Gingko is a deciduous broadleaf plant that grows in many different moist, sandy regions. This plant is believed to be one of the oldest living species in the world. Mayo Clinic states that this plant is “among one of the most extensively studied botanicals today” (Birks & Grimley, 2009). The leaves have been proven to treat many different medical conditions including memory disorders. Gingko biloba supplements are derived from their leaves. Evidence supports that oral gingko supplement slows down Alzheimer’s disease by improving the thought process. Ginkgo helps improve blood circulation in the brain and allows for better functioning in memory process, thinking, and attention span (Mayo Clinic, 2015). It also protects the nerve cells that are damaged by Alzheimer’s disease.
Studies have also found that the combination of gingko and prescription Alzheimer’s medications such as Aricept have helped to delay memory disorders. It has not been tested with all prescribed medication and will need further studies to prove gingko’s
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Benefits of gingko is from two chemicals -flavonoids and terpenoids- found in the plants leaves that have antioxidant properties that prevent free radicals from damaging cells in the body (Cheuvront & Carter, 2011). Gingko has shown to be safe for healthy adults in suggested doses of 120-240 mg in divided doses daily. Each dose should contain 24-32% flavone and 6-12% terpenoids to be effective (Cheuvront & Carter, 2011).
Complications include potential bleeding, high blood pressure, low blood pressure or lower blood sugars. Cautions is advised in people taking blood thinners, clotting disorders, blood pressure medications, or have diabetes. Use caution when driving or operating heavy machinery as it can cause drowsiness. Stop using if you have any of these symptoms and call your primary doctor.
Minor side effects- stomach upset, headache, dizziness, constipation, forceful heartbeat, and allergic skin
In most cases the reactions are mild and if they do occur then first-hand you should consult the medicine box/bottle/DOMAR where it will state any possible side effects on the leaflet or possibly on the main label ir you see on some pain medication ‘’Caution-May make sleepy do not operate heavy machinery’’ etc.
The FDA recently has allowed two treatments to be used for Alzheimer patients. One of the treatments is a Partial Glutamate Antagonist, which is an important transmitter to the brain. It is said that Glutamate helps patients more than sugar pills do, however; it is said that too much
Alzheimer’s disease is a complex illness that affects the brain tissue directly and undergoes gradual memory and behavioral changes which makes it difficult to diagnose. It is known to be the most common form of dementia and is irreversible. Over four million older Americans have Alzheimer’s, and that number is expected to triple in the next twenty years as more people live into their eighties and nineties. (Johnson, 1989). There is still no cure for Alzheimer’s but throughout the past few years a lot of progress has been made.
(www.drugabuse.gov). The FDA has issued warnings about using stimulant medication with the risk of heart, psychiatric problems, loss of appetite, weight loss, sleep problems, irritability, and drug abuse.
Alzheimer 's disease (AD) is an irreversible and incurable form of dementia characterized by rapid cell death, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuritic plaques (Cavanaugh, Blanchard-Fields, & Norris, 2008). Structures of the brain affected by rapid cell death includes the hippocampus, the cerebral cortex, and the forebrain (Cavanaugh et al., 2008). A definitive diagnosis of AD is made only at autopsy (Cavanaugh et al., 2008). As AD progresses, memory and ultimately self-identity are destroyed, however, interventions can improve the quality of life of older adults (Cavanaugh et al., 2008). Interventions in AD should focus on helping patients make the most effective use of their functioning (Cavanaugh et al., 2008). A non-pharmacological intervention by Bredesen (2014) appears to be restoring some cognitive function in some patients with AD (Dador, 2014). Bredesen (2014) asserts that some of the effects of cognitive decline can be reversed through his therapeutic program. Jimbo, Kimura, Taniguchi, Inoue, and Urakami (2009) also assert the potential of non-pharmacological interventions. They found that aromatherapy has the potential to improve cognitive function. Other non-pharmacological interventions such as exercise or physical activity (PA) have been studied for their effects in cognitive decline (Farina, Rusted, & Tabet, 2014; Tortosa-Martinez & Clow, 2012). This paper explores the effects of non-pharmacological interventions in cognitive decline associated with AD.
Alzheimer 's disease(AD) wrecks memory and other essential mental capacities. Research has shown that numerous individuals with dementia, particularly those who are sixty-five or older, have brain impairments. All through the numerous periods of Alzheimer 's disease, people appear to show any indication, yet harmful changes are occurring in the cerebrum. An unnatural deposit of proteins structure amyloid plaques and tau tangles all through the brain, and once the active neurons quit working, they lose contact with different neurons, and they eventually die. Studies have also shown to slow down the rate of the developing, evolving Alzheimer 's disease. Supplements are significant because of the absence of new medications to treat elderly
There are also exercises for the brain to prolong the progression of Alzheimer’s. “Really, any kind of word or number puzzles work here. The point is to continuously stimulate the brain and keep your recall abilities high.” “By rotating through the different activities, you’ll stimulate different areas of the brain. This, in turn, helps keep the nerves functioning and healthy.” (15 Best Brain Exercises to Prevent Alzheimer’s and Dementia, 2018, p.1) It is very important to stimulate brain cells and keep them active. This, in turn, keeps brain neurons firing and active. There is a new breakthrough medication that helps to slow down the process of Alzheimer’s. “NAMZARIC is the FIRST AND ONLY once-a-day capsule that works on two pathways in the brain to fight the symptoms of moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease (AD)” (NAMZARIC, 2017, p.1) “Donepezil HCl, is thought to work by slowing the breakdown of a chemical in the brain called acetylcholine. This chemical is involved in learning and memory.” (NAMZARIC, 2017, p.1) “Memantine HCI, may help regulate the abnormal activity of glutamate—another chemical in the brain that is important for learning and memory.”(NAMZARIC, 2017, p.1) NAMZARIC is a new medicine and breakthrough for the cure of Alzheimer’s. The capsil works in two ways with two drugs involved. Acetylcholinesterase which
Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects an estimated 5.2 million people worldwide (Gies, 2009). This disease process works on memory, over time increasing with age. Early symptoms are memory
Alzheimer’s is a genetic disease that affects the brain. It destroys neurotransmitters and eventually shrinks the brain cells. Some symptoms include forgetfulness, confusion, changes in behavior, inability to think properly, and the most common, memory loss. It progressively gets worse over time. Most people affected by this disease are over 65 years old. Because there are no specific tests to diagnose this disease, it is based off a doctor’s judgment. Scientists have created medicines to slow Alzheimer’s down, but there is sadly no cure for this tragic illness.
Cognition enhancing drugs has become very popular in recent decades. As the whole world is facing a problem of population aging, cognitive declining or impairment which can be in parallel with age trend has drawn worldwide attention from neuroscience researchers and pharmaceutical industry. Cognitive difficulties can not only be seen in age-related neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, but also be caused by some other factors, such as genetic factor or brain injury. Mostly, these diseases or sequelae cannot be cured, reversed or even stopped. To improve life quality of the patients who suffered these diseases, cognition enhancing drugs have been developed as a potential treatment and widely used. Interestingly, more and more
As a society, we are constantly faced with negative news about different diseases and genetic disorders. One genetic disorder that has affected the lives of many is, Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia that affects and causes problems with thinking, behavior and memory. Most of the time, symptoms of Alzheimer’s develop slowly and progress and worsen over time. Eventually the symptoms become severe enough that they begin to interfere with normal and daily tasks. It was originally thought that Alzheimer’s was a result of aging, but it has been found that there is actually something called early onset Alzheimer’s which affects people in their 40s and 50s, instead of the normal age of 65 and older (1).
Gingko Bilboa is an amazing plant source to take alongside the plant that I wrote about, St. Johns Worts. When taking Gingko Bilboa and St. Johns Worts together, there will be an additional amount of neurotransmitters such as gamma and niacin. A well-rounded anxiety/ADHD supplement system is created when taken with an additional source of L-theanine (Editor, n.d.). Thankfully this is an established plant that is not primarily sought after within areas that may exploit people for their resources, such as biopiracy.
Dementia is a syndrome of gradual onset and continuing decline of higher cognitive functioning (Alderman and Daly, 2005, p.1745). The term dementia is derived from Latin word demens (meaning without mind). Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a most common form of dementia and a neurodegenerative disease with more than 25 million cases worldwide. The disease was first described by Alios Alzheimer a German physician in 1906 and published it in 1907 under the title “A characteristic serious disease of the cerebral cortex” (Cipriani, Dolciotti, Picchi & Bonuccelli, 2009, p.277). This paper is going to reflect the pathophysiology, incidence, etiology, clinical manifestations, prognosis and a brief overview of the medical management of Alzheimer’s disease. According to U.S Census Bureau the total number of people with AD is projected to be 13.8 million by 2050 with 7.0 million people with 85 or older (AACN , 2013, p.17). According to Shampo, Kyle, Steensma the first known case was a 51 year old female who had progressive memory loss and she died after 5 years (2013). The implications of pharmacological treatment and physical therapy in a patient with AD will also be discussed in this paper.
Panax Ginseng is also called Asian Ginseng from the family Araliaceae, which is a slow-growing plant with fleshy roots (Shamloul 2010). It has been used in China for centuries to treat sexual dysfunction, boost sexual desire and enhance better sexual performance. It may improve energy level and general health as well (Farrell 2011). The red Ginseng, which is a 6-year-old
The antioxidant effects of ashwagandha root extract could also be due to the high concentrations of withanolides, flavonoids and other components which are potent antioxidants [70]. It has been shown that Withania somnifera root can increase the synthesis of glutathione in the hippocampus exposed to hypobaric hypoxia [33]. Therefore, the ashwagandha extract could have a potential antioxidant effect in Al-intoxicated rats. This effect could be explained by the abundance of phenolic compounds in its structure on one hand and the increased GSH synthesis on the other hand. Moreover, it has been reported that GSH forms S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) with NO thus serving as an endogenous reservoir for NO [71]. Thus, the increased GSH synthesis induced by ashwagandha extract can modulate the elevated level of NO induced by Al. This in turn could prevent the toxic effects of NO and prevent the formation of peroxynitrite.