemical fuels neuroplasticity the ability to build fresh connections and pathways and the survival of brain cells. Experiments on mice have revealed that BDNF encourages the formation and storage of memories, enhances learning, and improves cognitive performance overall.
Does Lithium Prevent Dementia
A new study found the risk of developing dementia to be significantly lower in areas with higher levels of lithium in the drinking water. This finding is consistent with a study that found low-dose lithium to stabilize patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Details about these studies are in the “What It Does” section of the Low-Dose Supplements Review, which includes our Top Picks among low-dose lithium supplements.
Clinical Update
9/23/2017
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Best Supplements For Dementia Say Dietitians
Dementia can be a difficult subject to think or talk about, especially if you know someone close who suffers from it. Whether you know someone who’s worried about getting it, or are just wanting to care for your brain health as you get older, giving your body the right nutrients on a regular basis can help lower your risk.
The risk factors for dementia go beyond nutrients, however. These factors include age, genetics, alcohol consumption, diet, and exercise. So while focusing on getting the best nutrients can be helpful, it’s not the only thing you should give your attention to. In fact, talking with your doctor or dietitian is a great place to start.
Continue reading to learn about some common supplements that can help lower your risk of dementia and help you care for your brain health overall. And for more healthy eating tips, check out The #1 Best Food for Alzheimer’s.
Do Brain Supplements Work
Even the best memory supplements are not backed by large clinical trials and strong scientific evidence to support their safety and efficacy. Much more research is needed before doctors can make recommendations for memory supplements.
With that said, many ingredients in brain health supplements have been linked to good brain health. As long as you understand that brain supplements are not a magic cure, they can be beneficial. Always talk to your healthcare provider before starting any supplement for enhanced cognitive performance.
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Micronutrient And Phytonutrient Supplements For Dementia
When a person eats plant-based foods, the body absorbs phytochemicals naturally occurring plant chemicals sometimes also referred to as phytonutrients.
The science of phytochemicals is new but rapidly gaining traction. They have the potential to be disease-curing power players, as outlined by Debbie Krivitsky, director of clinical nutrition at the Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Center at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.
Research continues to show that people with Alzheimers disease face an increased risk of nutritional deficiencies, which include many of these important phytonutrients. The following phytonutrients have been shown in clinical studies to offer protection to the brain and nervous system and may even help regrow nerve cells. These nutrients may help support a loved one with dementia and are now readily available to the consumer looking to improve their brain function, reduce anxiety, and alleviate depression.
Get Assistance For Your Loved Ones
Its difficult to see your loved ones struggle with memory loss. Adding vitamins for Alzheimers prevention can be very beneficial, but you may need more help and guidance.
If you want to see if assisted living is a good fit for you or your loved one, contact us today for a tour. We are happy to assist you in any way.
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Rethinking The Roots Of Dementia
Alzheimers research has been dominated by the idea that eliminating brain plaque would solve the problem. Its a long story of hope and heartbreak. Animal studies and small, early-phase clinical trials have shown various therapeutics eliminate amyloid or tamp down its production. But again and again, patients who received treatments that had appeared promising in the lab have gone on to suffer excruciating declines nonetheless. Meanwhile, the toll of the disease continues to climb. The World Health Organization estimates more than 55 million people across the globe live with Alzheimers and other forms of dementia, with 10 million new cases diagnosed each year.
In a controversial decision in 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an amyloid-clearing drug, Aduhelmthe first Alzheimers medication to get the green light in 18 yearseven though the agencys panel of outside experts did not believe the evidence showed patients benefited.
In late 2022, the pharmaceutical companies Biogen and Eisai reported promising results from an international study of another anti-amyloid drug, lecanemab. The 18-month study of 1,795 people with early Alzheimers showed the drug significantly slowed, though did not halt, cognitive decline and cleared detectable plaques in the brain. About 12.5 percent of the patients had brain swelling and drug complications that have been common with experimental Alzheimers treatments.
Vitamins And Minerals That Help Fight Dementia
Your body needs a wide array of nutrients to function properly and stay healthy. Your lifestyle has a huge impact on your health as you age, especially when it comes to building a better memory and combating memory loss. Eating a healthy diet full of nutritious foods, being involved in physical activity at least 30 minutes each day, getting a good nights sleep, and managing your stress levels are all ways to help protect your brain.
However, adding some vitamins and mineral supplements into your daily routine can also help prevent or slow the progression of dementia and Alzheimers disease.
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Publication Bias And Sensitivity Analysis
We used Begg’s funnel plot and Begg’s test to detect whether there was a significant publication bias. The results of Begg test for dementia : , Begg test for AD : , and Begg’s funnel plots of dementia and AD were evenly distributed on both sides , showed no Significant publication bias. In addition, we evaluated the stability of the meta-analysis by deleting studies one by one and re-combining ORs for sensitivity analysis , and the pooled ORs fluctuated within a certain range after deleting each study, indicating that the results of this meta-analysis were stable. In summary, the conclusions of our study are relatively reliable.
Figure 4. Publication bias begg’s funnel plot. Funnel plot for combined dietary and supplement outcomes with dementia risk. Funnel plot for combined dietary and supplement outcomes with AD risk.
Figure 5. Sensitivity analysis. Sensitivity analysis of combined dietary and supplement use and risk of dementia. Sensitivity analysis of combined dietary and supplement use and risk of AD.
Best Ways To Help Your Memory
For young and older people alike, its valuable to get your dietary vitamins from the food you eat. Supplements can fill in the gaps, but check with your doctor before you go over the recommended daily intake.
No matter your age, the best way to combat memory decline is to eat well and exercise your body and your brain. The Mediterranean diet is a good source of all the vitamins your body needs.
The Mediterranean diet has been as a way to improve memory. The hallmarks of the diet include:
- mostly plant-based foods
- limiting red meat
- using liberal amounts of olive oil to prepare meals
Diets that are similar to the Mediterranean diet include the MIND diet as well as the DASH diet. Both diets have been found to reduce the occurrence of Alzheimers disease.
The MIND diet, in particular, emphasizes the consumption of green, leafy vegetables and plant-based food in addition to the high protein and olive oil recommendations of the Mediterranean diet.
Having a strong support network and being engaged in your local community have been suggested as ways to delay or prevent dementia. Establishing healthy sleep habits can also protect your brain.
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Screening Process For Eligible Literatures
Three thousand and fifty-three literatures were retrieved through three English database retrieval systems, which were PubMed , Embase , and Web of Science . Two useful original articles were obtained by searching the citations of articles such as reviews or meta-analyses. After removing duplicates, 1,320 articles remained. Reviews, case reports, conferences, comments, letters, and irrelevant articles were excluded by reading the titles or abstracts, for a total of 1,252. The additional 68 essays have been assessed by downloading the full text and articles with missing raw data were excluded. The remaining 15 studies that met the inclusion criteria and NOS score were included in the meta-analysis. The above retrieval process is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Flow diagram of this meta-analysis.
The Facts Behind 5 Supplements
Collagen.Collagen, is one of the most abundant proteins in the body and helps form our skin, bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments. As we age, we naturally start reducing its production. Some studies show that taking collagen supplements can reduce signs of aging, increase bone density and improve joint, back and knee pain. But many of these studies are small and funded by the companies behind such products, increasing the opportunity for bias. Certain products also have flaws that reduce the likelihood of their efficacy: Topical creams, for example, are unlikely to make it into the deeper level of the skin where collagen is produced.
Magnesium.Though low levels of magnesium have been associated with various sleep disorders, the evidence for the benefits of taking it for better sleep in supplemental form is thin. In fact, most people already have sufficient levels of the mineral, which helps support immune health, blood sugar regulation, and nerve and muscle function. Magnesium is easy to get in foods including nuts, greens, seeds, beans, yogurt and fish.
Vitamin B6.This essential nutrient is involved in a number of chemical reactions that are important for the proper functioning of the immune and nervous systems. As with the other essential vitamins, the body cannot produce B6 on its own, so you can only get it from foods or supplements. Most healthy adults get more than enough vitamin B6 from their diets alone, so B6 supplements are generally not needed.
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What Causes Alzheimers
AD is a complex disease without a single cause, but with many contributors. Many researchers are now converging on the understanding that it is a degenerative inflammatory disease that damages a particular part of the brain called the Medial Temporal Lobe. This may be largely due to the long-term consequence of faulty nutrition plus certain negative lifestyle factors, much like cardiovascular disease, and that any long-term solution must involve fundamental changes to a persons diet.
The contributing factors may include:
- Raised homocysteine and a lack of B vitamins
- Lack of omega-3 fats
- A genetic predisposition
- A lack of an active lifestyle, including physical and mental exercise.
The strongest evidence to date relates to raised homocysteine levels, which both predicts risk and can cause the kind of brain damage seen in Alzheimers, caused by lack of B vitamins, especially B12 which is increasingly poorly absorbed with age.
Green Tea & Cognition
Green tea consumption has been associated with a lower prevalence of cognitive impairment in older adults. However, a recent study evaluating the effects of a green tea powder on older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia failed to show a benefit. For more information, see the “What It Does” section of the Green Tea Review > >
Clinical Update
10/04/2011
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Determine Personalized Natural Supplements For Dementia
The best supplements for dementia remain those that work best with your loved ones individual medical situation, lifestyle, and genetic factors. You can learn more about your loved ones genetic factors that affect nutrition and vitamin deficiencies through the new science of nutrigenomics, also called DNA nutrition testing.
This can be done either by requesting the test from your doctor or by ordering a test to be delivered at home through popular companies, such as Nutrigenomix or Nutrition Genome.
There are even companies, such as Genopalate, that can simply review any previous 23andMe or AncestryDNA results and give you a tailored nutrigenomic report without making you take a genetic test again. You can request that your previous genetic test results be sent to Genopalates nutrigenomic lab for a diet-specific report.
Can Naturalremedies Help To Treat And Even Reverse Dementia
The answer to this question is a definite yes!! You justneed to start treating the affected person as soon as possible . But even if they are in the latter stages of the disease, you canstill help them tremendously by using natural therapies. In fact, you wontbelieve the astounding changes that will happen, even within a few short weeks.And the best part about using natural remedies for treating dementia overpharmaceutical medications is there are no harmful side effects!
All of thesenatural treatments and home remedies are safe. You have nothing to lose by trying them, solets get started with our top 10 recommendations in order of importance
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The Number Of People With Dementia Is Expected To Double By 2050
Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning, which includes things like the ability to think, remember and reason, to the point where it interferes with a persons daily life, according to the National Institute on Aging.
Types of dementia include Alzheimers disease, Lewy body dementia, vascular dementia, and Parkinsons disease, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
Theres an urgent need for safe and affordable interventions to protect cognition against decline in older adults, says co-lead author Laura D. Baker, PhD, professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
Recent research suggests that the actual incidence of dementia cases around the globe will continue to climb as a result of people living longer, along with risk factors that include smoking, obesity and high blood sugar. A study published in January 2022 in The Lancet projected that the number of adults living with some form of dementia in the United States will double by 2050, rising from 5.2 million people to 10.5 million.
Rules And Coverage For Alzheimers Under Medicare Supplement
When researching Medicare Supplement insurance, you may come across the fact that if you have Alzheimers, you cannot purchase a Medicare Supplement plan. This is not entirely true. If the plan is a Guaranteed Issue product, you can sign up for Plans A, B, C, or F without having to pass medical underwriting. A GI situation may apply to someone who is in a Medicare Advantage Plan but moves out of a plans service area, or someone with an employer group health plan that is expiring. Then, they have a 63-day window to choose a plan.
Note: A majority of underwriters will do a phone interview as part of their screening process, and it may involve a cognitive test. If someone fails, they may not be able to receive coverage for their Alzheimers. It can be very tricky to cover someone for Alzheimers, so it is best to do yearly cognitive screenings at age 65 to ensure that the person diagnosed receives the coverage they need.
If youre wondering what is the best Medicare Supplement insurance plan for Alzheimers that is considered the best, you have many options. While its ultimately up to you and your specific situation, the option that many people choose is Medicare Supplement Plan D, because it provides benefits for many prescription drugs that are essential to an Alzheimers patients care.
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Researchers Continue To Seek Answers
The idea of Alzheimers as a metabolic disease that affects the brain, and Alzheimers markers such as glucose metabolism, have led scientists in various directions. Besides the Mediterranean diet and its variations, they are looking at other diets as well as individual foods and nutrients.
For example, the ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that prompts the production of ketones, chemicals that help brain cells work. Studies show that this diet may affect gut bacteria in distinctive ways in people with and without cognitive impairment, and may help brain cells better use energy, improving their overall function.
Researchers are seeking answers to these questions:
- Which foods are critical to brain health and should be included in diet-based interventions?
- Which groups of people are most likely to benefit from dietary interventions targeting prevention of dementia and cognitive decline?
- Can dietary interventions introduced in midlife lead to better outcomes?
These clinical trials are recruiting participants to test dietary interventions:
To learn more or to find a trial near you, visit the Alzheimers.gov Clinical Trials Finder.