Resveratrol Puts Brakes on Alzheimer’s

Resveratrol is a compound found in dark chocolate, peanuts, red grapes and raspberries. A new study has suggested that resveratrol can help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. . . .

119 people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease were given either a placebo or resveratrol. The dose of resveratrol started at 500mg a day and went up by 500mg a day every 13 weeks until it reached a maximum dose of 1,000mg twice a day. The study lasted for a year.

At the end of the year, markers of the nerve damage associated with Alzheimer’s (plasma Aβ40 and CSF Aβ40 went down significantly more in the placebo group, indicating that their dementia was worsening. Brain volume decreased more in the resveratrol group, suggesting less of the brain inflammation associated with Alzheimer’s.

This study is not the first to show that resveratrol can help memory in seniors. In an earlier study, 23 healthy, but overweight, people between the ages of 50 and 75 were given either 200mg of resveratrol or a placebo for 26 weeks. The resveratrol had a significantly greater effect on their ability to remember words than did the placebo. The resveratrol also significantly improved the functioning of the hippocampus, a region of the brain involved in memory (J Neurosci 2014;34:7862-7870).

Neurology  2015;85(16):1383-1391

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