Brain Food for Alzheimer-Free Ageing: Focus on Herbal Medicines

Abstract

Healthy brain aging and the problems of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are a global concern. Beyond 60 years of age, most, if not everyone, will experience a decline in cognitive skills, memory capacity and changes in brain structure. Longevity eventually leads to an accumulation of amyloid plaques and/or tau tangles, including some vascular dementia damage. Therefore, lifestyle choices are paramount to leading either a brain-derived or a brain-deprived life. The focus of this review is to critically examine the evidence, impact, influence and mechanisms of natural products as chemopreventive agents which induce therapeutic outcomes that modulate the aggregation process of beta-amyloid (Aβ), providing measureable cognitive benefits in the aging process. Plants can be considered as chemical factories that manufacture huge numbers of diverse bioactive substances, many of which have the potential to provide substantial neuroprotective benefits. Medicinal herbs and health food supplements have been widely used in Asia since over 2,000 years. The phytochemicals utilized in traditional Chinese medicine have demonstrated safety profiles for human consumption. Many herbs with anti-amyloidogenic activity, including those containing polyphenolic constituents such as green tea, turmeric, Salvia miltiorrhiza, and Panax ginseng, are presented. Also covered in this review are extracts from kitchen spices including cinnamon, ginger, rosemary, sage, salvia herbs, Chinese celery and many others some of which are commonly used in herbal combinations and represent highly promising therapeutic natural compounds against AD. A number of clinical trials conducted on herbs to counter dementia and AD are discussed.

Gintonin Attenuates D-Galactose-Induced Hippocampal Senescence by Improving Long-Term Hippocampal Potentiation, Neurogenesis, and Cognitive Functions

“…Several studies have attempted to delay or retard brain aging; D-gal has been used to establish an experimental hippocampal aging model in rodents in an attempt to identify anti-brain aging agents [8][9][10][11]. Recent studies have focused on herbal medicines, determining their beneficial effects against brain aging because various herbs are used to improve brain health worldwide [1,3,8,9,15]. Among these herbal medicines, ginseng extract is traditionally used as an anti-brain aging agent.…”

“…Ginseng tonic facilitates brain function, exerts anti-brain aging effects, and increases longevity [1]. Elderly people usually consume ginseng for longevity, even in the absence of brain dysfunction.…”

Management of Alzheimers Disease: Role of Existing Therapies, Traditional Medicines and New Treatment Targets

“…Dietary or nutritional supplements, yoga, meditation, acupuncture have been reported to benefit in such patients and also used as preventive measures for dementia [118][119][120] . Household spices such as ginger, turmeric, rosemary, sage, cinnamon, salvia herbs are also known to prevent neurodegeneration with the phytochemicals available in them [121] . However, the exact mechanisms and overall therapeutic benefits are still unclear and thus no evidence based recommendations exists for their use.…”

Towards Personalized Intervention for Alzheimer’s Disease

“…While these drugs target specific molecules, Chinese traditional medicine likely has broader impact on the brain and the body as a whole. For example, some of the widely-used Chinese traditional medicine for AD such as ginseng can stimulate blood flow in the brain [85], while some traditional Chinese medicine may also enhance amyloid clearance [86].…”