A good friend of mine sent me this book by Brian Chambers several weeks ago as he knew of the challenges we are having with my husbands parents. After reading the chapter about Alzheimers and Dementia, I started researching the two products recommended, Sage and Huperzine A, also called HupA. I was skeptical but after researching we decided to try both. I have to try every product before I can recommend to my family and friends.
I have to say, I felt the Huperzine A the first day. Its been about a month now and we are taking both and can't say enough about the benefits. I won't be without it. I take 200 mg daily of the HuperzIne A and use Sage extract liquid daily. I normally take organic powders but after reading about the options I decided to stay with the caplets for now. (You must be real careful with the powders as they are much stronger.) A link to the ones I ordered are at the end of this post.
I have to say, I felt the Huperzine A the first day. Its been about a month now and we are taking both and can't say enough about the benefits. I won't be without it. I take 200 mg daily of the HuperzIne A and use Sage extract liquid daily. I normally take organic powders but after reading about the options I decided to stay with the caplets for now. (You must be real careful with the powders as they are much stronger.) A link to the ones I ordered are at the end of this post.
The Bible’s powerful answer to our current epidemic of Alzheimer’s and dementia comes from the book of Exodus. Specifically, Exodus Chapter 37 verse 17, the description
of the lampstand in the tabernacle. The lampstand was a representation of the light of God’s wisdom, and it had a special place in the building that housed the ark of the covenant.
And therein lies the healing secret: this symbol of God’s wisdom is modeled after a plant that can preserve and resurrect memory and help your loved ones defeat Alzheimer’s.
See, the description in Exodus makes it clear that the lampstand (the model for the Hebrew menorah) is to be shaped like a plant. It doesn’t specify which plant.
SAGE
But the completed design bears an undeniable resemblance to another plant: Salvia, better known as sage.
Yes, that’s the same sage that’s used to flavor soups and salad dressings!
But for hundreds of years, herbalists and traditional healers have known that it’s more than just a savory food ingredient—it’s also a powerful memory enhancer.
As early as 1652, herbalist Nicholas Culpepper wrote this about sage: “It also heals the memory, warming and quickening the senses.”
And now modern science is beginning to understand why.
Sage works by affecting enzymes in the brain. And there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that sage is as effective as many leading Alzheimer’s drugs, with no serious
side effects. (In one trial, the placebo resulted in more side effects than sage!)
A 2001 study proved that the essential oil of Spanish Sage (Salvia lavandulaefoli) inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. This was big news, since that’s an enzyme involved in the progression of Alzheimer’s, and inhibiting it is the goal of most Alzheimer’s drugs.
Then in 2003, a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics showed that Alzheimer’s patients given sage extract had significantly better cognitive function than those given a placebo. The researchers also felt that the patients given sage had improvements in mood and reduced anxiety as well, although this wasn’t part of the official test results.
Yet another clinical trial published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, showed that doses of 300 to 600 mg of dried sage leaf greatly enhanced mental performance and mood in 30 healthy volunteers.
And there’s an ongoing trial happening right now at Oregon Health and Science University testing the effects of sage on Alzheimer’s patients.
Are you starting to wonder why you haven’t heard about sage’s remarkable ability to improve cognitive performance and boost memory? If you have a loved one battling Alzheimer’s I would definitely get sage extract into their regimen as soon as possible. With the wide variety of sage extracts and tinctures available, it’s difficult to recommend one specific dosage. But the studies show that sage is extremely well tolerated (after all, people have been eating it for centuries). So I’d go with a sage leaf extract, and start with the dosage recommended by the manufacturer.
of the lampstand in the tabernacle. The lampstand was a representation of the light of God’s wisdom, and it had a special place in the building that housed the ark of the covenant.
And therein lies the healing secret: this symbol of God’s wisdom is modeled after a plant that can preserve and resurrect memory and help your loved ones defeat Alzheimer’s.
See, the description in Exodus makes it clear that the lampstand (the model for the Hebrew menorah) is to be shaped like a plant. It doesn’t specify which plant.
SAGE
But the completed design bears an undeniable resemblance to another plant: Salvia, better known as sage.
Yes, that’s the same sage that’s used to flavor soups and salad dressings!
But for hundreds of years, herbalists and traditional healers have known that it’s more than just a savory food ingredient—it’s also a powerful memory enhancer.
As early as 1652, herbalist Nicholas Culpepper wrote this about sage: “It also heals the memory, warming and quickening the senses.”
And now modern science is beginning to understand why.
Sage works by affecting enzymes in the brain. And there is a growing body of evidence to suggest that sage is as effective as many leading Alzheimer’s drugs, with no serious
side effects. (In one trial, the placebo resulted in more side effects than sage!)
A 2001 study proved that the essential oil of Spanish Sage (Salvia lavandulaefoli) inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. This was big news, since that’s an enzyme involved in the progression of Alzheimer’s, and inhibiting it is the goal of most Alzheimer’s drugs.
Then in 2003, a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial published in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics showed that Alzheimer’s patients given sage extract had significantly better cognitive function than those given a placebo. The researchers also felt that the patients given sage had improvements in mood and reduced anxiety as well, although this wasn’t part of the official test results.
Yet another clinical trial published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, showed that doses of 300 to 600 mg of dried sage leaf greatly enhanced mental performance and mood in 30 healthy volunteers.
And there’s an ongoing trial happening right now at Oregon Health and Science University testing the effects of sage on Alzheimer’s patients.
Are you starting to wonder why you haven’t heard about sage’s remarkable ability to improve cognitive performance and boost memory? If you have a loved one battling Alzheimer’s I would definitely get sage extract into their regimen as soon as possible. With the wide variety of sage extracts and tinctures available, it’s difficult to recommend one specific dosage. But the studies show that sage is extremely well tolerated (after all, people have been eating it for centuries). So I’d go with a sage leaf extract, and start with the dosage recommended by the manufacturer.
HUPERZINE A (HUP A)
Add this to sage for even better cognitive performance —from Dr. Mark Stengler
Here’s another one of my favorite natural supplements for improving memory and cognitive performance:
Chinese Club Moss. Also known as huperzine A, Chinese Club Moss has been getting a lot of attention recently for it’s memory-boosting powers. The research has focused on its active ingredient, huperzine-a, or HupA. HupA improves memory and slows age-related cognitive decline—even in early—stage Alzheimer’s disease patients. (Neither HupA nor drugs help much in later stages of Alzheimer’s.)
Chinese medicine practitioners have utilized club moss for centuries as a diuretic and an anti-inflammatory. Two decades ago, a Chinese scientist discovered that an alkaloid (an organic compound) in HupA could improve brain function. This sparked many studies, some ongoing, including a clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health.
Like sage, HupA’s cognitive benefits are due mainly to its effects on acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter critical for normal thinking, memory and attention. These mental processes falter when acetylcholine production drops or an enzyme known as acetylcholinesterase (which normally breaks down unused acetylcholine) gets overactive, degrading the much needed acetylcholine.
HupaA appears to inhibit activity of acetylcholin—esterase, thereby sparing acetylcholine. This also is how pharmaceuticals for Alzheimer’s work—but several human clinical trials suggest that HupA may be even more effective than the drugs donepezil (Aricept) and tacrine (Cognex). Animal studies demonstrate that HupA further supports cognitive function by protecting brain cells from damage caused by free radicals (harmful negatively charged molecules), toxins and/or lack of oxygen (for instance, from poor circulation or stroke)... and by reducing formation of beta-amyloid, a protein that forms lesions in the brain tissue of Alzheimer’s patients.
I started prescribing HupA eight years ago for patients with memory problems—and many have been delighted with their improvement. HupA seems to work better than ginkgo biloba, an herb that increases blood flow to the brain. For ability to improve brain function, on a scale of one to 10, I rate ginkgo at six and HupA at nine.
By Brian Chambers
Reference Material
Salvia (Sage): A Review of its Potential Cognitive-Enhancing and Protective Effects
Drugs R D. 2017 Mar; 17(1): 53–64.
Published online 2016 Nov 25. doi: 10.1007/s40268-016-0157-5
PMCID: PMC5318325
PMID: 27888449
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5318325/
http://impactfactor.org/PDF/IJPPR/8/IJPPR,Vol8,Issue8,Article2.pdf
impactfactor.org/PDF/IJPPR/8/IJPPR,Vol8,Issue8,Article2.pdf
https://www.nature.com/articles/aps20061
NIA-Funded Active Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Clinical Trials and Studies
https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/ongoing-AD-trials
Salvia (Sage): A Review of its Potential Cognitive-Enhancing and Protective Effects
Drugs R D. 2017 Mar; 17(1): 53–64.
Published online 2016 Nov 25. doi: 10.1007/s40268-016-0157-5
PMCID: PMC5318325
PMID: 27888449
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5318325/
http://impactfactor.org/PDF/IJPPR/8/IJPPR,Vol8,Issue8,Article2.pdf
impactfactor.org/PDF/IJPPR/8/IJPPR,Vol8,Issue8,Article2.pdf
https://www.nature.com/articles/aps20061
NIA-Funded Active Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Clinical Trials and Studies
https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/ongoing-AD-trials
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