Skip to main content

Dietary supplements offer new hope for Alzheimer's patients

A "cocktail" of dietary supplements (omega-3 fatty acids, uridine and choline) has been found to dramatically increase the amount of membranes that form brain cell synapses in gerbils. The treatment is now in human clinical trials. It is hoped that such treatment may significantly delay Alzheimer's disease. The treatment offers a different approach from the traditional tactic of targeting amyloid plaques and tangles. Choline can be found in meats, nuts and eggs, and omega-3 fatty acids are found in a variety of sources, including fish, eggs, flaxseed and meat from grass-fed animals. Uridine, which is found in RNA and produced by the liver and kidney, is not obtained from the diet, although it is found in human breast milk.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-04/miot-mro042706.php

Reference

Wurtman, R. J., Ulus, I. H., Cansev, M., Watkins, C. J., Wang, L., & Marzloff, G. (2006). Synaptic proteins and phospholipids are increased in gerbil brain by administering uridine plus docosahexaenoic acid orally. Brain Research, 1088(1), 83-92. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006899306007414

choline
Fish oils
Alzheimer's Disease
Diet supplements Alzheimers

Related News

Link between maternal diet and brain development of fetus

A mouse study has found that the diet of a pregnant mother, especially in regards to choline, can change the epigenetic switches that control brain development in the fetus. Pregnant mice received different diets during the period when a fetus develops its hippocampus. The genetic changes affected neurogenesis. The findings add to other research pointing to the effects of maternal diet on fetal development. Top sources of choline are eggs and meat. Fish and soy are also good sources.

Nutritional drink may help fight Alzheimer's

A European trial involving 225 patients with mild Alzheimer's has found that those who drank Souvenaid (a cocktail of uridine, choline and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, plus B vitamins, phosopholipids and antioxidants) for 12 weeks were more likely to improve their performance in a delayed verbal recall task. 40% of the Souvenaid group showed improved performance compared to 24% of the placebo group. Those with the mildest cases of Alzheimer’s showed the most improvement. There was no improvement on the more general ADAS-cog test. Three further clinical trials, one in the U.S.

'Cocktail' for improved memory

A study has found that gerbils given a ‘cocktail’ of DHA, uridine and choline performed significantly better on learning and memory tests than untreated gerbils, and their brains had up to 70% more phosphatides (a type of molecule that forms cell membranes) than controls, suggesting that new synapses are forming. Some of the gerbils received all three compounds and some received only two; the improvements were greatest in those given all three. An earlier study had found that the treatment improved function in rats with cognitive impairment.

Vital role in brain development for the nutrient choline

The nutrient choline is known to play a critical role in memory and brain function by positively affecting the brain's physical development through increased production of stem cells (the parents of brain cells). New research demonstrates that this occurs through the effect of choline on the expression of particular genes. The important finding is that diet during pregnancy turns on or turns off division of stem cells that form the memory areas of the brain. Developing babies get choline from their mothers during pregnancy and from breast milk after they are born.

Dietary guidelines for choline may be insufficient

Submitted by Fiona McPherson on

A study involving healthy men and women fed a baseline diet containing 550 mg choline/day (the adequate intake level set by the Institute of Medicine) for 10 days, then put on a low choline diet (50 mg choline/day) for up to 42 days, has found that the "right" amount of choline depends on many factors, including gender, age, and ethnicity.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-03/foas-osd032714.php

Choline linked to better memory & healthier brains

Dietary choline linked to reduced dementia risk & better cognition

Data from a large, long-running Finnish study, involving some 2,500 men aged 42-60, has found that dietary intake of phosphatidylcholine was associated with a reduced risk of dementia (the risk was 28% lower in men with the highest intake compared to the lowest). Men with the highest intake of dietary phosphatidylcholine also excelled in tests measuring their memory and linguistic abilities.

The key sources of phosphatidylcholine in the study population's diet were eggs (39%) and meat (37%).