Posted on 04/01/2013 11:21:25 PM PDT by Jyotishi
New Delhi - It's a disease long associated with the elderly but is now diagnosed in younger people as well and with no permanent cure available till date.
However, in what could give hope to thousands suffering from Alzheimer's Disease (AD), the pharmacology department in AIIMS has identified Ayurvedic drugs which could have a role in preventing the onset of AD and also restricting its spread in affected patients.
AD is a degenerative neurological disorder leading to progressive loss of cognitive abilities, including the patient's memory due to a drop in chemicals — known as neurotransmitters — which transmits messages between brain cells.
The latest of these studies has been published in international journal Neurochemistry International, where symptoms of Alzheimer's were induced in rats by injecting them with a chemical, streptozotocin, which replicates the clinical symptoms of the disease.
When these rats were treated with the herb Shankpushapi or Evolvulus alsinoides, the cognitive functions of rats improved.
Joginder Mehla, who has been following therapeutic options for AD as part of his PhD project, said the rats showed functional improvement in areas like memory, aggression, mood swings, ability to think and take decisions, and lack of confusion.
Last year, the institute was also able to establish similar therapeutic effects of another Ayurvedic drug — Aparajita or Clitoria ternatea.
In Alzheimer's patients, there is a cascade of biochemical changes in the brain triggered by the release of free radicals that destroy the neurons, by a vicious cycle of exciting amino acids and releasing calcium.
Dr Y K Gupta, HoD of the pharmacology and the corresponding author of the articles, said, "We found that the herbal drugs control the symptoms of AD in two ways. First, their antioxidant properties are able to control the release of free radicals that damage the brain cells. Secondly, these drugs also inhibit the activity of an enzyme that destroys Acetylcholine — the chemical that acts as a neurotransmitter."
In normal people, the body naturally replenishes this neurotransmitter through a cyclic process, after the enzyme Acetylcholinesterase destroys it. In AD patients, this enzyme destroys the chemical much faster than it can be produced, leading to an unnatural loss of Acetylcholine, Dr Gupta said. Conventional chemical drugs can only supplement the neurotransmitter, but have little role in restricting the activity of the enzyme.
Male Wistar rats, weighing 250-300 grams, were divided into seven groups, including the control and experimental arms, and injected with the chemical streptozotocin to induce AD-like symptoms.
"While we were able to clinically replicate all symptoms of Alzheimer's, two changes which occur in the brain cannot be produced by this chemical. This includes the formation of plaques, or clusters of proteins, and Neurofibrillary Tangles — the twisted strands of another protein in nerve cells," Dr Gupta said.
Doctors said in the long run, there was enough evidence to suggest that the herbal drugs, in isolation or as a supplement to conventional drugs, may help in managing AD as well as other memory disorders .
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/two-ayurvedic-drugs-hold-out-hope-for-alzheimer-s-patients/1096412/0
How soon before I can buy those at Walgreens???
"Clitoria ternatea"?
Sounds... promising.
Is this some hi-tech April Fool’s joke only scientists get?
Plants Profile for Clitoria ternatea (Asian pigeonwings) | USDA PLANTS
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=Clte3
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
Yes, it is said to stimulate excitatory neural transmitters.
It’s no April Fools joke. Many of our popular pharmaceuticals started out as plant based herbal remedies. Valerian herb to Valium drug, quinine for Malaria, etc.
A combination of uridine and fish oil is also showing some promise:
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/alzheimers-nutrient-mixture-0709.html
Both uridine and fish oil are currently available on the market, just be sure you get a good quality fish oil which has been molecularly distilled to remove the heavy metals.
Sounds like a drug for pussies.
Ahh... It's flora.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20130331/ARTICLES/130339979?p=1&tc=pg
Dr’s story about coconut oil helping her husband from yesterday.
Here is another recent story on subject. Worth a read. Dr Mercola is suggesting that diet could be preventative.
Here’s a book with good information on natural supplements for Alzheimer’s: Awakening from Alzheimer’s: How 9 Maverick Doctors are Reversing Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Memory Loss
http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Alzheimers-Maverick-Reversing-ebook/dp/B008CJQYFQ#reader_B008CJQYFQ
Since this out of control enzyme is most likely a protein, then the best course of action, is the use of proteolytic(systemic) enzymes. Their primary function is to seek out, neutralize and destroy rogue proteins. They do not go after normal protein complexes. They also remove fibrin, which may be one cause of many dementias.
It is interesting that this disease is beginning to affect the younger generation. This coincides with higher toxic and viral loads that we are faced with. Our bodies use its finite supply of these enzymes to neutralize toxins and pathogenic invaders. As our supplies dwindle, rationing becomes necessary, thus contributing to disease. Luckily, we have the ability to supplement with these enzymes.
If more people choose this, many disease states can be avoided and research has proved, treated.
Give me a call when you find out—I’ll meet you there—LOL!
Turmeric has also shown promise but is difficult to deliver to the bloodstream in sufficient amount for demonstrable therapeutic benefit. The digestive tract destroys most of it, so patches or sublingual liquids have been tried with limited success. There’s also the aesthetic problem of turning yellow.
Plants Profile for Clitoria ternatea (Asian pigeonwings) | USDA PLANTS
Ahh... It’s flora.
***************************************************************
Yep. There’s nothing like being off work on a warm spring day when the Clitoria termatea is flowering.
Thank you. I have observed that Alzheimer’s and related conditions are rare among communities such as those in India, Thailand and the Philippines where coconut oil is consumed on a daily basis.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.