Can Nutrients Treat Alzheimer's?

"'Damage by oxygen radicals] is present within the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and is observed within 'every part of the body.] ...Treatment with antioxidants is a promising approach for slowing disease progression to the extent that 'such] oxidative damage may be responsible for the 'mental] and functional decline observed in AD...

"Although not a uniformly consistent observation, a number of studies have found a link between antioxidant intake and a reduced incidence of dementia, AD and 'mental] decline in elderly populations.

"In AD clinical trials 'substances] with antioxidant properties such as vitamin E and Ginkgo biloba extract have shown modest benefit...Combinations of antioxidants might be of even greater potential benefit for AD...

"Naturally-occurring compounds with antioxidant capacity are available and widely marketed (e.g. vitamin C, 'Co-q 10,] lipoic acid, beta-carotene, creatine, melatonin, curcumin 'turmeric] and synthetic compounds are under development by industry." All emphases are added.

In: Proceeds of Nutr. Soc., vol. 61, 2002. By: Grundman, Grundman & Delaney, Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study, U. of Cal., San Diego, 8950 Villa La Jolla Dr., Suite 2200, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.