quote:

Originally posted by danrz:
Hi.

Most don't know this, but alpha lipoic acid has been shown in a small human study to stabilize/prevent further cognitive decline in a small human trial of Alzheimer patients. This means it's been shown to do something the pharmaceutical drugs have not, although a more extensive trial is necessary for confirmation.

The correct form of alpha lipoic acid is "R(+)" alpha lipoic acid in an extended release form. This is different from the alpha lipoic acid you'll find at most supplement stores. Two companies currently sell such a product. One is Geronova (geronova.com) and the second is Advanced Orthomolecular Research (AOR, www.aor.ca) of Canada. AOR's product is called R(+)SR... in effect, R(+) sustained release, and stays in the body 8 to 10 hours, as opposed to other lipoic acid products which have a half-life of around 25 minutes.

R-ALA will work synergistically with Acetyl-l-carnitine (ALCAR). ALCAR can be found at Wal-Mart or local supplement shops or online.

Another compound showing promise is standardized extract of Ashwagandha. This is an herbal extract shown to reverse symptoms of the disease in rodent models. It also has been shown to actually reconstruct damaged neural networks in vitro and in rodents. It even prevented or reversed cognitive damage in rodents exposed to excessive electrical shock in the brain.

Bacopa monnieri is a compound with neuroprotective properties that also upregulates expression of antioxidant compounds in the brain over a number of weeks. Oxidative stress is linked to neurological diseases like Alzheimer's, although there is not yet a full understanding of how much of a role oxidative stress plays in disease progression. Regardless, bacopa monnieri extract has basic neuroprotective properties in addition to the increase in antioxidant enzymes.

Resveratrol is a natural compound from grapes and wine (in small quantities) that may have a lot of potential for neurological diseases associated with aging, although research on this compound is more preliminary at this point; it is perhaps the most exciting compound, however for potential benefit. It has recently been introduced on the market as part of an herbal extract at low-cost.

I do not sell or make money off of any products, but if anyone would like more information, I would be happy to provide it. There are a number of other natural substances with potential benefit, some may even break down/remove the plaque from brains of animals.

Below I post an abstract from a medical study with regard to R-ALA for Alzheimer's:

Pharmacol Ther. 2007 Jan;113(1):154-64. Epub 2006 Sep 20.

Lipoic acid as a novel treatment for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

Holmquist L, Stuchbury G, Berbaum K, Muscat S, Young S, Hager K, Engel J, Munch G.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Comparative Genomics Centre, School of Pharmacy and Molecular Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that destroys patient memory and cognition, communication ability with the social environment and the ability to carry out daily activities. Despite extensive research into the pathogenesis of AD, a neuroprotective treatment - particularly for the early stages of disease - remains unavailable for clinical use. In this review, we advance the suggestion that lipoic acid (LA) may fulfil this therapeutic need. A naturally occurring precursor of an essential cofactor for mitochondrial enzymes, including pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (KGDH), LA has been shown to have a variety of properties which can interfere with pathogenic principles of AD. For example, LA increases acetylcholine (ACh) production by activation of choline acetyltransferase and increases glucose uptake, thus supplying more acetyl-CoA for the production of ACh. LA chelates redox-active transition metals, thus inhibiting the formation of hydroxyl radicals and also scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby increasing the levels of reduced glutathione. Via the same mechanisms, downregulation redox-sensitive inflammatory processes is also achieved. Furthermore, LA can scavenge lipid peroxidation products such as hydroxynonenal and acrolein. The reduced form of LA, dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA), is the active compound responsible for most of these beneficial effects. R-alpha-LA can be applied instead of DHLA, as it is reduced by mitochondrial lipoamide dehydrogenase, a part of the PDH complex. In this review, the properties of LA are explored with particular emphasis on how this agent, particularly the R-alpha-enantiomer, may be effective to treat AD and related dementias.

PMID: 16989905 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]