food, Diet and Alzheimer's disease
People who eat fish at least once a week have a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and lower risk of dementia, but only if they do not carry the gene that increases the risk of Alzheimer's, called apolipoprotein E4, or ApoE4. Most people do not carry the ApoE4 gene.
 
Natural supplements for Alzheimer’s dementia
While scientists have not fully determined the actual causes of Alzheimer’s disease, a number of treatment options have been proposed or tried over the years. These include: Exposure to sunlight and sleep pattern restoration. Therapy with B vitamins such as B6, folic acid, and B12 that lower homocysteine levels. The use of antioxidants. Providing acetylcholine precursors such as choline. Acetyl-L-carnitine protects against amyloid-beta neurotoxicity and may be helpful in combination with medicines. You can find Acetyl-l-Carnitine here. Providing anti-inflammatory agents such as aspirin or ibuprofen. Improving blood flow to brain cells. Mood improvement through nutrients and herbs. Use of ginkgo biloba. Use of curcumin, the yellow compound found in Turmeric, may be helpful. Mind Power Rx has acetyl-l carnitine and several brain boosting supplement.

Diet and Alzheimer's disease - reduce your sugar intake
Eating too much sugar could be bad for your brain. Mice bred to develop an Alzheimer's like disease that were given sugar-sweetened water had a greater decline in learning skills and memory compared with mice that drank pure water. The animals that consumed sugar had a greater degree of Alzheimer's-like damage to their brains.

Mental exercises for Alzheimer's disease
Doing crossword puzzles and other activities to keep your mind active in old age reduces the risk of mild cognitive impairment, dementia and the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Physical exercise to prevent Alzheimer's disease
People in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease who are more physically fit have less shrinkage in areas of the brain that are important for memory. Fitness and exercise slow age-related changes in the brain in healthy people. People with early Alzheimer's disease are likely to benefit by exercising.  

Alpha lipoic acid benefit
A German study showed alpha lipoic acid, a potent antioxidant, was able to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Patients with Alzheimer's disease received 600 mg of alpha lipoic acid daily for several years. The researchers concluded that the rate of progression of the disease was slower in comparison to normal progression of Alzheimer's disease. A 600 mg dosage is quite high and we suggest taking not more than 50 mg every other day.

Alzheimer's Dementia Research Update - New information
Drugs for Alzheimer's dementia, which pharmaceutical companies and campaigners have lobbied the UK government to provide to large numbers of elderly patients with dementia across the country at a cost of over £39m a year, have little effect on their memory and do not stop the distressing deterioration of their lives, according to an important study published July 2004. The five-year study, paid for by the NHS and not the drug companies, found that the drugs are a waste of the scarce resources available for the condition, said the lead re searcher Roger Gray, director of Birmingham University's clinical trials unit

Estrogen pills appear to slightly increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia in postmenopausal women, a study found, echoing recent findings involving estrogen-progestin supplements. The findings contradict the long-held belief that estrogen pills can help keep older women’s minds sharp. The results came from a government study called the Women’s Health Initiative and were published in The Journal of the American Medical Association. The research involved nearly 3,000 women, ages 65 to 79, who had had hysterectomies and had taken daily estrogen-only pills, sold by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals as Premarin, for an average of about five years.

2009
Those who receive intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) may be at decreased risk for developing Alzheimer's disease and related neurologic disorders and conditions. There is interest in using anti-amyloid beta antibodies as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease, Dr. Jerrold Hill, from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia treated patients with IVIg which led to decreased levels of amyloid beta in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid and improved cognition. These encouraging findings led Dr. Hill's team to find out whether the use of IVIg for non-Alzheimer's disease indications might provide some degree of protection against the condition. The researchers compared the development of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD) in 847 subjects treated with IVIg and in 84,700 untreated controls, matched by age, gender, and ADRD risk factors. At 60 months, the ADRD rate in the IVIg group was 2.6%, significantly lower than the 4.6% rate seen in controls.Neurology 2009;73:180-185.

Alzheimer's Disease information - symptoms
There are several symptoms common to Alzheimer disease patients. These symptoms include: trouble remembering things...at first, only short-term memory may be affected. The individual may forget an appointment or the name of a new acquaintance. A person may also forget where they left things. Eventually, long-term memory is also impaired. An inability to correctly identify familiar odors may be an early indication of the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
   Alzheimer disease symptoms include mood or personality changes. A person may suddenly become angry or sad for no apparent reason. Or someone who was social and outgoing may become withdrawn.
  Trouble completing ordinary tasks is another symptom of Alzheimer's disease. Simple tasks that once caused no difficulty may become much more challenging. For example, the individual may forget how to dress, use the oven, etc.
   Alzheimer disease symptoms include difficulty expressing thoughts and disorientation. We all know what it's like to be driving and momentarily forget where you are going. But those with Alzheimer's disease may get lost in their neighborhood. They may also lose track of dates and the time.
   Unusual behavior. The individual may wander, become agitated, hide things, wear too few or too many clothes, become overly suspicious, or engage in unsafe behaviors.

Alzheimer's Dementia characteristic
Alzheimer's dementia is characterized by widespread neuronal loss, beta-amyloid deposits in the cerebral blood vessels, development of neuritic plaques and the presence of neurofibrillary tangles. These changes, occurring in the association area of the cerebral cortex, the hippocampus and the middle and temporal lobes, are accompanied by decreased concentrations of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Recent US census figures suggest that by 2050, the number of people with AD will triple.

Spinal fluid proteins for diagnosis
The levels of various proteins in spinal fluid, which can be sampled with a spinal tap, can help identify people with early Alzheimer's disease who are likely to experience a rapid worsening of their mental capacity. Patients with low levels of amyloid-beta-42 or high levels of tau or ptau181, proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease, are at increased risk for a rapid decline in their thinking ability. Dr. Barbara J. Snider and colleagues from Washington University School of Medicine studied 48 subjects with early Alzheimer's disease who had only minor thinking problems at the time of spinal tap. The subjects had at least 1 follow-up visit and the average follow-up period was 3.5 years. Before amyloid-beta-42, tau, or ptau-181 can be used in clinical practice, Dr. Barbara J. Snider notes, practical guidelines will need to be created regarding the interpretation of individual results. Archives of Neurology, May 2009.

Alzheimer's Dementia questions
Q. My wife has Alzhiemer's dementia, as well as a heart condition. She takes warfarin, plavix. otherwise in good health. I thought I saw a page titled natural prescription for Alzheimer's listing recommended vitamins. Could you send this page?
   A. See Alzheimer's dementia information web page.

Q. What herbal and nutritional formula would you recommend for Alzheimer's.
   A. We can't make specific suggestions, we can only provide general info for your doctor to review with you. Some people appreciate Mind-Power-Rx formula.

Q. I have a long family history of Alzheimer's disease. I have been looking at different products that say they can help with Alzheimer. What I want to know how to judge or look for the best natural product that is being sold for Alzheimer's disease. I just ran across your site. Besides having memory problems, I have had breast cancer (now 2 years ago) and thyroid surgery and I drag every day to work, work at home.
   A. We are not aware of long term research with any natural supplement that has proven to be effective in terms of prevention of Alzheimer's disease but there are some that have potential and they are listed on this page.

Q. Is tongkat ali helpful as an herb for Alzheimer's dementia?
   A. We doubt if this herb would be helpful.

Do you have any information regarding using nattokinase for Alzheimer's, ie. dissolving plaque in the brain that causes the disease.
    We have not seen any research with nattokinase enzyme for this condition.

We will update this page with additional information as more Alzheimer's research studies are published.