Omega-3 fatty acids protect brain function of Alzheimer’s disease patients

Summary SPMs (“specialized pro-resolving mediators”) are a group of compounds that are derived from omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They have been shown to reduce inflammation, which is why they also have beneficial effects on Alzheimer’s disease. This disease is associated with brain inflammation and reduced levels of SPMs. The present study evaluated the effects…

Omega-3 fatty acids preserve mental function in Alzheimer’s disease patients

Summary This study evaluated whether omega-3 fatty acids can improve mental performance in patients with Alzheimer´s disease. Mental performance was evaluated in 174 Alzheimer´s disease patients who were given either omega-3 fatty acids or a placebo for 6 months. Subsequently, all participants received omega-3 fatty acids for additional 6 months. The results showed that the…

Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease

Summary Neuroinflammation, an inflammation of the nervous system, is a characteristic of a multitude of nervous system disorders. This review summarized 61 studies that tested the effect of omega-3 on neuroinflammation in various diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. The results showed that omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties and can fight neuroinflammation in this brain disease.…

Omega-3 fatty acids prevent mental decline

Summary Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia and the most common neurodegenerative disease in the elderly. This review analyzed epidemiological, dietary intervention and supplementation studies on Alzheimer’s disease. According to the review, the studies supported the role of omega-3 fatty acids in the prevention or delay of mental decline (reduction of brain function)…

Vitamin C deficiency accelerates progression of Alzheimer´s disease

Summary This study evaluated the relationship between vitamin C deficiency and Alzheimer´s disease. The experiments were performed with mice. The results suggested that even moderate vitamin C deficiencies inside the cells play an important role in accelerating the progression of the disease, particularly during early stages. More details can be found in the study. References…

Vitamin E protects against dementia

Summary This study analyzed the relationship between blood levels of vitamin E and dementia. Blood levels of vitamin E were investigated in 1033 participants aged 65 years and older. The results showed that higher vitamin E blood levels can provide significant protection against mental impairment and dementia in elderly people. Further details can be found…

Flavonoids are effective protective agents against Alzheimer’s disease

Summary The brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease have an abundance of amyloid plaques, made up of protein fragments. The excessive accumulation of these proteins is believed to be a key mechanism responsible for brain cell death in Alzheimer’s disease. The present study aimed to identify flavonoids (naturally occurring compounds) that could inhibit amyloid plaques-induced…

Micronutrient supplement improves brain function

Summary The present study examined the effect of a micronutrient combination on brain function. The supplement consisted of curcumin, piperine, epigallocatechin gallate, α-lipoic acid, N-acetylcysteine, B vitamins, vitamin C and folate and was administered for 6 months to mice affected by Alzheimer´s disease. The results of this examination revealed that the micronutrient combination improved brain…

Vitamin C deficiency increases risk for seizures in Alzheimer´s disease

Summary Seizures, a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease, are able to accelerate brain dysfunction. According to research, vitamin C deficiency is an important cause of seizures. This study tested the susceptibility to seizures in mice with Alzheimer´s disease and low concentrations of vitamin C in the brain. The researchers found that low vitamin C concentrations increased…

B vitamins slow cognitive impairment

Summary Homocysteine, an amino acid found in the blood, is a risk factor for dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a possible early stage of dementia that can involve problems with memory, language, thinking and judgment that are greater than normal age-related changes. This study evaluated whether blood levels of homocysteine can be lowered by…

Natural compound inositol improves symptoms of Alzheimer’s

Summary This study investigated the effects of the natural compound inositol in patients with Alzheimer´s disease. The symptoms associated with this disease include difficulties with memory, language, thinking, orientation, and others. 11 patients were treated with inositol or with glucose for one month. The results showed that inositol significantly improved language and orientation in Alzheimer’s…

Low blood levels of vitamin E are associated with developing Alzheimer’s disease

Summary Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the ability of the body to counteract their harmful effects through neutralization by antioxidants (i.e. vitamin E). The present study evaluated whether oxidative stress has a role in the progression of cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease. Data from 70 patients with mild…

Low blood levels of vitamins and carotenoids are related to Alzheimer’s disease

Summary This study investigated blood levels of vitamins and carotenoids in Alzheimer’s patients. Data from patients with Alzheimer’s disease were compared with data from participants without the disease. The results showed that Alzheimer’s patients had significantly lower levels of vitamin A, vitamin E and beta-carotene. In view of this result, the present study is a…

Vitamin B1 improves mental function

Summary This study evaluated the effects of thiamine (vitamin B1) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Patients received either vitamin B1 or an ineffective placebo for 3 months. 11 participants completed the study. The results demonstrated that vitamin B1 supplementation improved the mental function of Alzheimer’s patients, as compared to those taking a placebo. More details…

Low blood levels of vitamin E are associated with mental impairment

Summary This study evaluated the relationship between blood levels of vitamin E and mental (cognitive) function. Blood levels of vitamin E were investigated in 168 patients with Alzheimer’s disease, 166 people with mild cognitive impairment (a precursor to Alzheimer’s dementia) and 187 participants with normal mental function. It appeared that low blood levels of vitamin…

Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are associated with Alzheimer´s disease

Summary This study evaluated the relationship between blood levels of vitamin D and Alzheimer´s disease. Data were collected from 318 participants. The results showed that vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency were associated with Alzheimer´s disease. Further details can be found in the study. References J S Buell, B Dawson-Hughes, T M Scott, D E Weiner, G E Dallal, W Q…

Pycnogenol improves memory function

Summary This study examined the effects of the natural compound pycnogenol (pine bark extract) in healthy people. For 3 months, 101 elderly participants were given a daily dose of 150 mg of pycnogenol. At the beginning, during and end of the treatment, the participants completed different mental tasks, comprising memory tests and other measures. The…

B vitamins slow mental decline

Summary Homocysteine, an amino acid found in the blood, represents a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. This study evaluated the relationship among homocysteine, Alzheimer’s disease and levels of B vitamins in the blood. 266 participants with cognitive (mental) impairment were given either folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 or a placebo for 2 years.…