Natural Treatments May Delay Alzheimers Disease.

If you're diagnosed with Alzheimers the brain disease that slowly but surely devastates mental, emotional, and, finally, even physical functioning-most conventional neurologists will offer you two treatments.One is the prescription drug donepezil (Aricept), which increases levels of acetylcholine, a brain chemical responsible for memory.

The other is vitamin E, an antioxidant that slows the destruction of brain cells. Although conventional neurologists used to think that treating Alzheimer's with vitamin E was nonsense, studies have demonstrated the nutrient's effectiveness in helping to slow the progress of the disease.Both treatments are helpful, but there's much more that you can do for Alzheimer's. Natural treatments potentially can slow the progression of the disease and perhaps even preventits later stages, in which memory is totally eroded."Like the heart, the brain is an organ made of flesh and blood," says Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., president and medical director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Foundation in Tucson. "And just as there are many ways to slow the progression of heart disease, such as dietary changes, nutritional supplements, stress reduction, and exercise, for example, so there are many ways to slow the progression of the brain disease Alzheimer's-not just the two treatments recommended by most neurologists."

If you've been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, you need to admit that you have a serious problem and to accept the fact that you need to devote your life to caring for yourself, Dr. Khalsa says.
"You can't just take a few pills every day, whether they're prescription drugs or natural supplements, and go along with life," he says. "You must focus on the reality that your brain has a degenerative illness-possibly a progressive illness, similar to cancer-and that you must devote significant time to slowing its progress."

The remedies offered here are part of Dr. Khalsa's total program for slowing the progress of Alzheimer's. Because of the seriousness of the disease, however, you must use them only with the approval and supervision of a physician and in conjunction with the full range of medical tests and treatments needed to diagnose and treat Alzheimer's.

HUPERZINE A: Slow Memory Loss without Side Effects
Huperzine A, the active ingredient in the Chinese herb club moss, has an effect on the brain that is similar to the effect of the prescription drug donepezil, but without its expense or side effects, which can include gastrointestinal upset and liver damage, says Dr. Khalsa. "This purified ingredient of club moss blocks the breakdown of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter important for memory," he says.

PHOSPHATIDYLSERINE: Boost Mental Capacity
In his practice, Dr. Khalsa has found that the nutrient phosphatidylserine helps regenerate the outside layer of neurons, reversing the chronological age of these cells by as much as 12 years and improving the mental capacity of his Alzheimer's patients. He recommends 300 milligrams a day in three divided doses with meals.

VITAMIN E: Regenerate Brain Cells

This vitamin helps shield neurons from free radicals, unstable molecules that damage cells. But, says Dr. Khalsa, it can also regenerate the areas on neurons where neurotransmitters-the chemicals that relay messages from one neuron to another-enter. For Alzheimer's patients, he recommends 2,000 international units a day of the d-alpha tocopherol form of the nutrient, which is the most effective.

KEEP ACTIVE.
Regular physical exercise can help an Alzheimer's patient form new brain cells, says Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., president and medical director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Foundation in Tucson. Here's how he suggests that you do it. If you have Alzheimer's and you're able to exercise on your own, you should walk every day or engage in some other exercise you enjoy. If the disease is more advanced, a caregiver should take the Alzheimer's patient for a walk, even if it's just around the patio, for example.

COENZYME QIO: Protect Mental Energy
As the disease progresses, Alzheimer's patients become less and less mentally energetic. The nutrient coenzyme QI0 is vital for producing energy in neurons (and throughout the body), Dr. Khalsa says. It also is a "neuroprotector" that helps stop the destruction of neurons by free radicals. He recommends 200 milligrams a day.

GINKGO: The Underestimated Herb
The power of this herb to protect the brain from Alzheimer's has been underestimated by conventional doctors, says Dr. Khalsa. Ginkgo maximizes the flow of blood to the brain and helps protect neurons from free radicals. He recommends 240 milligrams a day.

ORA: The Fat Your Brain Needs
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a fat that is a building block of the brain and can help people with Alzheimer's retain brain function, Dr. Khalsa says. (Don't mistake this supplement for DHEA, the hormone.) He recommends taking 100 milligrams a day of DHA manufactured from microalgae.

FISH: Good for Neurons

Eat plenty of cold-water fish such as tuna, trout, mackerel, and salmon, Dr. Khalsa suggests. They're rich in omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients that help protect brain cells.