What Are The Best Vitamins For Dementia Patients 11 Vitamins Minerals And Herbs To Improve Well
Dementia is a general term which describes an overall decline in mental ability that is severe enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimers is the most well-known and most common type of dementia, although there are other less-common types of dementia.
While many people might accept that a decline in cognitive skills and memory is just part and parcel of the natural aging process, that isnt the case. Often, mental decline can be the result of small amounts of damage to the brain, which add up to noticeable mental impairments over time. And, while a dementia diagnosis can seem daunting, many people live well for years following their diagnosis.
In the hopes of preventing the onset and progression of dementia, people often turn to natural remedies, including vitamins. While the research isnt 100% in favor of any specific supplement or regimen, there are some vitamins and minerals that are said to offer cognitive benefits. Given that vitamin deficiencies can be a cause of dementia, it makes sense that supplementing is a popular alternative treatment choice.
Vitamins E and C
Vitamin D
While vitamin D deficiency hasnt yet been found to be a direct cause of dementia, research shows there is a strong link between the two. Especially for those who dont live along the equator, supplementing with this essential vitamin may improve overall health and well-being. It also has benefits to the skeletal and cardiovascular system.
Zinc
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B6
Panax Ginseng
Preventing Dementia: Do Vitamin And Mineral Supplements Have A Role
Vitamin and mineral supplements for cognitively healthy peopleThis new Cochrane Review concerns the effects of vitamin and mineral supplements on cognitive function in people with no cognitive problems when they started taking part in the research studies. Although the review authors looked for studies involving people aged 40 and over, there are few data on people taking supplements under the age of 60. Despite being able to include 28 studies involving more than 83,000 people, there are limitations of the evidence which mean that confident conclusions cant be drawn. Heres what they found.B vitamin supplementsTaking B vitamin supplements probably has little or no effect on overall cognitive function at any time point up to five years and may have no effect at five to ten years. There are very few data on harms or on the incidence of cognitive impairment or dementia.
Antioxidant vitamins: ßcarotene, vitamin C or vitamin EThe results are mixed, but the review authors say that long-term supplementation with antioxidant vitamins may be the most promising area for future research. There is low-certainty evidence of benefit in overall cognitive function with long-term supplementation with ßcarotene and with vitamin C , but an antioxidant vitamin combination or vitamin E, alone or with selenium, may have no effect.
Selenium
The Impact Of Vitamins And Supplements On Dementia
Research is emerging on the role of vitamins and supplements in the prevention and treatment of dementia symptoms.
There is currently no proven cure for dementia, and people should be wary of advertising claims of vitamins and supplements. However, some studies are showing the promising benefits of some supplements.
Below is a summary of some of the vitamins and supplements that are gaining traction.
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Vitamin E Can Help Slow The Progression Of Alzheimers
The study with over 600 participants at different medical centers involved persons with moderate to mild Alzheimers. The large group was split into quarters where each received various types of therapy.
One group was receiving a dose of 2,000 IU of tocopherol a type of vitamin E. This constitutes a relatively large dose when you compare this to the multivitamins that most people take daily.
The other groups were getting Alzheimers medication known as memantine, which also has vitamin E or a placebo.
The results of the study showed that the participants taking vitamin E alone had a 19% reduction in the decline rate as compared to the persons on placebo.
This simply means that the persons taking vitamin E experienced over six months delays in Alzheimers progression, according to the researchers.
When it comes to vitamin E and Alzheimers, the delay can be very beneficial in persons who have the disease.
In persons with mild or moderate Alzheimers, this can mean more independence where individuals with the illness can do more daily activities without help from caregivers.
Researchers also concluded that participants of the study taking vitamin E alone needed fewer hours of daily care .
Other Potential Biologic Mechanisms Of Folate
Data are limited on potential mechanisms of folate effects on dementia other than homocysteine concentration. One possibility is that folate deficiency may decrease acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is reduced in Alzheimers disease. Folic acid is involved in the metabolic pathway for acetycholine synthesis. At least one animal model, however, did not find evidence of dietary folate effects on acetylcholine metabolism . Another possibility is that folate deficiency increases oxidative stress, but again, data on the antioxidant effects of folate are limited .
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Vitamins And Dementia: Delaying Cognitive Decline
By Jeanette Cavano, PharmD, CGPAging WellVol. 4 No. 1 P. 32
With the aging of the countrys population, dementia has gained attention as a growing epidemic. The Alzheimers Association estimates that 5.3 million people in the United States are currently diagnosed with Alzheimers disease , which represents 60% to 80% of all dementias. Prevalence increases significantly with age, and it is estimated that more than 40% of the population aged 85 and older has AD. With its devastating physical, emotional, and financial consequences, the specter of dementia looms large. Direct care for the average dementia patient costs nearly three times more than care for a similar older patient without dementia.
Current FDA-approved treatments for AD, including cholinesterase inhibitors and the glutamateric antagonist memantine, have a moderate impact on this illness at best. Researchers are working to develop disease-modifying therapies that could impact the overall disease process or even provide a cure. To date, this work has not yielded any safe and effective commercially available products. Perhaps because of the dearth of curative or dramatically effective treatments, the research in the field of dementia reveals a broad range of alternative agents studied.
Biological Functions Of Vitamin E
Vitamin E has a broad range of biological functions that vary according to the relevant isoform. The tocopherol and tocotrienol sub-groups possess varying properties and functions linked with the level of chemical saturation in their molecular structures with tocopherols having phytyl side-chains, while tocotrienols possess three carbon-carbon double bonds. However, as a collective group, the potent antioxidant capabilities of vitamin E are well known and each of the eight tocopherol and tocotrienol congeners are considered free-radical scavengers. The antioxidant capacity results from the presence of a hydroxyl group on the aromatic ring of tochocromanols that quenches free radicals through hydrogen atom donation.
Importantly, the scope of vitamin E activity extends beyond its antioxidant capabilities and includes other neuro-protective, anti-inflammatory and cholesterol-reducing properties, in addition to influencing gene expression and potentially ensuing AD pathology.
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Vitamin C Boosts Brain Cognition
Vitamin C helps fight more than just the common cold. Researchers at the National Institute of Integrative Medicine found a link between this brain-boosting vitamin and high levels of cognition in their 2017 study, which compared those with Alzheimers disease to a control group without memory conditions. In most cases, researchers observed a greater vitamin C deficiency in participants with Alzheimers. Specifically, vitamin C helps neurotransmitters in the brain function properly and regulates enzymes.
Essential Oils For Adhd
Some studies have found that essential oils applied topically or diffused into the air can have big benefits on concentration and focus. A study published in the American Medical Association Journal found that cedarwood and vetiver oil were the most effective at calming and providing focus to children with ADHD. Peppermint oil is linked to improving concentration, memory, and alertness. Ylang-ylang and lavender provide a calming agent and frankincense improves cognitive function and clarity, according to the study authors.
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Can A Tablet Really Boost Your Memory
Certain vitamins and fatty acids have been said to slow or prevent memory loss. The long list of potential solutions includes vitamins like vitamin B12, herbal supplements such as ginkgo biloba, and omega-3 fatty acids. But can a supplement really boost your memory?
Much of the evidence for these potential memory-boosting supplements isnt very strong. Here, we discuss what recent clinical studies have to say about vitamins and memory loss.
Can Vitamin E Delay Dementia
As one of the essential fat-soluble vitamins in our daily diet, vitamin E is responsible for multiple bodily functions. One of its primary roles as an antioxidant helps restrict free radicals in the body, and is hypothesized to possibly delay the onset of dementia.
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Homocysteine And B Vitamins
The single, hottest nutritional discovery is that your risk of developing Alzheimers is strongly linked to your level of the toxic amino acid homocysteine, which can be measured from a pinprick of blood on a home test kit. The lower your level throughout life, the smaller your chances of developing serious memory decline. Homocysteine is a neurotoxin, capable of directly damaging the medial temporal lobe, which is the area of the brain that rapidly degenerates in AD. Homocysteine is easily lowered with inexpensive B vitamins.
One of the first important studies, published in 2002 in the New England Journal of Medicine, charted the health of 1,092 elderly people without dementia, and measured their homocysteine levels. Eight years later, 111 were diagnosed with dementia, 83 of whom were given the diagnosis of Alzheimers. Those with high blood homocysteine levels had nearly double the risk of Alzheimers. Theres also evidence that even before a decline in mental function starts to show up in so-called healthy elderly individuals, high homocysteine predicts physical degeneration in certain parts of the brain.
A similar Californian study, asked 579 men and women aged 60 and over to keep track of their diet and the supplements they took . After nine years, 57 of them developed Alzheimers. Those with the highest folate intake, reduced their risk of developing Alzheimers by 55 per cent .
A Combination Of Nutrients
Many brain supplements focus on omega-3 fatty acids , vitamin E, various B vitamins, or various combinations. Why these?
There’s strong evidence that certain diets like the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and the MIND diet can help improve cognitive function, according to Dr. Marshall.
“These diets contain foods with large amounts of these vitamins and minerals,” he says. “But what is not clear is whether it’s the combination of nutrients in these diets that’s beneficial, or whether it’s specific ones or even certain amounts, or some other factors.” Researchers have tried to answer these questions by testing how these individual nutrients affect cognitive health. So far the limited studies have found no evidence they help, with a few rare exceptions.
“Still, this doesn’t mean that the brain supplements may not work,” says Dr. Marshall. “It’s just that there is not much, if any, evidence from randomized clinical trials the gold standard for research on isolated vitamins or minerals and brain health.”
Here’s a summary of what science has found so far and what it means.
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Randomised Clinical Trials Of Vitamin E Supplementation
Several randomised trials have investigated the efficacy of vitamin E as a potential therapeutic intervention for AD . The first of these was published over 20 years ago and was a double-blind, randomised multi-centre clinical trial which compared the effectiveness of selegiline and -tocopherol , individually or in combination, with a placebo in 341 subjects with moderate AD for 2 years. Several outcome measures were considered including time-to-death, institutionalisation, functional ability and dementia severity. The study concluded that vitamin E and selegiline slow the progression of moderate AD both independently and as a combination therapy compared with placebo but with no additive benefit of the combined regimen.
Eating Foods Rich In Vitamin E Associated With Lower Dementia Risk
- Date:
- JAMA and Archives Journals
- Summary:
- Consuming more vitamin E through the diet appears to be associated with a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study.
Consuming more vitamin E through the diet appears to be associated with a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Oxidative stress — damage to the cells from oxygen exposure — is thought to play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, according to background information in the article. Experimental data suggest that antioxidants, nutrients that help repair this damage, may protect against the degeneration of nervous system cells. “Although clinical trials have shown no benefit of antioxidant supplements for Alzheimer’s disease, the wider variety of antioxidants in food sources is not well studied relative to dementia risk a few studies, with varying lengths of follow-up, have yielded inconsistent results,” the authors write.
Elizabeth E. Devore, Sc.D., of Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and colleagues assessed 5,395 participants 55 years and older who did not have dementia between 1990 and 1993. Participants underwent a home interview and two clinical examinations at the beginning of the study, and provided dietary information through a two-step process involving a meal-based checklist and a food questionnaire.
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Vitamins For Adhd Are Effective
If you or a person you love has ADHD, you don’t have to take medication. While thousands of people find that medication is helpful and the right treatment option, others do not want the side effects of medication and prefer natural treatments. Luckily, vitamins for ADHD do work as well as the other herbal supplements and lifestyle changes outlined in this article. If you don’t want to medicate ADHD, you don’t have to suffer from the full effect of the condition. Herbal remedies and vitamins for ADHD can make a positive difference.
The Use Of Vitamin E In The Treatment Of Mild Cognitive Impairment And Alzheimer’s Disease
Background
Vitamin E is found in a variety of foods, including vegetable oils and fats, nuts and seeds. Some animal and non-interventional studies have suggested it might have a role in the prevention or treatment of Alzheimer’s disease . However, evidence has linked vitamin E with potentially serious side effects and even an increased risk of death. In this review, we looked for evidence about the effect of vitamin E on people who had either dementia due to AD or milder problems with memory or thinking . People with MCI have an increased risk of developing dementia.
Included trials
We searched for clinical trials published up to April 2016 which had randomly allocated people with dementia due to AD or with MCI to treatment with vitamin E supplements or a placebo . We found three trials that investigated the effects of vitamin E on people with AD, but we could extract data from only one of these trials . We found only one trial with 516 participants which investigated the effects of vitamin E on people with MCI. The quality of these two trials was generally good.
Results
From limited evidence, we found nothing to suggest that there are either benefits or harms from vitamin E supplements. As the quality of evidence was only moderate, further trials are needed to confirm the findings. It is possible that different types or doses of vitamin E might have different effects.
To assess the efficacy of vitamin E in the treatment of MCI and dementia due to AD.
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Prevention Of Dementia And Alzheimer’s Disease
Vitamin E’s antioxidant properties have led researchers to further examine it as a possible measure in preventing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Current theories suggest that excessive free radicals in the body may contribute to advanced aging in the brain, and eventually lead to dementia.
Because vitamin E is responsible for eliminating these radicals, many have concluded that vitamin E could prevent or delay the onset of degenerative dementia.
However, the research is inconclusive. While vitamin E is essential for optimal physical and mental health, there is no firm evidence that increasing vitamin E intake can prevent degenerative dementia.
Pack Your Plate With These Vitamin C Foods
- A ½ cup serving of red peppers provides 106% of the recommended daily value for vitamin C. Green peppers provide 67%.
- Fruits like oranges, kiwi, and strawberries boast more than half the vitamin C seniors need.
- Enjoy your fruit in juice form. Drink up vitamin C in orange juice, grapefruit juice, or tomato juice.
- Grab something green, like broccoli or cabbage.
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Is Vitamin E Safe For Individuals With Alzheimers
Tackling the topic of vitamin E and Alzheimers means that it is essential to talk about this treatment option.
Experts advice that vitamin E therapy appears to be quite safe and persons taking it are not at risk of worsening symptoms or death.
However, not everyone will have the same reaction to high doses of the vitamin. It is, therefore, crucial to seek medical advice before taking the vitamin.
The doctor may ask several questions before giving the go-ahead such as:
1. Is dementia as a result of AD? This is because so far, only persons with Alzheimers reap the benefits of the vitamin. It may not work positively for persons who have other forms of dementia.
2. Are there other supplements a person is taking? This will let the medic know whether the individual should discontinue the other supplements.
3. What is the medical history of the suffering person? This determines if there will be a substantial risk of consuming vitamin E.