Alzheimer's Disease Natural Treatment

From Life Extension Foundation
www.lef.org


Neurofibrillary tangles, which are made of a protein called tau, are bundles of twisted filaments found within neurons. Tau is normally responsible for helping cells to function correctly; it delivers various substances throughout the cell. In people who have Alzheimer’s disease, tau becomes abnormally shaped and twists into pairs of helical filaments that gather in tangles. Because of the tangles, the neurons lose their ability to function, and the neurons eventually die. No one knows why this happens but there are probably several overlapping causes of Alzheimer’s disease.

There are many choices of both drugs and nutritional supplements available for patients with Alzheimer's disease. In light of new evidence that oxidative stress and inflammation are central to Alzheimer’s disease, people at risk of Alzheimer’s (or those who have early dementia) are advised to take supplements that reduce inflammation and oxidative damage. These include:

Curcumin—900 to 1800 milligrams (mg) daily
EPA/DHA—1400 mg daily of EPA and 1000 mg daily of DHA
Vitamin E—400 international units (IU) daily (with 200 mg of gamma-tocopherol)
Vitamin C—1 to 3 grams daily
Ginkgo biloba—120 mg daily
Acetyl-L-carnitine arginate—750 to 2000 mg daily
CoQ10—100 to 600 mg daily
N-acetylcysteine—600 mg daily
Aged garlic—1200 mg daily
Vinpocetine—15 to 20 mg daily
Green tea extract (93 percent polyphenols)—725 mg daily
B vitamins—A full complement of B vitamins (including folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12) to lower homocysteine. Specific suggested doses include 1000 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin B12, 250 mg of vitamin B6, and 800 mcg of folic acid.
Niacin—Up to 800 mg daily. Start slowly and take with food to avoid flushing.
Melatonin—1 to 3 mg each night
DHEA—15 to 75 mg daily. Have blood tested in 3 to 6 weeks to determine optimal dose.
Huperzine—50 mcg up to four times per week
Blueberry extract—500 to 2000 mg daily. If you eat blueberries, you don’t need to take this much blueberry extract.
Grape seed extract—100 mg daily