Systematic review makes the case for further investigation of dietary supplements in treatment of Alzheimer’s patients

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A systematic review recently published in Cureus¹ evaluated the body of evidence demonstrating the positive effects of dietary supplement usage among Alzheimer’s patients. In the end, researchers reviewed 10 randomized, double-blind, controlled trials of various supplements that had positive outcomes in a number of cognitive health domains.

These studies showed improvements in self-reported and physician-tested measures of severity. While the research points to the potential benefits of supplementation, the heterogeneity of purification, marketing, and labeling standards for these products, depending on the country and provider, the study authors conclude there is a need for more uniform standards to optimize the quality and safety of these supplements.

One of the ingredients featured in the review was a combination of phosphatidylserine (PS) andmphosphatidic acid (PA). The product, called CognoLipid, is manufactured by Lipogen (Haifa, Israel), and combines the company’s proprietary PS and PA, marketed as Aqua PS and Aqua PA, respectively.

“The fact that an independent health professional team deems our ingredients and its supportive research to be valuable for supporting brain/cognitive health is a powerful endorsement,” commented Ilan Perry, co-owner of Lipogen, in a press release. “Cumulative research shows that the state for ideal brain performance is characterized by sharp focus, quick memory, extended concentration, clear cogitation, and balanced mood. Supplementing with CognoLipid from Lipogen may help product formulators offer consumers of all ages an opportunity to enjoy better brain performance.”

Another ingredient, called Fortasyn Connect, was featured in the review twice. The ingredient, marketed as a dietary supplement under the name Souvenaid was only recently launched in the United States by Nutricia (Rockville, MD), the medical nutrition division of Groupe Danone (Paris, France). This ingredient contains 300 mg of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), 1200 mg of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), 106 mg of Phospholipids, 400 mg of choline, 625 mg of uridine monophosphate, 40 mg of vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol equivalents), 80 mg of vitamin C, 60 µg of selenium, 3 µg of vitamin B12, 1 µg of vitamin B6, and 400 µg of folic acid. According to the company, Fortasyn Connect specifically targets the brain’s synapses.

According to the researchers, the limitations of some of the studies in terms of sample size and the exclusion of comorbid conditions represent a need for future cross-sectional studies to incorporate a larger and more diverse sample population, as well as longitudinal studies with subjects in different stages of Alzheimer’s disease. They also point to the lack of studies that investigate how supplementation in healthy young adults with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease may or may not affect the onset or progression of the disease. Furthermore, if dietary supplements may be beneficial as part of a treatment protocol for Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers state that there needs to be further study to evaluate the potential long-term toxicity as well as the potential for any interactions with current FDA-approved treatments.

Reference

1. Chimakurthy, A.K.; Lingam, S.; Pasya, S.M.R.; Copeland, B.J. A Systematic Review of Dietary Supplements in Alzheimer’s Disease. Cureus, 2023, 15 (1): e33982. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.33982