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   Alzheimer's Disease and Non-Alzheimer's Dementia > Principal Proposed Natural   
   Treatments & Other Proposed Natural Treatments   
      
      
      
      
   Alzheimer's Disease and Non-Alzheimer's Dementia   
      
   En Español (Spanish Version)   
   Principal Proposed Natural Treatments     
   Acetyl-L-carnitine; Ginkgo; Huperzine A; Phosphatidylserine; Vinpocetine   
   Other Proposed Natural Treatments     
   Aromatherapy; Carnosine; Citrulline; Choline or Phosphatidylcholine; Fish Oil;   
   Treating High Homocysteine; DHEA; Folate; Lemon Balm; Melatonin;   
   N-Acetylcysteine (NAC); Sage; Vitamin B6; Vitamin B12; Vitamin E   
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   Principal Proposed Natural Treatments   
   Other Proposed Natural Treatments   
      
   Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of severe mental deterioration   
   (dementia) in the elderly. It has been estimated that 30% to 50% of people   
   over 85 years old suffer from this condition. Its cause is not known. However,   
   microscopic examination    
   of the brains of people who have died of Alzheimer's shows loss of cells in   
   the thinking part of the brain, particularly cells that release a chemical   
   called acetylcholine.   
      
   Alzheimer's begins with subtle symptoms, such as loss of memory for names and   
   recent events. It progresses from difficulty learning new information to a few   
   eccentric behaviors to depression, loss of spontaneity, and anxiety. Over the   
   course of the    
   disease, the person gradually loses the ability to carry out the activities of   
   everyday life. Disorientation, asking questions repeatedly, and an inability   
   to recognize friends are characteristics of moderately severe Alzheimer's.   
   Eventually, virtually    
   all mental functions fail.   
      
   Similar symptoms may be caused by conditions other than Alzheimer's disease,   
   such as multiple small strokes (called multi-infarct or vascular dementia),   
   severe alcoholism, and certain more rare causes. It is very important to begin   
   with an examination to    
   discover what is causing the symptoms of mental decline. Various easily   
   treatable conditions, such as depression, can mimic the symptoms of dementia.   
      
   Four drugs have shown at least modest benefit for Alzheimer's disease or   
   non-Alzheimer's dementia: Reminyl, Exelon, Aricept, and Cognex. These   
   medications usually produce a modest improvement in mild to moderate   
   Alzheimer's disease by increasing the    
   duration of action of acetylcholine. However, they can cause sometimes severe   
   side effects due to the exaggeration of acetylcholine's action in other parts   
   of the body.   
      
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   Principal Proposed Natural Treatments     
      
   There are two natural treatments for Alzheimer's disease with significant   
   scientific evidence behind them: ginkgo and phosphatidylserine . Huperzine A   
   and vinpocetine , while more like drugs than natural remedies, may also   
   improve mental function in    
   people with dementia. Acetyl-L-carnitine was once considered a promising   
   option for this condition as well, but current evidence suggests that it does   
   not work.   
      
   Ginkgo     
      
   The most well-established herbal treatment for Alzheimer's disease is the herb   
   Ginkgo biloba . Numerous high quality double-blind, placebo-controlled studies   
   indicate that ginkgo is effective for treating various forms of dementia.   
   1-4,76,79,80,83,91 A    
   1997 US trial enrolled more than 300 participants with Alzheimer's disease or   
   non-Alzheimer's dementia. 80 Participants were given either 40 mg of Ginkgo   
   biloba extract or placebo 3 times daily for a period of 52 weeks. The results   
   showed significant but    
   not entirely consistent improvements in the treated group.   
      
   Another study published in 2007 followed 400 people for 22 weeks, and used   
   twice the dose of ginkgo employed in the study just described. 79 The results   
   of this trial indicated that ginkgo was significantly superior to placebo. The   
   areas in which ginkgo    
   showed the most marked superiority as compared to placebo included,   
   "apathy/indifference, anxiety, irritability/lability, depression/dysphoria and   
   sleep/nighttime behavior."   
      
   On the other hand, one fairly large study of ginkgo extract drew headlines for   
   concluding that ginkgo is ineffective. 5 This 24-week, double-blind,   
   placebo-controlled study of 214 participants with either mild to moderate   
   dementia or ordinary age-   
   associated memory loss found no effect with ginkgo extract at a dose of 240 mg   
   or 160 mg daily. However, this study has been sharply criticized for a number   
   of serious flaws in its design. 6 In another community-based study among 176   
   elderly subjects    
   with early-stage dementia, researchers found no beneficial effect for 120 mg   
   of ginko extract given daily for 6 months. 86   
      
   A 2011 systematic review of 9 placebo-controlled, randomized trials did find   
   more promising evidence for ginkgo. 91 The trials, which involved 2,372 people   
   with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia, ranged from 12-52 weeks.   
   Those in the ginkgo    
   group did have improvements in their cognition scores. A subgroup of people   
   with Alzheimer's disease also showed improvements in their activities of daily   
   living.   
      
   The ability of ginkgo to prevent or delay a decline in cognitive function is   
   less clear. In a placebo-controlled trial of 118 cognitively intact adults 85   
   years or older, ginkgo extract seemed to effectively slow the decline in   
   memory function over 42    
   months. The researchers also reported a higher incidence of stroke in the   
   group that took ginkgo, a finding that requires more investigation. 82   
      
   In a 2009 review of 36 randomized trials involving 4,423 patients with   
   declining mental function (including dementia), researchers concluded ginkgo   
   appears safe. However, they also found inconsistent evidence regarding whether   
   it works. 89   
      
   For more information, including dosage and safety issues, see the full Ginkgo   
   article.   
      
   Phosphatidylserine     
      
   Phosphatidylserine (PS) is one of the many substances involved in the   
   structure and maintenance of cell membranes. Double-blind studies involving a   
   total of more than 1,000 people suggest that phosphatidylserine is an   
   effective treatment for Alzheimer's    
   disease and other forms of dementia.   
      
      
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