Combination of fatty acids, vitamins and other nutrients inhibits Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's can be stabilized by special nutrient combination

Around 1.5 million people in Germany suffer from dementia, the majority of whom have Alzheimer's disease. The disease is incurable, but its course can be slowed down. A European study has shown that cognitive and functional benefits in everyday life improved significantly in patients who ate a special combination of nutrients in the form of a yoghurt a day. The brain also shrank less.

More and more people with Alzheimer's

For years, it has been shown that the number of people with dementia continues to rise. Currently, about 1.5 million people are affected in this country, most of them have Alzheimer's. In recent years, several times supposedly revolutionary healing methods against Alzheimer's were propagated, but until today, the disease is not curable, only their course can be slowed down. A special nutrient treatment can also contribute, as has now been shown in a European study.

Alzheimer's disease in the early stages can be stabilized with a special combination of essential fatty acids, vitamins and other nutrients. Researchers have found this out in a long-term study. (Image: Photographee.eu/fotolia.com)

Prevent dementia

To prevent dementia, the S3 guideline of the German Society of Neurology (DGN) recommends keeping an eye on diabetes, high blood pressure and overweight or obesity and countering these risk factors at an early stage.

In addition, an active social life, physical activity and an active and healthy lifestyle seem to reduce the risk of illness.

In recent years, scientific research has also provided evidence that certain foods can protect against Alzheimer's.

It has been shown, for example, that foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids can help to prevent dementia. In addition, it is advised to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, but only a little red meat.

Nutrition also plays an important role after the onset of the disease. According to a recent study, Alzheimer's can be stabilized in the early stages with a special nutrient combination.

This is reported by the University of Saarland in a communication published by the "Informationsdienst Wissenschaft" (idw).

Improved cognitive and functional performance

In the long-term clinical study, people with so-called prodromal Alzheimer's, ie the pre-dementia stage of the disease, were treated with a nutrient mixture. They showed no neuropsychological change compared to a test group.

However, her cognitive and functional performance improved significantly in everyday life. The brain also shrank less in comparison.

This was the opinion of the European research consortium LipiDiDiet headed by Professor Tobias Hartmann from the University of Saarland.

The results of the study have now been published in the journal "The Lancet Neurology".

Combination of fatty acids, vitamins and other nutrients

The nutrient mixture used to treat Alzheimer's disease contains "Fortasyn Connect", a special combination of essential fatty acids, vitamins and other nutrients.

The study involved 311 patients at eleven clinics in Europe for two years. At baseline, all patients had biomarker-proven mild cognitive impairment of the Alzheimer's type, the precursor to Alzheimer's disease.

Half of the patients took the nutrient combination daily in the form of a drinking yoghurt, and the control group received a drink that was identical in taste, consistency and color, but did not receive any active ingredients.

Less deterioration in the severity of the disease

An initial neuropsychological test for both groups of patients (primary endpoint), consisting of the following individual tests: learning, remembering and recognizing ten words, reciting as many words in the "animal" category as possible within a given time, and assigning letters and numbers exchange.

Here, the patients with nutrient treatment showed no statistically significant differences to the control group. However, the treatment had significant positive effects with regard to the daily challenges of Alzheimer's.

Researchers observed a 44% lower clinical deterioration in dementia severity over two years (Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes).

This study is particularly significant because it evaluates the patient's disease based on his performance, which he shows when he has to deal with tasks of daily life.

Examples include the ability to handle household emergencies, manage financial or business transactions, or forget important events.

In addition, changes in brain shrinkage were observed, in the hippocampus a difference of 26 percent. Increasing brain decay is typical of Alzheimer's disease, and hippocampal degradation is the cause of many of the memory problems in Alzheimer's disease.

The occurrence of side effects was similar in the control group treated with nutrients.

Healing is not achieved by the treatment

"The diagnostic capabilities of Alzheimer's patients have improved significantly in recent years, but unfortunately, the available pharmacological treatment options for prodomal Alzheimer's disease are still in the developmental stage," said Professor Hilkka Soininen, neurologist and head of the clinical part the study (University of Eastern Finland).

"Against this background, the improved understanding of the importance of nutrition-related interventions in this study is very important. The LipiDiDiet study shows that nutrient treatment can help preserve both brain tissue and memory as well as meet the demands of daily living - arguably the most depressing aspect of Alzheimer's disease, "said the expert.

Previous studies have already observed memory effects in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's dementia.

"Healing is not yet achieved by this treatment, but it turns out that the sooner this intervention is used, the greater the benefit for the patient," said Professor Tobias Hartmann, head of the overall study.

"Another notable milestone is that, along with the cognitive-functional gain, decreased brain shrinkage has been found, a result that goes beyond symptomatic effects. This has never been achieved with the therapies available so far, "explained the scientist.

The nutrient combination "Fortasyn Connect" was continuously administered as a 125ml drink over two years.

This combination of nutrients goes back to preclinical research by Professor Kiliaan (Radboud University, Netherlands) and the LipiDiet and LipiDiDiet projects, coordinated by Professor Hartmann (University of Saarland) and Professor Wurtman (formerly Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA).

Fortasyn Connect is the active ingredient of Souvenaid and falls within the European Union in the category "medical food". (Ad)