NADH may protect the brain in Alzheimer's disease

NADH is a coenzyme (Coenzyme 1) that plays a key role in cellular energy production, energy in the brain, and dopamine production. In previous trials NADH has been shown to improve cognitive function in patients with depression, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. This study was designed to test the effects of NADH on Cognitive functioning in patients with Alzheimer's disease. In a 6-month double-blinded, clinical study, 26 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease received either 10mg of NADH per day or placebo. At the end of the 5-month study the patients on NADH had significantly higher total scores on an accepted dementia rating scale than did patients on placebo, and the patients on NADH also showed no evidence of progressive cognitive deterioration. The patients on NADH had significantly better performance on tests for verbal fluency, visual-constructional ability, and a trend to better performance on abstract verbal reasoning. The study is published in the journal Drugs Under Experimental and Clinical Research, 2004;30(1).

Review of Alpha Lipoic Acid and Acetyl-L-Carnitine for physical and mental health in aging adults

Free radical damage to the mitochondria (the powerhouse of your cells) is a major cause of aging. To a degree, this decay can be reversed in laboratory animals by giving them a combination of Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC) and Alpha-Lipoic Acid (LA) in high dosages. ALC is involved with brain energy and LA is a mitochondrial antioxidant, and together they restore the speed of mitochondrial function and energy production. The ability to walk around freely and cognition decline with aging. Feeding old animals the combination of ALC with LA for a few weeks increases ambulatory function (movement) and cognition, restores mitochondrial function, lowers the levels of free radicals, protects genetic material, and in short: helps reverse aging. A recent meta-analysis of 21 double-blinded clinical trials using ALC in the treatment of mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease showed significant efficacy (activity) versus placebo. A meta-analysis of 4 clinical trials using LA for treating diabetic neuropathy showed significant efficacy vs. a placebo. The review is published in the November 2004 Annals of the New York Academy of Science.