Alzheimer’s disease: Ayurvedic herbal treatment

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that involves cognitive and behavioral impairment. This condition is chronic and progressive and seriously affects daily activities, as well as social and occupational functioning. It affects the hippocampus, a deep part of the brain that helps encode memories, as well as parts of the cerebral cortex that are involved in thinking and decision-making. Structural changes can begin to appear in the brain several decades before the actual appearance of signs and symptoms.

Patients with AD usually go through 4 clinical stages. In the first, preclinical stage, the hippocampus and nearby brain areas are affected and begin to shrink; however, patients are generally not affected clinically. In the next stage known as mild AD, the cerebral cortex is also affected, leading to symptoms such as memory loss; be lost; Difficulty performing daily activities, managing finances, making judgments; loss of spontaneity and initiative; and mood and personality changes.

The third subsequent stage is moderate AD, involving parts of the brain that control language, reasoning, sensory processing, and conscious thinking. This causes symptoms such as increased memory loss and confusion; shortened attention span; difficulty with language, learning, logical thinking, recognizing people, and organized movement; increased mood and personality changes; and repetitive actions and statements. The fourth and final stage is severe AD, in which there is a significant atrophy of the affected parts of the brain, so that patients do not recognize their relatives or close relatives; become completely dependent; and lose all communication and sense of self. There may be additional symptoms such as weight loss, difficulty swallowing, incontinence, skin infections, seizures, and increased sleep.

The pathology of AD is mainly composed of senile plaques (SP) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). Plaques are formed by the accumulation of dense, mostly insoluble deposits of a protein known as beta-amyloid (Ab) along with some cellular material that surrounds neurons. Ab is part of a larger protein known as amyloid precursor protein (APP), which is associated with the neuron’s cell membrane. Degenerative processes and enzymes accelerate the formation of Ab fragments, which clump together outside the cell and are known as SP. It is not yet clear whether SP are the cause or the by-product of AD.

Healthy neurons have an internal communication system known as microtubules, which allow the movement of nutrients and molecules from one side to the other. A protein known as tau binds to microtubules and stabilizes them. EA causes chemical changes in tau which in turn coalesce and cause entanglement, disintegration, and collapse of the microtubule system, leading to disorganized structures known as NFTs. These cause a disruption in communication between neurons, gradually leading to cell death.

Currently, modern medicine uses drugs to modulate neurotransmitters, either acetylcholine or glutamate, in order to provide symptomatic treatment for AD. Antidepressants, anxiolytics, antiparkinson drugs, beta-blockers, antiepileptic drugs, and neuroleptics are used to treat behavioral symptoms such as depression, agitation, aggression, hallucinations, delusions, and sleep disorders. Mental activities are used to improve cognition and delay deterioration. Mild to moderate cognitive impairment can be reversed with diets that reduce carbohydrate intake and allow greater consumption of uncultured fruits, vegetables, and fish. Such diets can be supplemented with gradual exercise programs, stress reduction techniques, and supplements with vitamin D3, fish oil, coenzyme Q-10, melatonin, and methylcobalamin. Physical activity, exercise, cardiorespiratory fitness and a Mediterranean diet can have a preventive effect.

While there is currently no cure for severe AD, Ayurvedic herbal treatment can be used wisely with significant results. Ayurvedic principles for the treatment of AD include detoxification, treatment of chronic infections and inflammations, providing specific nutrition for degenerating tissues, opening damaged and blocked nutritional pathways, modulating metabolism at the general and cellular level, and repairing damage. reversible. These actions are performed in a staggered manner or at the same time, depending on the clinical presentation, severity, and specific requirements of each individual.

Ayurvedic herbomineral drugs must be administered in high doses for several months to reverse the pathology of AD. These medications can be rotated periodically to continue to provide therapeutic benefits while minimizing the chances of adverse effects. These are supplemented with herbs to continue mild detoxification, treat inflammation, and provide nutrition. While these medications are administered orally, there are other treatment modalities that are also used simultaneously, known in Ayurveda as Panchkarma (five procedures).

Courses of medicinal enemas (basti) and medicinal nasal drops (nasya) can produce significant improvement. A special procedure known as “Shiro-Basti” is used, in which hot Ayurvedic medicinal oils are poured onto the scalp inside special, elongated caps for specified periods. Generalized skin massage and medicinal steam promotion also provide good results. Exposure to sunlight (known in Ayurvedic terminology as “aatap sevan”) helps people with AD stay active during the day and get a good night’s sleep. Consuming various medicinal oils and ghee (clarified butter) are also known to provide benefits. Severe depression and psychotic symptoms can be treated by administering a fine, dry herbal powder through nasal tubes or cannulas, as well as inhaling medicinal vapor.

Since most of these oral treatments and procedures require compliance by those affected with AD, it is advisable to start Ayurvedic treatment as soon as possible. This can ensure that patients obtain the maximum possible therapeutic benefit in the form of a reduction in symptoms, a better quality of life, and an overall reduction in morbidity and mortality.