Antioxidant supplements ineffective against Alzheimer's, study shows

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(CBS News) For years, doctors have touted an antioxidant-rich diet to help stave off memory loss and dementia. A new study says antioxidants may not do much for preventing Alzheimer's after all.

PICTURES: Alzheimer's disease: 7 things that raise your risk

An antioxidant cocktail of vitamin E, vitamin C, and lipoic acid had no effect on reducing the physical signs and cognitive decline seen in Alzheimer's disease, the study found.

Antioxidants are found in apples, blueberries, cranberries, pomegranates, strawberries and other types of fruit. Earlier research suggests a diet rich in antioxidants boosts memory and prevent age-related memory loss. They're thought to work by protecting cells against free radicals, which are single molecules that latch onto a cell and cause damage. Antioxidants are also thought to have a protective benefit against cancer and heart disease.

The new study looked at 78 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease who were divided into three groups, one of which received the antioxidant cocktail. The researchers took cerebrospinal fluid samples from the patients and saw no difference in the amount of tau proteins and amyloid plaques - brain markers of Alzheimer's - between patients in any group.

In fact, people taking antioxidant supplements showed a faster decline when tested on their cognitive abilities.

The researchers aren't sure why the group taking antioxidants fared worse,  saying more research is needed. The finding "raises a caution and indicates that cognitive performance would need to be assessed if a longer-term clinical trial of this antioxidant combination is considered," the authors wrote in the study, published in the March 19 issue of Archives of Neurology.

"This should be a caution to the supplement manufacturers who typically sell products throwing in some mix of what seems like a great group of sensible antioxidants," Dr. Greg Cole, associate director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine who wasn't involved in the new study, told HealthDay. "Everyone assumes that they will work well together and are good for you, but they don't test them."

"Many, many people are taking these kinds of supplements with really very little scientific justification," added Dr. Ronald Petersen, head of the Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in Rochester, Minnesota, to Reuters. He was not involved in the new research. "Just because something is 'natural,' it doesn't mean that it can't have some ill effects, especially if taken at larger doses."

Peterson was not willing to write off antioxidants entirely, saying the supplements used in the study may have been given to patients when it was too late, after brain changes already occurred.

"It may very well be that we have to intervene with these types of therapies much earlier," he said.

What can fight off dementia? A study last year found there are 7 "modifiable" risk factors tied to dementia, HealthPop reported, and reducing these risk factors by 25 percent could mean 3 million fewer cases of Alzheimer's worldwide. Here they are:

8 Photos

Alzheimer's disease: 7 things that raise your risk

[CLS88]

BY FAR, the most promising news in AD research is the recognition that "vitamin" D prevents amyloid beta deposition.

Further, "vitamin" D, with and without synthetic curcuminoids, STRONGLY stimulates amyloid beta clearance.

"In closing, this work suggests that 1,25D3 can retune Alzheimer's disease macrophages to efficiently phagocytose soluble AB42 by regulating the function of both extranuclear proteins (i.e., non-genomic signaling) and expression of genes (genomic signaling),"

"http://www.hcplive.com/articles/Vitamin-D-Stimulates-Amyloid-Clearance-in-Alzheimers

ALWAYS remember "vitamin" D is no such thing!

Not at all!

"Vitamin" D is metabolized and becomes the human body's most potent steroid hormone, by a factor of billions.

[liveloveforgod]

Researchers in London showed that the key to reversing dementia and heart disease is to use a speciialized diabetes diet.
All Alzheimer's and heart disease can be reversed in many people by using a specialized diabetes diet. This was proven in Scandinavia News. You may not have diabetes but Alzheimer's is related to blood sugar. Alzheimer's and diabetes has risen at the same exact level over the last 30 years. A specialized diabetes diet in Denmark was shown to improve memory in Dementia and Alzheimer's sufferers.
Just google SPIRIT HAPPY DIET

[CLS88]

BY FAR, the most promising news in AD research is the recognition that "vitamin" D prevents amyloid beta deposition.

Further, "vitamin" D, with and without synthetic curcuminoids, STRONGLY stimulates amyloid beta clearance.

"In closing, this work suggests that 1,25D3 can retune Alzheimer's disease macrophages to efficiently phagocytose soluble AB42 by regulating the function of both extranuclear proteins (i.e., non-genomic signaling) and expression of genes (genomic signaling),"

"http://www.hcplive.com/articles/Vitamin-D-Stimulates-Amyloid-Clearance-in-Alzheimers

ALWAYS remember "vitamin" D is no such thing!

Not at all!

"Vitamin" D is metabolized and becomes the human body's most potent steroid hormone, by a factor of billions.

[CLS88]

BY FAR, the most promising news in AD research is the recognition that "vitamin" D prevents amyloid beta deposition.

Further, "vitamin" D, with and without synthetic curcuminoids, STRONGLY stimulates amyloid beta clearance.

"In closing, this work suggests that 1,25D3 can retune Alzheimer's disease macrophages to efficiently phagocytose soluble AB42 by regulating the function of both extranuclear proteins (i.e., non-genomic signaling) and expression of genes (genomic signaling),"

"http://www.hcplive.com/articles/Vitamin-D-Stimulates-Amyloid-Clearance-in-Alzheimers

ALWAYS remember "vitamin" D is no such thing!

Not at all!

"Vitamin" D is metabolized and becomes the human body's most potent steroid hormone, by a factor of billions.

[CLS88]

BY FAR, the most promising news in AD research is the recognition that "vitamin" D prevents amyloid beta deposition.

Further, "vitamin" D, with and without synthetic curcuminoids, STRONGLY stimulates amyloid beta clearance.

"In closing, this work suggests that 1,25D3 can retune Alzheimer's disease macrophages to efficiently phagocytose soluble AB42 by regulating the function of both extranuclear proteins (i.e., non-genomic signaling) and expression of genes (genomic signaling),"

"http://www.hcplive.com/articles/Vitamin-D-Stimulates-Amyloid-Clearance-in-Alzheimers

ALWAYS remember "vitamin" D is no such thing!

Not at all!

"Vitamin" D is metabolized and becomes the human body's most potent steroid hormone, by a factor of billions.

[Steven_Charlap_MD]

Although I place my self firmly in the anti-supplement camp and therefore not surprised by these findings, the results may be misread by some. The study used anti-oxidants stripped away from other synergistic nutrients typically found in fruits and vegetables and the results may have been different if fruits and vegetables containing the equivalent amounts of anti-oxidants had been used.

That said, I wonder how many supplement marketers will announce today immediate cessation of all anti-oxidants sales related to promoting good memory and if the Dr. Oz Show will finally disavow their use for such purposes. Just kidding. I'm not really wondering as I'm sure they will all find a way to spin this in their favor. That's a shame.

[CLS88]

BY FAR, the most promising news in AD research is the recognition that "vitamin" D prevents amyloid beta deposition.

Further, "vitamin" D, with and without synthetic curcuminoids, STRONGLY stimulates amyloid beta clearance.

"In closing, this work suggests that 1,25D3 can retune Alzheimer's disease macrophages to efficiently phagocytose soluble AB42 by regulating the function of both extranuclear proteins (i.e., non-genomic signaling) and expression of genes (genomic signaling),"

"http://www.hcplive.com/articles/Vitamin-D-Stimulates-Amyloid-Clearance-in-Alzheimers

ALWAYS remember "vitamin" D is no such thing!

Not at all!

"Vitamin" D is metabolized and becomes the human body's most potent steroid hormone, by a factor of billions.

[cleansemart]

Noni berry is a powerful antioxidant and has been used over 2,000 years. People who consumed Noni juice have lower incidences of many diseases and illnesses. Noni berry has been used by natives of the pacific islands for over 2,000 years. It is only recently that western societies have begun using the plant and its fruit as a natural supplement. What we do know about Noni berry, based on western science, is that it is a powerful antioxidant. Noni berry reduces modification of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) which should lessen the onset of arteriosclerosis. Noni appears to boost the immunity of people taking it and to have anti-inflammatory properties. www.1wallmart.com/product.php?id_product=574 Noni berry (also known as Indian Mulberry) is a green, lumpy, pocked fruit that is about the size and shape of potato. It is only recently that western societies have begun using the plant and its fruit as a natural supplement. Concerning Noni berry, the vast majority of the science and knowledge of the fruit is of a traditional basis. Western science of a reliable nature is just now starting to accumulate on Noni and for now most of the traditional medicine claims are unsubstantiated by double-blind placebo studies. www.1wallmart.com Certainly many studies and scientific analysis have shown promising results, particularly In Vitro (laboratory, test tube, Petri dish, etc.), but only time will tell if more rigorous studies prove the medicinal value of Noni berry. No small thing to be an antioxidant: Noni berry is a powerful antioxidant. An antioxidant is a substance that reduces the oxidative damage caused by free radicals.