The Australian government funds studies
on alternative therapies such as herbal
medicine - treatments that work in studies
can become part of mainstream treatment.
Image: iStockphoto
Evidence is building to support the use of alternative medicines in preserving our mental capabilities and warding off Alzheimer’s disease, according to research from Swinburne University of Technology.
Pine bark, lemon balm, American ginseng, rosemary and an aquatic plant called Brahmi, are among the herbal preparations showing therapeutic effects that may help treat symptoms related to Alzheimer’s dementia – including loss of memory, capacity to learn, depression and anxiety.
Trials under way at Swinburne’s Brain Sciences Institute (BSI) are part of a collaborative project through the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM). This Australian Government-funded initiative aims to seek out scientifically valid evidence for alternative therapies, allowing them to become part of mainstream treatments, particularly for priority health issues such as the prevention and early treatment of dementia.
As a result of our ageing population, the incidence of dementia in Australia is expected to rise rapidly in coming years, with the number of sufferers predicted to quadruple from 245,000 in 2009 to 1.1 million by 2050.
Although science has not yet determined the exact cause of Alzheimer’s, it is known that sufferers experience inflammation of the brain, deposits of beta amyloid, traces of heavy metals and signs of oxidative stress.
According to Professor Con Stough, director of the NICM Collaborative Centre for Natural Medicines and Neurocognition, research suggests that Brahmi acts on all of these. “It has an anti-inflammatory effect, is an antioxidant and collates and removes heavy metals and beta amyloid,” he said.
Professor Andrew Scholey, head of the BSI’s Herbal and Nutritional Medicine Research Unit, said that historically the field of alternative medicine has struggled to gain scientific credibility. “However, Swinburne’s trials are performed to standards that provide acceptance within the mainstream scientific community.”
Two trials with a Brahmi extract called CDRI08 have been conducted. Using double-blind randomised control techniques, each trial examined the effects of the extract’s administration over 90 days. The results have shown improvements in working memory, particularly spatial memory accuracy.
A 50-day trial of a particular pine bark extract supplement for men aged 50 to 65 years has also shown improved speed in spatial working memory and immediate recognition tasks, along with a trend towards lower systolic blood pressure.
Another trial is investigating the short-term calmative effects of a special lemon balm product, because anxiety and agitation are major symptoms that Alzheimer sufferers experience.
Consumer research indicates that more than 60 per cent of Australians already use some form of alternative health product as part of a proactive, preventative health strategy. All the more reason, according to the Swinburne researchers, why studies into alternative medicines are so important; to provide the medical profession and consumers with information and evidence that will allow them to safely incorporate alternative medicines into more effective healthcare programs.
Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.
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