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Alzheimer Disease (AD) is an ailment that can cause serious alarm to those afflicted and their near and dear ones. Life almost comes to a stand still with this disease. Those afflicted loose all their sense of reality, memory, cognition and reasoning. AD patients are condemned to live a life of a vegetable. Currently 10% of adults have some form of Alzheimer disease. Among those above the age of 70 years as much as 50% can develop this disease. The number of those afflicted with this disease is set to treble by 2020. It is disease of the elderly and as the average lifespan in the west is reaching 70+ so is the risk of this disease.

Researchers and scientists are looking for treatments that can prevent or arrest the progression of this disease. For elderly and their families the main concern now is how to prevent this horrendous affliction or at least stop it in the beginning itself once it is diagnosed. Scientists have isolated one particular factor that contributes to Alzheimer’s disease in a major way. Beta-amyloid is one of the main agent that damages the brain to cause this ailment. Beta-amyloid is a type of amino acid (protein). This forms plaques in the brain of AD patients affecting the communication between neurons and neuro transmitters. 

Though there are many medicines currently available in the market to increase cognition and memory in AD patients none can reverse or stop the progressive brain degeneration. There is no confirmed cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Current treatments offer relatively small symptomatic benefit and only reduce the severity of the ailment.

Many studies attempting to find a deterrent against this ailment have zeroes in on antioxidants to be significant in protecting at risk patients. According one research by the Harvard Medical Center antioxidants could be significant in protecting at risk patients. There is also some controversial study by French scientists pointing at wine being a protective agent. In an Italian study it was found that black grape skin extract protected cells in a test tube from oxidative damage and DNA fragmentation when exposed to beta-amyloid. In another study it was found that resveratrol an ingredient in red wine is a  neuroprotective agent against beta-amyloid oxidative stress.

While these studies point to red wine being an antidote against Alzheimer’s disease D the real factor is the antioxidants in red wine. Even otherwise to get sufficient number of antioxidants from red wine alone you have to consume liters of red wine. There are works underway to commercially make available resveratrol, the antioxidant component in wine. Other antioxidants most notably vitamin E is being studied with great interest as potential protective agents against Alzheimer’s disease.

If antioxidants protect against Alzheimer’s disease, it is probably because they reduce oxidative damage and stress in cells. Free radicals are the culprit of oxidative stress in cells and they are caused by the inappropriate consumption of some foods, environment, and lifestyle and as normal part of aging.

One antioxidant Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins is known to be effective against AD as seen in many studies. Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins are commonly derived from a combination of grape seed extract red wine extract and or pine bark extract. They are very powerful bioflavanoids used as a natural food supplement ready to be absorbed into the body and begin to attack the free radicals.

A study conducted in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Dr. Monique Breteler with the Eras UM Medical Center, found that the antioxidants beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E are equally protective and reduce the severity of Alzheimer’s. In a study of 5,000 volunteers aged above 65 over a period of 14 years it was confirmed that to antioxidants are a way to lower risk of dementia. Dr. Bretler says that the protective effect of antioxidants was more pronounced among smokers and among those who are carriers of the Alzheimer’s gene.

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