Alzheimer's Disease Treatment: Diet

A combination of dietary, other lifestyle changes and certain dietary supplements could contribute to improvements around Alzheimer's symptoms. Studies have shown that found that cognitive function and brain efficiency may be improved by simple lifestyle changes such as:

• Healthy eating (eg, five small, well-balanced meals per day)
• Exercise (eg, daily walks)
• Stress reduction techniques (eg, relaxation exercises, such as meditation)
• Memory exercises (eg, doing crossword puzzles and brainteasers)

Researchers hypothesize that such improvements may delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and perhaps even lower the risk of developing the disease.

Alzheimer's Diet

A heart-healthy diet may also help with preventing or delaying the onset of Alzheimer's. The American Heart Association has created some guidelines:

• Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Eat at least 4½ cups a day.
• Eat a variety of fiber-rich whole grains. Eat at least three 1-ounce-equivalent servings a day.
• Include protein, such as fat-free and low-fat milk products, fish, legumes (beans), skinless poultry, and lean, preferably white meats. Limit red meats and processed meat. For nuts, legumes, and seeds, eat at least four servings a week. For processed meats, eat no more than two servings a week. When eating fish, choose oily fish, like salmon. Eat at least two, 3½-ounce servings a week.
• Limit foods high in saturated fat,transfat, and/or cholesterol, such as full-fat milk products, fatty meats, tropical oils, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, and egg yolks. Instead choose foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol from the first three points above. Saturated fat should be less than 7% of your total energy intake.
• Limit your intake of foods high in calories or low in nutrition, including foods like soft drinks and candy that have a lot of sugars. For sugar-sweetened beverages, do not have more than 450 calories (36 ounces) a week.
• Eat less than 1,500 milligrams of salt (sodium chloride) per day.
• Have no more than one alcoholic drink per day if you're a woman and no more than two if you're a man.

As the disease progresses, though, your moods, capabilities, and behavior will change. That is why it is important for you to make make arrangements for daily care, learn how to adapt your home environment for safety, and research available community services. These steps, when done early, will help make the transition smoother for you and your caregiver

• Alzheimer's Disease and Phosphatidylserine
• Alzheimer's Disease and Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC)
• Alzheimer's Disease and Melatonin
• How to a eat diet rich in Fruits and Vegetables?
• How to eat healthy grains?

Phosphatidylserine (PS), in studies of severe mental decline, appears to have been equally effective whether the cause was Alzheimer's disease or something entirely unrelated, such as multiple small...

Read more about Alzheimer's Disease and Phosphatidylserine.

Acetyl-L-Carnitine is a substance used by the body uses to turn fat into energy. Acetyl-L-Carnitine, in theory, could improve the ability of certain tissues to produce energy, including brain tissue...

Read more about Alzheimer's Disease and Acetyl-L-Carnitine (ALC).

The combination of melatonin and light therapy (bright light exposure during daylight hours) has shown to improve both mood and quality of sleep, which can be significant part of[ Alzheimer's...

Read more about Alzheimer's Disease and Melatonin.

1. Vitamin E: One study found that vitamin E (dl-alpha-tocopherol) may slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, but another did not.^66,72 A very large study failed to find that use of vitamin E reduced risk of general mental decline (whether caused by Alzheimer’s or not) in women over 65.⁷⁵

2. N-acetylcysteine (NAC): Very preliminary evidence suggests that N-acetylcysteine (NAC) might also be helpful for slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease.⁶⁷

3. Colistrinin: substance derived from colostrum, has shown some promise for treatment of Alzheimer's.⁷¹

These supplements have also been suggested as treatments for Alzheimer's disease. However, as yet there is limited clinical study to support their use.

4. Bee pollen

5. Carnosine

6. Citrulline

7. DMAE^42,50

8. Inositol

9. Magnesium

10. Pregnenolone

11. Vitamin B1

12. Zinc

13. B-Vitamins: Elevated blood levels of the substance homocysteine have been suggested as a contributor to Alzheimer's disease and multi-infarct dementia. However, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study failed to find that homocysteine-lowering treatment using B-vitamins was helpful for multi-infarct dementia.⁷³ Similarly, two studies failed to find benefits in people with Alzheimer’s disease.^81,88 In another study, a mixture of B-vitamins did not improve quality of life in people with mild cognitive impairment of various causes.⁷⁸

14. DHEA: Early reports suggested that declining levels of the hormone DHEA cause impaired mental function in the elderly. On this basis, DHEA has been promoted as a cognition-enhancing supplement. However, the one double-blind study that tested DHEA for Alzheimer's disease found little to no benefit.^16,17

15. Fish Oil: Studies of fish oil have failed to find it helpful for Alzheimer's disease, whether for delaying its onset, slowing its progression, or improving its symptoms.^74,77,87

1. Greene CM, Fernandez ML.The role of nutrition in the prevention of coronary heart disease in women of the developed world. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16(1):1-9.

2. Healthy diet goals. Nutrtion Center. American Heart Association website. Available at: http://www.heart.o.... Accessed October 12, 2010.

3. 6/5/2009 DynaMed's Systematic Literature Surveillance http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed/what.php : Sinha R, Cross AJ, Graubard BI, Leitzmann MF, Schatzkin A. Meat intake and mortality: a prospective study of over half a million people. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169:562-571.

42. Ferris SH, Sathananthan G, Gershon S, et al. Senile dementia: treatment with Deanol. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1977;25:241-244.

45. Dragunow M, Faull RL. Neuroprotective effects of adenosine. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 1988;9:193-194.

50. Fisman M, Mersky H, Helmes E. Double-blind trial of 2-dimethylaminoethanol in Alzheimer's disease. Am J Psychiaty. 1981;138:970-972.

51. Ballard CG, O'Brien JT, Reichelt K, et al. Aromatherapy as a safe and effective treatment for the management of agitation in severe dementia: the results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with Melissa. J Clin Psychiatry. 2002;63:553-558.

52. Holmes C, Hopkins V, Hensford C, et al. Lavender oil as a treatment for agitated behaviour in severe dementia: a placebo controlled study. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2002;17:305-308.

53. Calvani M, Carta A, Caruso G, et al. Action of acetyl-L-carnitine in neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1992;663:483-486.

54. Cipolli C, Chiari G. Effects of L-acetylcarnitine on mental deterioration in the aged: initial results [in Italian; English abstract]. Clin Ther. 1990;132(suppl 6):479-509.

55. Passeri M, Cucinotta D, Bonati, PA, et al. Acetyl-L-carnitine in the treatment of mildly demented elderly patients. Int J Clin Pharmacol Res. 1990;10:75-79.

56. Salvioli G, Neri M. L-acetylcarnitine treatment of mental decline in the elderly. Drugs Exp Clin Res. 1994;20:169-176.

57. Spagnoli A, Lucca U, Menasce G, et al. Long-term acetyl-L-carnitine treatment in Alzheimer's disease. Neurology. 1991;41:1726-1732.

58. Vecchi GP, Chiari G, Cipolli C, et al. Acetyl-L-carnitine treatment of mental impairment in the elderly: evidence from a multicenter study. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 1991;2(suppl 2):159-168.

59. Thal LJ, Carta A, Clarke WR, et al. A 1-year multicenter placebo-controlled study of acetyl-L-carnitine in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Neurology. 1996;47:705-711.

60. Sano M, Bell K, Cote L, et al. Double-blind parallel design pilot study of acetyl-levocarnitine in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Arch Neurol. 1992;49:1137-1141.

61. Campi N, Todeschini GP, Scarzella L. Selegiline versus L-acetylcarnitine in the treatment of Alzheimer-type dementia. Clin Ther. 1990;12:306-314.

62. Rai G, Wright G, Scott L, et al. Double-blind, placebo controlled study of acetyl-l-carnitine in patients with Alzheimer's dementia. Curr Med Res Opin. 1990;11:638-647.

63. Bonavita E. Study of the efficacy and tolerability of L-acetylcarnitine therapy in the senile brain. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther Toxicol. 1986;24:511-516.

64. Thal LJ, Calvani M, Amato A, et al. A 1-year controlled trial of acetyl-l-carnitine in early-onset AD. Neurology. 2000;55:805-810.

65. Thal LJ, Carta A, Clarke WR, et al. A 1-year multicenter placebo-controlled study of acetyl-L-carnitine in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Neurology. 1996;47:705-711.

66. Sano M, Ernesto C, Thomas RG, et al. A controlled trial of selegiline, alpha-tocopherol, or both as treatment for Alzheimer's disease. N Engl J Med. 1997;336:1216-1222.

70. Akhondzadeh S, Noroozian M, Mohammadi M, et al. Melissa officinalis extract in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: a double blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2003;74:863-866.

71. Bilikiewicz A, Gaus W. Colostrinin (a naturally occurring, proline-rich, polypeptide mixture) in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2004;6:17-26.

72. Petersen RC, Thomas RG, Grundman M, et al. Vitamin E and donepezil for the treatment of mild cognitive impairment. N Engl J Med. 2005 April 13. [Epub ahead of print]

73. Stott DJ, Macintosh G, Lowe GD, et al. Randomized controlled trial of homocysteine-lowering vitamin treatment in elderly patients with vascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005;82:1320-1326.

74. Freund-Levi YF, Eriksdotter-Jonhagen M, Cederholm T, et al. Omega-3 fatty acid treatment in 174 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease: OmegAD Study. Arch Neurol. 2006;63:1402-1408.

75. Kang JH, Cook N, Manson J, et al. A randomized trial of vitamin E supplementation and cognitive function in women. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166:2462-2468.

76. Napryeyenko O, Borzenko I. Ginkgo biloba special extract in dementia with neuropsychiatric features: a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial. Arzneimittelforschung. 2007;57:4-11.

77. Freund-Levi Y, Basun H, Cederholm T, et al. Omega-3 supplementation in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: effects on neuropsychiatric symptoms. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2007 Jun 21. [Epub ahead of print]

78. van Uffelen JG, Chin A Paw MJ, Hopman-Rock M, et al. The effect of walking and vitamin B supplementation on quality of life in community-dwelling adults with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized, controlled trial. Qual Life Res. 2007 Jul 7. [Epub ahead of print]

79. Scripnikov A, Khomenko A, Napryeyenko O. Effects of Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761® on neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia: findings from a randomised controlled trial. Wien Med Wochenschr. 2007;157:295-300.

80. Le Bars PL, Katz MM, Berman N, et al. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial of an extract of Ginkgo biloba for dementia. North American EGb Study Group. JAMA. 1997;278:1327-1332.

81. Sun Y, Lu CJ, Chien KL, et al. Efficacy of multivitamin supplementation containing vitamins B(6) and B(12) and folic acid as adjunctive treatment with a cholinesterase inhibitor in Alzheimer's disease: a 26-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in taiwanese patients. Clin Ther. 2007;29:2204-2214.

82. Dodge HH, Zitzelberger T, Oken BS, et al. A randomized placebo-controlled trial of ginkgo biloba for the prevention of cognitive decline. Neurology. 2008 Feb 27.

83. Bornhoft G, Maxion-Bergemann S, Matthiessen PF. External validity of clinical trials for treatment of dementia with ginkgo biloba extracts.] Z Gerontol Geriatr. 2008 Mar 11.

84. Li J, Wu HM, Zhou RL, Liu GJ, Dong BR. Huperzine A for Alzheimer's disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2008;(2):CD005592.

85. Riemersma-van der Lek RF, Swaab DF, Twisk J, et al. Effect of bright light and melatonin on cognitive and noncognitive function in elderly residents of group care facilities: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2008;299:2642-2655.

86. McCarney R, Fisher P, Iliffe S, et al. Ginkgo biloba for mild to moderate dementia in a community setting: a pragmatic, randomised, parallel-group, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2008 Jun 9.

87. Jia X, McNeill G, Avenell A. Does taking vitamin, mineral and fatty acid supplements prevent cognitive decline? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2008;21:317-336.

88. Aisen PS, Schneider LS, Sano M, et al. High-dose B vitamin supplementation and cognitive decline in Alzheimer disease: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2008;300:1774-1783.