According to the National Institute on Aging (NIA), Alzheimer's disease affects nearly 4.5 million Americans and is the most common form of dementia in the elderly. Alzheimer's disease is an incurable disease with a slow progression beginning with mild memory loss and ending with severe brain damage and death. While no treatment is proven to stop Alzheimer's disease, some conventional drugs may limit symptoms for a short period of time in the early stages of the disease. Emerging research shows a correlation between red wine consumption and reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease-type cognitive decline. Authors of a new NCCAM-funded study in mice found that grape seed-derived polyphenolics—similar to that in red wine—significantly reduced Alzheimer's disease-type cognitive deterioration.
Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine conducted experiments in mice with Alzheimer's disease to see if a highly purified 100 percent water-soluble polyphenolic extract from Vitis vinifera (cabernet sauvignon) grape seeds, could affect Alzheimer's disease-type cognitive deterioration. The mice received 5 months of either water containing grape seed extract or water alone as a placebo treatment. The mice were then given behavioral maze tests to determine cognitive function and brain tissue samples were tested to determine evidence of disease.
The researchers found that mice treated with grape seed extract had significantly reduced Alzheimer's disease-type cognitive deterioration compared to the control mice. This is due to the prevention of a molecule called amyloid forming in the brain that has been shown to cause Alzheimer's disease-type cognitive impairment.
References
- Wang J, Ho L, Zhao W, et al. Grape-Derived Polyphenolics Prevent Aß Oligomerization and Attenuate Cognitive Deterioration in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. The Journal of Neuroscience. June 18, 2008. 28(25);6388–6392.
Eight Great books on complementary and alternative medication
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Evidence-Based Approach (Complementary & Alternative Medicine) by John W. Spencer and Joseph J. Jacobs (Paperback - Feb 21, 2003)
- The Complementary and Alternative Medicine Information Source Book by Alan M. Rees (Paperback - Mar 15, 2001)
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Older Adults: Holistic Approaches to Healthy Aging by Elizabeth R. Mackenzie and Birgit Rakel (Paperback - Feb 22, 2006)
- Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2nd Edition) by Marc S. Micozzi (Paperback - Jan 15, 2001)
- The Desktop Guide to Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Evidence-Based Approach by Edzard Ernst, Max H. Pittler, and Barbara Wider (Paperback - Aug 16, 2006)
- Mosby's Complementary & Alternative Medicine: A Research-Based Approach (Mosby's Complementary and Alternative Medicine) by Lyn W. Freeman (Hardcover - Jun 9, 2008)
- Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines (PROFESSIONALS HANDBOOK OF COMPLEMENTARY & ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE) by Charles H Fetrow and Juan R Avila (Paperback - Jun 1, 2003)
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Legal Boundaries and Regulatory Perspectives by Michael H. Cohen (Paperback - Jan 12, 1998)
Resource and Support Group for Complementary and Alternative Medicine:
Complementary
and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Online Health
Community and Support Group:
http://communities.healia.com/?q=communities/complementary-and-alternative-medicine-cam
Additional Resources:
- For related articles on Complementary and Alternative Medicine on the Web, click on: “Sphere: Related Content” located at the bottom of this blog post.
- For related books or blog posts with related content in Dr. Jeff’s and Dr. Tanya’s Blog, click on the “Treatments: Alternative” category at the bottom of the post or type in keywords “Complementary and Alternative Medicine” into “Google Search” located in the sidebar.
- For related articles from Psychology Today, click on the “Psychology Today” banner in the side bar and type in Key words, “Complementary and Alternative Medicine” into the Psychology Today “Search”.
- For more books with related content, click any hyperlinked key word in the blog or type in key words, “Complementary and Alternative Medicine“ into “Amazon Search” on the Amazon banner located in the side bar.
Source: The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), See also blog posts in: Treatments: Alternative
Dr. Tanya Korkosz
Dr. Jeffrey Speller
Psychopharmacology Associates of New England
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