| Could nutrients as basic as CoQ10, vitamin D, and | | | | level, CoQ10 enhances immune function and boosts |
| vitamin B3 actually provide significant protection from | | | | the body's resistance to damage. And as a powerful |
| Alzheimer's disease? Recent medical research says | | | | antioxidant it is capable of neutralizing and even |
| the answer is yes. | | | | repairing damage done by free radicals, which are |
| Alzheimer's is a progressive and devastating brain | | | | believed to be the source of the harmful |
| disorder that effects more than 26 million people | | | | protein-based plaque typically observed between |
| worldwide. 5.3 million people in the US alone have the | | | | brain cells in Alzheimer's patients. |
| disease, including thirteen percent of adults over 65 | | | | Vitamin D: Long known for its importance in bone |
| and more than half of all US adults over 85. The | | | | health and strength, the sunshine vitamin is now also |
| Alzheimer's Association makes the chilling prediction | | | | recognized as extremely important to mood, |
| that every 70 seconds, someone in the US develops | | | | memory, and cognitive function. Vitamin D is involved |
| AD. By the middle of the century, that rate is | | | | in the biosynthesis of neurotrophins, proteins |
| expected to increase to one new case every 33 | | | | responsible for neuron growth and development. |
| seconds. | | | | Because neurotrophins can also repair damaged |
| The disease impairs memory, cognitive function, and | | | | neurons, some believe they have potential for use in |
| physical ability. Though the severity of symptoms | | | | reversing age-related brain disorders including |
| varies, it is characterized by dementia - brain | | | | Alzheimer's Disease. |
| impairment severe enough to interfere with | | | | Levels of the vitamin are typically low to very low in |
| everyday activities and social relationships. A high | | | | Alzheimer's patients. A major European study |
| percentage of people with the disease eventually | | | | involving 3,300 men between 40 and 80 years of |
| need full-time care. The Alzheimer's Association data | | | | age clearly demonstrated the correlation between D |
| shows that 69 percent of all nursing home residents | | | | vitamin levels and cognitive function/processing |
| and 65 percent of people in assisted living have | | | | speed, though the findings stopped short of |
| dementia resulting from the disease. | | | | identifying the vitamin as a treatment for AD. |
| The cause of AD remains unknown and there is no | | | | Instead, the researchers noted that the association |
| cure for it, though there are some drugs that are | | | | could be simply a "risk marker", indicating a risk for |
| believed to slow its progression. However, some of | | | | cognitive decline. |
| the most exciting new research is indicating that | | | | Vitamin B3: Animal tests indicate that high doses of |
| beefing up the body's natural defenses is an | | | | nicotinamide, a readily-available form of vitamin B3, |
| effective therapy, and some very common nutrients | | | | effectively prevented memory loss in mice with |
| could have uncommonly successful results in | | | | Alzheimer's disease. The research, performed by UC |
| preventing and treating the disease. | | | | Irvine, concluded that vitamin D had "a very robust |
| CoQ10: Coenzyme Q10, a natural substance found in | | | | effect on neurons", preventing memory loss in mice |
| every cell, delivers a one-two punch to the | | | | with AD and actually enhancing cognitive function in |
| Alzheimer's-related conditions that cause brain cell | | | | the control group mice, which did not have the |
| damage and death. Blood levels of the coenzyme are | | | | disease. |
| typically low in Alzheimer's patients. | | | | The research results were so compelling that clinical |
| Crucial to the production of energy at the cellular | | | | trials with human AD patients are currently underway. |