Is There a Cure for Alzheimer's Disease?
According to some recent research, there may be a cure for
Alzheimer's disease, at least in mice. It is entirely possible
that it will also be effective when tried in humans. Plus, it
is safe and cheap to try.
I came across the story in the February 2009 issue of "Alternatives,"
one of the few great health newsletters that reports on all the
stuff your doctor won't know about for years (the most consistent
"continuing education" many doctors receive after medical
school is from drug companies, a source which may be biased,
to say the least). Researchers found that nicotinamide can restore
memory loss that results from Alzheimer's.
What is nicotinamide? That's where the news gets even better.
It is essentially another name for niacinamide, which is a very
inexpensive form of vitamin B3 - which you can buy at Wal-Mart
or any pharmacy or health food store.
Doctor Kim Green, a researcher at the University of California,
gave niacinamide to mice with Alzheimer's, in a daily dose that
is the equivalent of 2,000 to 3,000 milligrams for humans. Four
months later, according to Green, "Cognitively, they were
cured... They performed as if they'd never developed the disease."
In memory tests researchers found no difference between the treated
mice and healthy ones.
The niacinamide both restored lost memory ability and protected
the mice's brains from further memory loss. It basically prevented
cognitive decline from the disease and reversed what damage there
was. This could be huge news for sufferers of Alzheimer's.
Of course you should talk to your doctor before trying to
treat yourself or loved ones with niacinamide. But it's worth
noting that according to Doctor David Williams of "Alternatives,"
"There has never been a death reported from niacinamide
supplementation." He also points out that animal studies
show the toxic level for humans would be around 370,000 milligrams
daily. That's nearly a pound, and more than a hundred times what
the latest research suggests a person needs for treatment.
Human trials are planned for this year, so you may see this
hit the news on television soon. Alzheimer's patients in the
trial will be given 1,500 milligrams of niacinamide twice daily.
Of course half will receive a placebo. From other research pointed
to by Doctor Williams, it seems that smaller doses spread throughout
the day are a better idea. Our bodies may not be able to absorb
more than 250 milligrams at a time.
Williams also noted that in using niacinamide to treat other
ailments (it's apparently good for many problems associated with
aging), the brands which didn't use preservatives appeared to
work better. Whether or not this turns out to be a cure it certainly
seems to be safe, and the cost is less than $10 per month. I'll
report on the human trials when I hear more.
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