There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, researchers are still unsure what causes the characteristic plaques and tangles seen in the Alzheimer’s brain. Therefore, the current Alzheimer’s drugs focus on stabilizing or improving symptoms, not treating the disease itself. That may leave you, as a loved one or a caregiver, considering trying an alternative or complementary therapy, but wondering where to start. Which supplements have scientific evidence to back up their claims? Which could do more harm than good? What follows is a review of some of the most common alternative treatments for Alzheimer’s.
Coenzyme Q-10
Coenzyme Q-10 is a natural antioxidant that may work to protect against and combat the damage caused by beta-amyloid protein production and accumulation in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.1 A1996 clinical study of a synthetic version of coenzyme Q-10 (known as idebenone) showed that idebenone was more effective than placebo in improving mood, memory and social behavior in Alzheimer’s patients.2 However, a larger study published in 2003 found that idebenone could not slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients.3
Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo biloba is a plant extract that is both an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory agent. This means, like coenzyme Q-10, ginkgo biloba may protect cells in the brain from damage caused by plaque and tangle formation.1 However, the large Gingko Evaluation and Memory (GEM) Study showed the ginkgo biloba did not prevent the development of Alzheimer’s (or any other type of dementia) in its more than 3,000 participants and that ginkgo biloba was similar to placebo in its ability to delay decline in memory, reasoning and personality.4
“Coral” Calcium
“Coral” calcium supplements have been marketed as the cure for everything from Alzheimer’s to cancer. According to many manufacturers and marketers of these supplements, Alzheimer’s is caused by calcium deficiencies. However, this is not true. One scientific theory about how Alzheimer’s develops is that the disease may be caused by the deregulation and imbalance of calcium in the brain, but not by a calcium deficiency.5-7 Also a formal complaint was filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2003 against the companies involved in promoting and distributing coral calcium products. According to this complaint, there is no scientific evidence to back up their exaggerated (and unlawful) claims.8
Huperzine A
Huperzine A (HupA) is an herbal extract that has been used for hundreds of years in Chinese medicine. Researchers have shown that it has properties similar to cholinesterase inhibitors, which are an FDA-approved class of Alzheimer’s drugs and the first pharmaceuticals to produce even modest improvements in cognitive function in Alzheimer’s patients.9 Research has shown that despite these similarities, HupA is absorbed by the body better, penetrates the blood-brain barrier easier and works for longer than the synthetic versions.10 Data from China, where HupA has been approved since 1994, has demonstrated that HupA can improve cognitive performance and the ability to perform daily tasks in Alzheimer’s patients.9 The National Institute on Aging began the first US-based clinical trial of HupA in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s in 2004; however, no data is available at this time.
Heavy Metal Chelation
Heavy metals have been controversially linked with the development of Alzheimer’s since the 1960s when experiments with animals demonstrated that exposure to aluminum caused the development of protein tangles in the brain like those seen in Alzheimer’s.11,12 More recent studies have pointed to the role of mercury. High levels of mercury have been measured in the brain tissue of deceased Alzheimer’s patients, as well as in the blood of living Alzheimer’s patients.13,14 This mercury is said to come from dental fillings and can be linked to all of the nerve cell changes typical in Alzheimer’s, even at low concentrations.13 As a result, researchers have looked at chelation (the removal of heavy metals from the body) as a potential treatment option for Alzheimer’s, but with mixed results.15 One study showed the aluminum removal slowed the progress of the disease (albeit with high levels of side effects); however, these results were not confirmed in later studies.15 Currently clioquinol, a chelator for copper, zinc and iron, has demonstrated the most potential, reducing the amount of plaques in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients as well as improving clinical performance.15,16
Before starting any new treatment you should talk to your doctor or a licensed alternative medicine practitioner for further information. Also remember that dietary supplements are not regulated by the US FDA and some other countries’ governments, which means they are not required to undergo a period of rigorous testing before being made available to patients. As a result, there may be issues concerning a supplement’s safety, purity, side effects, as well as potential interactions with other prescription medications and supplements.
References:
1. Chiappelli F, Navarro AM, Moradi DR, Manfrini E, Prolo P. Evidence-Based Research in Complementary and Alternative Medicine III: Treatment of Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. eCAM. 2006;3(4):411-424.
2. Weyer G, Erzigkeit H, Hadler D, Kubicki S. Efficacy and Safety of Idebenone in the Long-term Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease: A Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Multicentre Study. Human Psychopharmacol. 1996;11:53-65.
3. Thal LJ, Grundman M, Berg J, Ernstrom K, Margolin R, Pfeiffer E, Weiner MF, Zamrini E, Thomas RG. Idebenone treatment fails to slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease. Neurol. 2003;61:1498-1502.
4. DeKosky ST, Williamson JD, Fitzpatrick AL, et al. Ginkgo biloba for Prevention of Dementia. JAMA. 2008;300(19):2253-2262.
5. Raza M, Deshpande LS, Blair RE, Carter DS, Sombati S, DeLorenzo RJ. Aging is associated with elevated intracellular calcium levels and altered calcium homeostatic mechanisms in hippocampal neurons. Neurosci Lett. 2007;418(1):77-81.
6. LaFerla FM. Calcium Dyshomeostatis and Intracellular Signalling in Alzheimer’s Disease. Nature Neurosci. 2002;3:862-872.
7. Buxbaum JD, Ruefli AA, Parker CA, Cypress AM, Greengard P. Calcium regulates processing of the Alzheimer amyloid protein precursor in a protein kinase C-independent manner. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1994;91:4489-4493.
8. Federal Trade Commission. FTC and FDA Take New Action in Fight Against Deceptive Marketing. http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/06/trudeau.shtm. Updated June 10, 2003. Accessed Nov 25, 2009.
9. Wang B, Wang H, Wei Z, Song Y, Zhang L, Chen H. Efficacy and safety of natural acetylcholinesterase inhibitor huperzine A in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease: an updated meta-analysis. J Neural Transm. 2009;116:457-465.
10. Bai DL, Tang XC, He XC. Huperzine A, a potential therapeutic agent for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Curr Med Chem. 2000;7:355–374.
11. Klatzo I, Wisniewski H, Streicher E. Brain aluminum distribution in Alzheimer’s disease and experimental neurofibrillary degeneration. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 1965;24:187–199.
12. Crapper DR, Krishnan SS, Dalton AJ. Brain aluminum distribution in Alzheimer’s disease and experimental neurofibrillary degeneration, Science. 1973;180:511–513.
13. Mutter J, Naumann J, Sadaghiani C, Schneider R, Walach H. Alzheimer Disease: Mercury as pathogenetic factor and apolipoprotein E as a moderator. Neuroendocrinol Lett. 2004;25:331-339.
14. Hock C, Drasch G, Golombowski S, Muller-Spahn F, Willershausen-Zonnchen B, Schwarz P, Hock U, Growdon, Nitsch RM. Increased blood mercury levels in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. J Neural Trans. 1998;105(1):59-68.
15. Domingo JL. Aluminum and other metals in Alzheimer’s disease: A review of potential therapy with chelating agents. J Alzheimer’s Dis. 2006;10:331-341.
16. Regland B, Lehmann W, Abedini I, et al. Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease with Clioquinol. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2001;12(6):408-414.
