Saturday, May 19, 2018

Theracurmin Improves Cognition and Reduces Amyloid Beta

A recent study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry showed that taking Theracurmin, a bioavailable form of curcumin, improved memory and other measures in non-demented persons compared to controls, and seemed to prevent accumulation of amyloid beta and tau protein, as measured using FDDNP (TauMark) PET scans.  Amyloid beta and tau are important biomarkers in the brain for Alzheimer's disease.  Prevention or reduction in the accumulation of amyloid beta and tau protein might mean that Theracurmin prevents or delays the onset of Alzheimer's disease, but further studies are needed to see if this is true.

Memory and Brain Amyloid and Tau Effects of a Bioavailable Form of Curcumin in Non-Demented Adults: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled 18-Month Trial.

Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2018 Mar;26(3):266-277. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2017.10.010. Epub 2017 Oct 27.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/29246725/?i=2&from=theracurmin#fft

Friday, May 18, 2018

Mediterranean diet and lifestyle may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease

A new study published in the May 15 issue of the journal Neurology showed that 30- to 60-year-old cognitively normal persons who adhered to a Mediterranean diet developed less markers for Alzheimer's disease pathology and PET scans than those who did not.  People who did not adhere to this diet had more beta amyloid and lower glucose metabolism in brain regions most affected by Alzheimer's disease.  These PET scan findings are biomarkers that correlate strongly with development of Alzheimer's disease.

Mediterranean diet and 3-year Alzheimer brain biomarker changes in middle-aged adults


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29653991/?ncbi_mmode=std

Another study done in New York found that following a Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of onset of Alzheimer's disease.

Mediterranean diet and risk for Alzheimer's disease


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16622828?access_num=16622828&link_type=MED&dopt=Abstract

Another study found that modification of 7 risk factors may greatly reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

The projected effect of risk factor reduction on Alzheimer's disease prevalence


These modifiable risk factors included diabetes, midlife hypertension, midlife obesity, smoking, depression, cognitive inactivity or low educational attainment, and physical inactivity. 

Another study published in the April 10 issue of Neurology found that high cardiovascular fitness in a large cohort of Swedish women delayed the onset of dementia.


Midlife cardiovascular fitness and dementiaA 44-year longitudinal population study in women


http://n.neurology.org/content/neurology/90/15/e1298.full.pdf


What these studies show its that living a healthy lifestyle can delay the onset of dementia.