New Hope For Alzheimer's disease patients.

July 14, 2012 - PRLog -- Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most devastating diseases. Currently there is no meaningful treatment leave alone cure for this brain degenerative disease. The prescription medicines that are currently eng used can at the most slow down the progression of the disease by a small extent. The life period of the Alzheimer’s patient could be anything from 5 years to 12 years from the time of diagnosis. Now there seems to be a new hope from a unique herb that is native to India. Many major pharmaceutical companies and universities around the world are studying this herb and trying to isolate the active component in it.  

For thousands of years Ayurvedic (traditional Indian system of medicine that is considered 3000 years old) medical practitioners in India have used an aquatic plant known as Brahmi which is botanically known as Bacopa monnieri to enhance intelligence and mental functioning. Now, Western medicine is examining the herb’s potential to delay or treat dementia. Brahmi shows therapeutic effects that may help treat various symptoms related to Alzheimer's dementia. The symptoms that Brahmi seems to treat include loss of memory, capacity to learn, depression and anxiety.

Researches & trials at Swinburne University of Technology's Brain Sciences Institute (funded by Australian Government) established scientifical validity of Brahmi for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's and dementia. Swinburne’s Professor Dr.Con Stough is the director of the Centre for Natural Medicines and Neurocognition, which is responsible for a range of trials to improve the research behind alternative medicines. Other collaborators in the neurocognition research are the University of Western Australia, Melbourne's Alfred Hospital and CDR Australia. Two Brahmi trials have been done over 90 days with double-blind, randomized control techniques using a special brahmi extract. The results have shown improvements in working memory, particularly spatial memory accuracy.

Many Alzheimer’s disease patients have been given the extract of Brahmi herb and have reported various levels of improvement. It remains to be seen whether this herb could offer that elusive cure for this dreaded disease. But a normal person who is genetically or otherwise predisposed to this disease could benefit by taking this herb well in advance (ie) much before the clinical onset of the disease.
http://www.alzheimer-herbs.com