Alzheimer’s disease Supplement . Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a central nervous system degenerative disease. It mainly manifests as progressive memory disorders, cognitive dysfunction, personality changes, and language disorders. Have you ever imagined what it would be like if one day a husband no longer knew his wife, a mother no longer recognized her children, or even herself ? Actually, many families with Alzheimer’s disease are suffering like this.
According to data from Alzheimer’s Research International, which is a non-profit organization, at present, about 50 million people worldwide are suffering from Alzheimer’s, and by 2050, this figure will reach 131 million. In 2013, the elderly people in China reached more than 200 million, which means the Alzheimer’s patient base is large. According to the latest report, there are about 8.6 million Chinese over 60 year old with Alzheimer’s disease, and by 2020 there will be more than 10 million.
The pathogeny of Alzheimer’s disease
We generally believe that Alzheimer’s disease is caused by the lesions of amyloid(β-amylid protein, Aβ) and tau protein , patients with Alzheimer’s disease can be judged clinically by PET and measuring the content of these two proteins in cerebrospinal fluid . Then how do Aβand tau proteins affect the brain? Aβprotein deposits in the brain can form senile plaque, while tau protein is abnormally phosphorylated and accumulates to form nerve fiber entanglement, which leads to neurodegenerative changes such as axonal transport, impaired Synaptic and mitochondrial functions, and neuronal death, then cause dementia symptoms such as cognitive impairment and abnormal mental behavior.
Will patients be relieved by removing these proteins that are harmful to their brain’s cognitive function? The reality is not simple, pharmaceutical giants such as Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, have been investing heavily in the development of Alzheimer’s drugs, but none has succeeded yet.
As there is no effective medicine, currently, we can only ease Alzheimer’s disease through anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants, and anti-psychotic drugs, because anxiety, depression, and mental illness are complications of Alzheimer’s disease.
For now, the best way to treat Alzheimer’s is to prevent it. While the supplements that improves the cognitive function and delays the disease progression, are quite active in the research and development field. We’d like to recommend some Alzheimer’s disease supplement:
Alzheimer’s disease supplement :Acetylcholine
Acetylcholine (frequently abbreviated ACh) is the most widely spread neurotransmitter – chemical messenger assisting in carrying signals across the nerve synapse. It is the most plentiful neurotransmitter, which may be found in both the peripheral and central nervous systems
Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that is rapidly destroyed by cholinesterase in the tissue. Acetylcholine acts specifically on various choline receptors. In nerve cells, acetylcholine is synthesized by choline and acetyl-CoA under the catalysis of choline acetyltransferase(choline acetylase). Research suggests that increased levels of ACh in the human body can improve Alzheimer’s disease.
Human brain tissue has a large amount of acetylcholine, but the content of acetylcholine decreases with age. Normal elderly people fell by 30% compared to young people, while Alzheimer’s patients fell 70%-80%. Scientists in the UK and Canada have found that a sufficient supply of ACh can prevent memory loss in the old people around 60 years of age.
Alzheimer’s disease supplement :Gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA)
GABA is a neurotransmitter that sends chemical messages through the brain and the nervous system, and is involved in regulating communication between brain cells. It can promote brain activation, sleep, anti-epilepsy and so on .
In the human brain, GABA can be converted from the brain’s glutamate under the action of a specific glutamate decarboxylase, but with age and mental stress increasing, the accumulation of GABA is extremely difficult. Dietary supplements can effectively improve the situation and promote health. Currently, Japanese scientists developed and manufactured the GABA-rich functional food from rice germ have been widely used in beverages, jams, cakes, biscuits, seasonings and other products.
Alzheimer’s disease supplement :Alpha GPC
Alpha GPC is a choline source derived from soy or sunflower lecithin, or synthetic.It is more bioavailable than other sources of choline for brain benefits. Unlike choline citrate or choline bitartrate, it easily crosses the blood-brain barrier. This makes Alpha GPC a preferred choline source with experienced nootropic users.
Alpha GPC boosts acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter tied to memory and overall brain function. It is a precursor to acetylcholine. Alpha GPC improves the efficiency of communications between neurons in your brain. This increase in neural signaling boosts memory, learning, cognitive processing and mental clarity.
Alzheimer’s disease supplement :Phosphatidylserine (PS)
PhosphatidylSerine is a phospholipid compound derived from soy lecithin that plays an essential role in cell membrane composition and intercellular communication. PS is a major structural component of neural membranes where it assists in the conduction of electrical impulses and facilitates the activity of neurotransmitters involved in learning, memory, and mood.
PhosphatidylSerine stimulates the brain chemicals that boost neural signaling for quick, clear thinking. In fact, phosphatidylserine is one of the most effective memory boosters known. PS has been shown that it can slow, halt and even reverse the progression of age-related cognitive decline. One study with 149 patients meeting the criteria for age-associated memory impairment were given 100 mg of Phosphatidylserine or a placebo for 12 weeks, and it suggested that taking phosphatidylserine can improve some of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease after 6-12 weeks of treatment.
