News Brief
Study shows three nutrients can reverse Alzheimer’s

So much of the mainstream  approach  to dementia seems to be characterized by fear and hopelessness. For decades they’ve believed that, unlike other tissues in the body, brain and nerve tissue can never grow or be replaced once we reach adulthood. But as you’ve seen already in this issue (in “How to build a better brain right now—without even leaving your chair”) the brain can heal itself.

And like so many other chronic diseases for which the mainstream  has no good answers, nutrition can significantly benefit Alzheimer’s Disease—even after it has set in.

In fact, a brand new study published in July in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that a formula that includes three specific nutrients can improve memory in Alzheimer’s patients.1

This nutrient combo consists of 1,200 mg of DHA (and omega-3 fatty acid), 400 mg of choline (a B-vitamin), and 625 mg of uridine (a substance produced naturally by the liver and kidneys).

Researchers combined these nutrients into a beverage formula called Souvenaid. And they found that, when patients drank it, it appeared to stimulate growth of new synapses in the brain. They also found that roughly half of the patients who took Souvenaid had improvements in verbal memory. Patients in the control group, on the other hand, had declines in this marker.

Overall, the researchers found that over the course of the study, patients taking Souvenaid actually began to shift to normal brain activity. In other words, it actually began to reverse Alzheimer’s disease in the patients who took it.

Obviously, this is quite a remarkable finding.

Unfortunately, the Souvenaid beverage formula is still in clinical trials. And its developers say they have no immediate plans to make it available to the public in the U.S. But the good news is, all three of the nutrients Souvenaid contains ARE readily available—right in your supermarket.

You see, they’re all present in some very common foods. And, as you know by now, I almost always recommend getting nutrients from their whole food sources over supplements whenever possible.

Here are some of the best food sources of the dynamic Alzheimer’s-fighting nutrient combination:

  • DHA—fish,  eggs, flaxseed and meat from grass-fed animals
  • Choline—eggs, meats, and nuts
  • Uridine—tomatoes, beer, broccoli, and organ meats like liver

But I would add one more natural remedy to this already-powerful trio—berberine.

As I wrote in my report The Insider’s Answer for Dodging Dementia, new experimental results have found that berberine  can safeguard your brain from the dangerous oxidation damage that can “eat away” at brain tissue. It also targets and destroys memory-killing enzymes that play a major role in the development of Alzheimer’s. And berberine  promotes healthy blood flow directly to the brain—an essential element to combatting dementia.

In order to get enough of this breakthrough natural healer, this is one of those instances where I do recommend taking a supplement. I recommend a daily dose of 500 mg of berberine, taken two or three times per day to achieve steady levels.

And one more thing to consider: Other current research shows that caffeine can be helpful for Alzheimer’s. So have that cup of coffee, which is also loaded with beneficial anti-oxidants that are important for many chronic diseases, including dementia.

Sources:
1 “Efficacy of Souvenaid in Mild Alzheimer’s Disease: Results from a Randomized, Controlled Trial,” Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease 2012; 31(1): 225-236