DR. NICOLE MAXWELL

Memory and Cognition Support

Discover the Neuroprotective Benefits of Huperzine A
A Metagenics, Inc report

According to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated one in four U.S. adults suffer from mental health disorders in a given year. For millions of people, this translates to complaints relating to memory, forgetfulness, and dementia. Although these conditions are often seen as a natural consequence of the aging process, losing the ability to think, remember, and learn are NOT inevitable.

In fact, there are many effective strategies for maintaining optimal mental function, including the targeting of neurotransmitters—the endogenously produced chemicals that act as messengers between cells in the brain. And for cognitive processing, memory, arousal, and attention—scientists have identified the neurotransmitter acetylcholine as playing a critical role. Consequently, gradual loss of mental clarity is associated with diminishing acetylcholine synthesis and rapid degradation by the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE).

Targeting Neurotransmitter Balance

As mentioned above, the primary goal of many conventional treatments for neurological health is neurotransmitter modulation. For example, current drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) exert their effects by blocking AChE and increasing synaptic acetylcholine levels. However, many doctors prefer natural and clinically successful neurological health products that are uniquely designed to act centrally—within the brain—through the careful selection of ingredients.

The Rise of Huperzine A

One natural ingredient that has a long track record of clinical efficacy and safety in protecting the brain and improving memory/learning through acetylcholine support is purified huperzine A—an alkaloid from Chinese club moss (Huperzia serrata). In the early 1980s, a team of Chinese scientists identified a new application for Chinese club moss that was linked to this specific molecule. Today, abundant research suggests that huperzine A exerts a slow reversible inhibition of AChE and preserves acetylcholine, resulting in the alleviation of many of the symptoms and progression of AD.1-9 In one clinical trial, patients with Alzheimer’s disease treated with huperzine A had significant improvement in memory, cognitive, and behavioral function scales compared to placebo after 8 weeks of treatment.10

Because of its history of success, huperzine A is currently in phase III human clinical trials in China and phase II clinical trials in the United States for the treatment of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. The Mayo Clinic and National Institute of Mental Health are the primary participants in this U.S.-based investigation.

Another benefit of huperzine A is that it can used to support mental clarity and cognitive function in the absence of dementia or AD. Although a person with a family history of early onset senile dementia and AD may want to consider including huperzine A in their basic supplement program for brain protection—an individual who is over 40 years old and not feeling as “mentally sharp” as they used to, and those experiencing increasing forgetfulness, minor memory lapses, and difficulty following directions may also benefit from small amounts of huperzine A as a “brain tonic.” (Menopausal women also may find huperzine A helpful).

What’s the difference between “purified huperzine A” and a standardized extract of Huperzia serrata supplying measurable levels of huperzine A?

Proof of safety and efficacy are the critical differences between purified huperzine A and the standardized extract of Huperzia serrata. There are over 300 published articles identifying the structure, function, and bioavailability, mechanism of actions, safety, and dose response of the purified molecule called HupA with regards to neurological effects and its influence in memory, dementia, and AD. Only the purified huperzine A is the subject of current human clinical trials for AD. The operative word is “purified.” There is no such body of useful information, based on traditional application or current science, regarding the use of a standardized extract which contains other undisclosed substances and huperzine alkaloids, one of which is huperzine A.

References
1. Wang R, Tang XC. Neuroprotective effects of huperzine A. Neurosignals 2005;14:71-82.
2. Gao X, Tang XC. Huperzine A attenuates mitochondrial dysfunction in b-amyloid-treated PC12 cells by reducing oxygen free radicals accumulation and improving mitochondrial energy metabolism. J Neurosci Res 2006;83:1048-57.
3. Zhang JM, Hu GY. Huperzine A, a nootropic alkaloid, inhibits N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced current in rat dissociated hippocampal neurons. Neuroscience 2001;105:663-69.
4. Zhang Z, Wang X, Chen Q, Shu L, et al. Efficacy and safety of huperzine A in the treatment of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, a multi-center, placebo-controlled double-blind, randomized, controlled clinical study. Zhongua YI Xue Za Zhi 2002;82(14);941-44.
5. Xiong ZQ, Cheng DH, Tang XC. Effects of huperzine A on nucleus basalis magnocellularis lesion-induced spatial working memory deficit. Chung Kuo Yao Li Hsueh Pao 1998;19:128-32.
6. Ye JW, Cai JX, Wang LM, Tang XC. Improving effects of huperzine A on spatial working memory in aged monkeys and young adult monkeys with experimental cognitive impairment. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1999;288:814-19.
7. Wang T, Tang XC. Reversal of scopolamine-induced deficits in radial maze performance by (-)-huperzine A: comparison with E2020 and tacrine. Eur J Pharmacol 1998;349:137-42.
8. Cheng DH, Tang XC. Comparative studies of huperzine A, E2020, and tacrine on behavior and cholinesterase activities. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 1998;60:377-86.
9. Cheng YS, Lu CZ, Ying ZL, et al. [128 cases of myasthenia gravis treated with huperzine A]. New Drugs and Clinical Remedies 1986;5:197-99. [Article in Chinese]
10. Xu SS, Gao ZX, Weng Z, et al. Efficacy of tablet huperzine-A on memory, cognition, and behavior in Alzheimer's disease. Zhongguo Yao Li Xue Bao 1995;16:391-95.

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