Can the Mediterranean diet prevent Alzheimer’s dementia? Part 1

Over the years, there has been a great interest in ways to delay or prevent Alzheimer’s dementia. Besides use of drugs, some researchers feel that perhaps a change in diet may help prevent the decline in cognitive impairment that occurs in old age. It is widely believed that a healthy diet may help prevent development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and delay onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Current estimates indicate that about 10% to 15% of individuals with MCI convert to AD each year.

One of the diets thought to have some benefit in delaying mild cognitive impairment is the Mediterranean diet. Previous clinical research revealed that conformity to a Mediterranean diet was linked to a reduced risk for AD, but its effect on developing MCI was unknown.

The recent study from Washington Heights Inwood Columbia Aging Project (WHICAP) looked at the benefits of adherence to a Mediterranean diet and development of mild cognitive impairment over several years.

To explore whether cognitively normal individuals whose food intake was more representative of a Mediterranean diet were less likely to develop MCI, the researchers examined data from 1393 cognitively normal individuals and 484 individuals with MCI who were participants in the WHICAP multiethnic community study in New York. The majority of individuals studied were in the 7/8th decade of life. Study participants were given a score of 0 to 9 based on their faithfulness to a Mediterranean diet, where 9 indicated greatest adherence to this diet.

Strong adherence to a Mediterranean diet was characterized by a high intake of fish, fruit, vegetables, legumes, cereals, and unsaturated fat; a low intake of dairy products and meat; and a moderate intake of alcohol/wine.

Can Gingko Biloba prevent dementia? part 2

This was the first comprehensive study with a large number of volunteer community members. The study included individuals with mild cognitive impairment but those with moderate to severe dementia were excluded. Individuals who were on other types of memory drugs like Aricept were also excluded. All individuals underwent comprehensive neurophysiological testing and were randomized to receive either placebo (sugar pill) or G Biloba (120 mg twice a day). Re-evaluations were done every 6 months.

Individuals who started to develop cognitive impairment had to undergo neuropsychological testing and results were evaluated by an independent panel. MRI was done to confirm dementia.

After 6 years, the results between placebo and Ginkgo were no different. Ginkgo did not prevent dementia nor did it enhance memory. While ginkgo was found to be safe, a few individuals did develop bleeding in the brain.

Final point

This study finally answered the question whether G Biloba prevents dementia. The conclusion is that even in individuals with the mildest dementia, it did nothing. There are some who argue that perhaps G Biloba should have been administered for a longer period of time. However, researchers point out that if a supplement has not worked for 6 years, it is unlikely to work at all. Further and most important Gingko supplements do not come cheap and the cost of pills does add up. Considering that Gingko Biloba has finally been shown to be ineffective in treatment of dementia, it is time the consumer use his/her hard earned money for better use- like eating healthy and saving up for future home care services in case they are needed.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/584660

Can Gingko Biloba prevent dementia?

Health supplements have become a billion dollar industry. Every type of grass, weed, herb, plant, or fruit is now being advocated as a health supplement. Extracts from these products are extracted and made into a pill, liquid, potion, lotion, or cream and sold in mega amounts to consumers. One of these supplements is Gingko Biloba. It is perhaps one of the oldest natural health food supplements around and hyped up to treat many medical disorders. It is also one of the biggest money-maker in the field of herbal medicine.

Ginkgo Biloba leaf extracts have a long history in European medicine, where they have been used to treat early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, tinnitus and peripheral claudication. In the USA, Gingko is classified as a dietary supplement and there are various brands available.

The widespread use of Ginkgo for decades has led to many questions about its effectiveness. Over the years, many clinical trials have been conducted on gingko. The results have been mixed partly because some trials were not randomized, numbers of patients were small, proper inclusion and exclusion criteria were omitted and follow up was limited. Some clinical studies indicated that Gingko may have mild benefits in Alzheimer’s dementia but other studies claimed that it had no effect. Americans spend close to $100 million annually on gingko in the hope of preventing memory loss and also to boost memory.

To finally establish whether G. Biloba can prevent all types of dementia and Alzheimer disease, a group of researchers recently conducted the Ginkgo Enhancement of Memory (GEM) study, a multisite, randomized, controlled 6-year trial.

Can thiamine help reverse or delay Alzheimer’s dementia?

Alzheimer’s is a devastating disorder that gradually results in memory impairment, disorganized thoughts, and poor reasoning. Over time, these cognitive impairments become so severe that there is a gradual decline in the individual’s usual level of functioning. Although all individuals have some degree of memory loss as part of aging, these cognitive changes generally do not interfere with level of function. In Alzheimer’s, the memory loss is much faster and associated with severe impairment in cognition. The disease progresses relentlessly and most individuals become incapable of independently looking after themselves. During the later stages of the disorder, depression, paranoia and delusions often accompany the illness and usually persists for long periods.

Today we have no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but there are a few treatments available to alleviate some symptoms that are causing suffering.

The management of alzheimer's consists of use of medications and non-medications based treatments. The two different class of medications that have been approved by the FDA for treating Alzheimer’s include choline esterase inhibitors like Tacrine (Aricept) and partial glutamate antagonists. However, both class of drugs only work during early dementia and do not slow rate of progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Recently, there has been a surge in alternative care for patients with Alzheimer’s dementia.