Alzheimer's Disease and Alternative Medicine

By shelley

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Many people are turning towards alternative medicine after being disillusioned with conventional medicine. Many vitamins, herbal concoctions and other supplements are said to be good for treating Alzheimer’s disease.
There is a serious concern about the efficacy of these remedies r treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, taken in conjunction with conventional prescriptions.

The things that work against the alternative medicine against Alzheimer’s is that it is not mandatory for the manufacturer of the dietary supplement to get it approved from FDA for the claims it is laying for the product.

Also, FDA has not been given any authority over the manufacturers of the supplements. Since, these supplements lie out of the gambit of control of FDA; it becomes very difficult to assess the purity of these products. Sometimes, the ingredients and their uses may not be what are present in the product.

Makers of these products are not responsible to report any problems faced by customers, therefore one can not be very sure of the claims made by the producers of these supplements.
It is essential that one consults their physician before starting any of these supplements, as they might interact with the prescribed medicines. It should not be taken without first consulting a physician.

Some of the products that are suggested for Alzheimer are Coenzyme Q10, coral calcium, Gingko biloba, Huperzine A, Omega 3 fatty acids, Phosphatidylserine. Coenzyme Q10 and coral calcium have been researched and studies, but have been found to be not very effective in curing Alzheimer. Coral calcium as the name suggests is obtained from the corals and is different from the normal calcium that it has some extra minerals, also.

Ginkgo biloba is a Chinese herb which has been in use for centuries now. It is believed to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Although it has been used for centuries by traditional Chinese medicine, it has become popular only recently in the west.

Huperzine A is a moss extract and has properties which are not very different from cholinesterase inhibitors, which have been approved by FDA for Alzheimer.

Research carried out till now have shown that the taking omega-3s leads to a reduction in risk of dementia. But, this topic is still being studies.

Phosphatidylserine is a lipid which has showed some promise in treating Alzheimer’s disease