Alzheimer's Disease

[Guest guest]

Alzheimer's Disease

 

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/bookshelf/Books/41/9.cfm

 

Nearly a decade ago, four different people approached me

independently in rapid succession, asking if I could find them some

Chinese club moss.

 

They had all heard that huperzine, a compound derived from this

herb, might help slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Each

of these people had a parent who had this disease, and they were

desperate to find anything that might help.

 

I'd never heard of using Chinese club moss (Huperzia serrata) for

Alzheimer's, so I did a little digging--in my database, not in my

garden--and learned that Huperzia is an alternate name for some of

the Lycopodium club mosses, including one that grows around my

Herbal Vineyard in Maryland.

 

Moss Compounds for the Brain

 

I dimly recalled that an Indian tribe had eaten Lycopodium, and sure

enough, after a little more research I found that it was the

Chippewa tribe of the eastern United States. I sampled some of the

club moss growing in my garden and found it rather unappetizing. But

as my research continued, I came across some interesting

information: The two species of club moss sought by the Chippewa

contained huperzine.

 

Researchers have found that huperzine inhibits the breakdown of

acetylcholine, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that plays a key

role in cognition and reasoning.

 

People with Alzheimer's often have an acetylcholine deficiency. It's

still not clear whether this deficiency causes the disease or

results from it. But Alzheimer's researchers are actively pursuing

treatments that either prevent the chemical breakdown of

acetylcholine or add its precursor, choline, to brain tissues.

 

It would seem that anything that boosts acetylcholine in the brain,

including a number of herbs, is currently our best approach to

dealing with this disease.

 

The Brain Drain

 

Alzheimer's is the leading cause of mental deterioration as people

age. The National Institute on Aging estimates that Alzheimer's

affects four million Americans. It strikes about 10 percent of

people over 65 and about half of those who live beyond 85.

 

Until a couple of years ago, there was no way to treat Alzheimer's.

Then the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved tacrine

hydrochloride (Cognex), a medication that reportedly slows

progression of the disease by preserving acetylcholine in the brain.

The problem with this drug is that it is toxic to the liver, with a

high potential for causing liver damage.

 

Other drugs are in the pipeline. As usual, they are synthetics. And

as usual, the drug companies and the FDA seem to be overlooking some

promising herbal alternatives, namely all of the herbs containing

compounds that prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine.

 

Green Pharmacy for Alzheimer's Disease

 

Fortunately, along with club moss, there are a number of other herbs

that show promise in preventing and treating this devastating

disease.

 

Horsebalm (Monarda, various species). Horsebalm contains the

beneficial compound carvacrol, which Austrian scientists have

discovered helps prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine. Horsebalm

also contains thymol, which also prevents the breakdown of

acetylcholine.

 

Some compounds in horsebalm apparently can cross the blood-brain

barrier. Normally your body's protective blood-brain barrier helps

prevent harmful substances in the blood from reaching the tissues of

the brain. But because this blood-brain barrier sometimes works too

well, it can also prevent helpful medicines from reaching the brain.

The horsebalm compounds seem to cross that great divide, which means

it might have some positive effects even if you use it as a shampoo

or skin lotion.

 

That being so, I'd be willing to wager my head of hair, if not my

brain, that a horsebalm shampoo might work nearly as well as FDA-

approved tacrine hydrochloride. It would probably be safer, easier

on the liver and a whole lot cheaper.

 

You won't be able to buy shampoo that contains horsebalm, but it's

easy to make your own. Simply add several dropperfuls of horsebalm

tincture to your favorite herbal shampoo.

 

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). Some evidence suggests that

oxidative damage caused by highly reactive (free radical) oxygen

molecules in the body plays a role in Alzheimer's. If that's so,

rosemary should help. It contains a couple of dozen antioxidants--

that is, compounds that help mop up free radicals. Among the

antioxidants is a particularly potent one, rosmarinic acid.

 

Rosemary also contains a half-dozen compounds that are reported to

prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine. Interestingly enough,

aromatherapists suggest using rosemary oil for treating Alzheimer's

disease. (They also recommend oils of balm, fennel and sage.)

 

Rosemary has a long history as a memory-enhancing herb, so much so

that it's known as the herb of remembrance. I think rosemary

shampoo, rosemary tea and rosemary in the bathwater would have anti-

Alzheimer's activity similar to that of tacrine or huperzine.

 

The good thing about this recommendation is that it's safe and

pleasant to use rosemary in all of these forms. If I'm wrong,

there's little or no harm done. And if I'm right, it's all to the

good.

 

 

Rosemary

 

Originally used to preserve meats, rosemary is said to improve

memory.

 

 

 

Of the rosemary compounds that retard the breakdown of

acetylcholine, several if not all can be absorbed through the skin,

and some probably cross the blood-brain barrier. Thus, using

rosemary shampoo regularly could conceivably help preserve

acetylcholine in the brain just as tacrine does. You can buy

commercial herbal shampoo that contains rosemary, or you can make

your own by adding rosemary tincture to your favorite herbal

shampoo.

 

Brazil nut (Bertholettia excelsa). In addition to looking into

treatments focused on preventing the breakdown of acetylcholine,

researchers have also been studying possible treatments that will

supplement people's supply of choline, a building block for

acetylcholine.

 

Lecithin contains choline, and according to my database, Brazil nuts

are the richest food sources of lecithin (up to 10 percent on a dry-

weight basis). Many other plant foods and herbs also contain

generous amounts of lecithin. They include, in descending order of

potency, dandelion flowers, poppy seeds, soybeans and mung beans.

 

There are also a number of plants, including fenugreek leaves and

shepherd's purse, that contain choline itself. Other plant foods and

herbs that contain small amounts of choline include horehound,

ginseng, cowpea, English pea, mung beans, sponge gourd, lentils and

Chinese angelica, also known as dong-quai.

 

Researchers have tried feeding high-choline and high-lecithin foods

to people with Alzheimer's. Preliminary results were encouraging,

but more recent studies have failed to find significant memory

improvement. I remain cautiously optimistic that eating foods

containing choline and lecithin might help.

 

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). These flowers are one of our

better sources of lecithin, and they're also a reasonable source of

choline (the two often show up in the same foods). Lecithin

increases concentrations of acetylcholine in the brain and improves

memory in laboratory mice. There's no proof yet that this treatment

works in people, but I'm optimistic about the possibility. Besides,

dandelions are very nutritious.

 

Fava beans (Vicia faba). These beans are quite rich in lecithin.

Fava beans are a key ingredient in my Biblical Brainfood Soup. In

fact, many beans are rich in lecithin and choline and should be

included in any diet, not just those for people concerned about

preventing and treating Alzheimer's.

 

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum). Little did I know when I had

alu methi at an Indian restaurant that I was indulging in steamed

fenugreek leaves. These are among the better dietary sources of

choline (up to 1.3 percent on a dry-weight basis). As we have seen,

dietary choline could conceivably help prevent and treat

Alzheimer's.

 

Fenugreek greens are also a good source of beta-carotene, an

antioxidant that might also help prevent or slow the progression of

Alzheimer's.

 

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba). Hundreds of European studies have confirmed

the use of standardized ginkgo leaf extract for a wide variety of

conditions associated with aging, including memory loss and poor

circulation. There's not much data on using ginkgo to treat

Alzheimer's, but I wouldn't be surprised if it helped. It's probably

worth trying. You can take 60 to 240 milligrams of standardized

extract a day, but don't go any higher than that. In large amounts,

ginkgo may cause diarrhea, irritability and restlessness.

 

Sage (Salvia officinalis). Seventeenth-century herbalist John Gerard

said that sage " helpeth a weake braine or memory and restoreth

them . . . in a short time. " British researchers have confirmed that

sage inhibits the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, thus

preserving the compound that seems to help prevent and treat

Alzheimer's. Like rosemary, sage is also well-endowed with

antioxidants. Just be judicious: Sage contains a fair amount of

thujone, a compound that in very high doses may cause convulsions.

 

stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). This herb contains considerable

amounts of the mineral boron, which can double levels of the hormone

estrogen circulating in the body. And estrogen, tested in several

studies, helped improve short-term memory and also helped elevate

the moods of some people with Alzheimer's.

 

Willow (Salix, various species). Some studies have shown a lower

incidence of Alzheimer's in those who have taken a lot of anti-

inflammatory drugs for arthritis. If these medicines help prevent

Alzheimer's, then willow bark, the herbal source of aspirin, should

help as well. Remember, though, that if you're allergic to aspirin,

you probably shouldn't take aspirin-like herbs, either.

 

Gotu kola (Centella asiatica). This herb has a centuries-old folk

reputation as a memory herb that helps maintain strong mental vigor.

I doubt that it would have maintained this reputation if there

weren't something to it.

 

Herb gardening. If you have a family history of Alzheimer's or are

otherwise concerned about this disease, you might want to consider

starting an herb garden. This would give you an ongoing source of

the herbs that show promise against Alzheimer's. All of them can be

grown, at least as annuals, in the lower 48 states. Not only that

but also gardening requires thought,

creativity and physical activity, all of which I believe help to

preserve brain function. (For more detailed instructions on how to

grow herbs, see pages 12 and 13.)

 

Biblical Brainfood Soup

 

This soup, made entirely from plants mentioned in the Bible, is a

good bet for anyone with Alzheimer's disease. Many of the

ingredients are rich in choline, a compound that many researchers

believe is helpful for people with this condition.

 

The ingredients to use in the soup are barley, bottle gourd,

dandelion flowers and greens, fava beans, flaxseed, lentils, poppy

seeds, stinging nettle, ground walnuts and cracked wheat. (You'll

need to wear gloves when harvesting stinging nettle leaves, but the

fuzzy stingers lose their sting when the leaves are cooked.)

 

Season the soup with balm, rosemary, sage and savory. These help the

brain hold on to its acetylcholine, another compound that

researchers believe to be helpful.

 

You'll have to experiment with these ingredients to create a soup

that you can enjoy. Not all of the ingredients have to be used at

once. In fact, you probably won't have access to them all at once.

You could simply keep the list handy and add as many of these

ingredients as possible to other soups you might be making.

 

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/bookshelf/Books/41/9.cfm

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjoguest

DietaryTipsForHBP

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest