Vitamins and Herbal Products

Are there any vitamins or supplements that will help my loved one with Alzheimer’s disease?

Certain medical associations, like the American Academy of Neurology, suggest vitamin E may be helpful in some patients with Alzheimer’s disease. 

Since large and prolonged use of vitamin E can cause side effects in some patients, it is best to talk to your doctor or pharmacist first. Also, recent large studies have found large doses of vitamin E actually harmful.

The Chinese herb, ginkgo biloba, has had mixed results when used in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, and also has been associated with serious side effects such as bleeding and related complications.

Huperzine A is a form of another Chinese herb, which may have beneficial effects in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.  At this time however, there are no studies available in the U.S that can prove it is safe and effective. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) are currently conducting a large-scale controlled clinical trial of huperine A to study its safety and effectiveness in improving cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

Huperzine A is noted to cause side effects such nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and the potential to decrease heart rate. 

Huperzine A should not be used in combination with the available cholinesterase inhibitors (Razadyne, Exelon, and Aricept).

It is important to know that natural products and herbal supplements are not well-studied and do not go through the rigorous safety and efficacy studies that prescription medications do to get approval by U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards.