Alleviating Dementia With Ginkgo Biloba.

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Dr. Gary Pack

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) is a tree from China, and Ginkgo biloba extracts are used to treat dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, cerebrovascular disease and vascular dementia. People with mild memory loss commonly use ginkgo. This study was a randomized, controlled, double-blind study of 410 patients with mild dementia. A specific extract called EGb 761 was used […]

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Conditions: Aging, Alzheimer's disease, Apathy, Dementia, Depression, Irritability, Neuroprotection, Neuropsychiatric disease, Sleep, Vascular dementia

Supplements: Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), Lithium

Phytosome Complexes of Silymarin, Curcumin, Etc.

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Dr. Gary Pack

One class of very useful plant medicines is made up of polyphenols, mostly flavonoids. Polyphenols absorb poorly into water or lipids. The phytosome forms of polyphenols have improved oral absorption and are safe. They are used as anti-inflammatories, anti-neoplastics, for detoxification and for weight loss.Polyphenols bind strongly to phospholipids, even in intact plant tissue. Phosphatidylcholine […]

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Angiogenesis Inhibition by Cinnamon.

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Dr. Gary Pack

Cancers can remain in balance for years due to the competing proliferation and apoptosis. Angiogenesis can alter that balance. Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels, important to tumor growth and metastasis. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important target of cancer treatment to reduce angiogenesis, to block cancer growth, migration, and tumor […]

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Conditions: Alzheimer's disease, Angiogenesis, Apoptosis, Cancer, Diabetes, Melanoma

Supplements: Cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia), EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), Grape seed extract

Foods: Berries, Coffee, Fruits, Grains, Green tea (Camellia sinensis), Pomegranate, Seeds, Soy, Soybeans, Spices, Vegetables

Miscellaneous: Ellagic acid, Flavonoids, Polyphenols, Proliferation, Tyrosine kinase, VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor)

ACE Inhibitors from Marine Sources.

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Dr. Gary Pack

High blood pressure, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, involves about 20% of the world’s population. Angiotensin-1-converting enzyme (ACE) converts angiotensin 1 to angiotensin 11. Blocking of the ACE enzyme by ACE enzyme inhibitors is one method of controlling blood pressure. Synthetic ACE inhibitors have a high rate of side effects. Therefore, researchers are looking […]

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Conditions: Alzheimer's disease, Cardiovascular disease, Hypertension

Supplements: Chitosan, Marine brown algae, Marine red algae

Foods: Blue mussel, Oyster

Miscellaneous: Acetylcholinesterase (ACE) inhibitior, Anti-Alzheimer's, Anticancer, Anticoagulant, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant, Chitin, Marine-derived bioactive peptides, Phlorotannins, Proliferation, Radioprotective

Na+,K+-ATPase and Cardiac Glycosides in Breast Cancer.

Posted on May 13, 2010 by Dr. Gary Pack

Prolonged exposure to 17-beta-estradiol (E2) is important in causing breast cancer. The carcinogenic effects are imposed on the estrogen receptors on the surface of breast cells. Anti-estrogen treatments, such as by tamoxifen and by the aromatase inhibitors, are beneficial at first, but, resistance to them develops and the cancer grows. Aromatase enzyme promotes the conversion […]

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Conditions: Alzheimer's disease, Breast cancer, Cancer, Diabetes, Hypertension

Supplements: Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Kudzu (Pueraria lobata), Puncture vine (Tribulus terrestus)

Miscellaneous: Anti-apoptosis, Anti-aromatase, Anti-estrogenic, Antiproliferative, Cardiac glycosides, Digitalis, Estradiol, Glycosides, Na/K pump, Nanomolar, Ouabain, Saponins, Tamoxifen

Ayahuasca for Parkinson’s Disease and Neurodegeneration.

Posted on May 3, 2010 by Dr. Gary Pack

Ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi) is a plant containing the main ingredients of a hallucinogenic, medicinal drink used for healing in the South America jungle. It has been shown to improve the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinsonism. Functions of ayahuasca’s components include antioxidant activity and inhibition of monoamine oxidase (MAO) enzyme activity. The strongest ayahuasca […]

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Conditions: Alzheimer's disease, Neurodegeneration, Parkinson's disease

Miscellaneous: Antioxidant, Ayahuasca, Chacruna, Dimethyltryptamine, Harmaline, Harmine, Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor

Ayahuasca and Neurodegenerative Disorders.

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Dr. Gary Pack

At this time there is no definitive cure for Parkinson’s disease. In this disease there is a failure of brain cells of the substantia nigra (a location in the brain) to produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter. Parkinsonism can be treated with dopamine agonists or monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor activity, either of which increases dopamine activity. There […]

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Conditions: Alzheimer's disease, Neurodegeneration, Parkinson's disease

Miscellaneous: Amazon, Ayahuasca, Dopamine agonists, Ecuador, Epicatechin, Harmaline, Monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor, Peru, Substantia nigra

Ginkgo Biloba in Dementia.

Posted on April 8, 2010 by Dr. Gary Pack

At this time, treatments of dementia with cholinesterase inhibitors and the drug, memantine, have shown only moderate benefit. Ginkgo biloba (ginkgo) has been studied endlessly to see whether it actually benefits patients with vascular brain disease and/or dementia. The results of studies are highly variable. Sixty-three studies were screened by the authors. This is a […]

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Conditions: Alzheimer's disease, Cognitive impairment, Dementia, Vascular dementia

Supplements: Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus)

Miscellaneous: Cholinesterase, Cholinesterase inhibitors

Epigallocatechin Gallate in Parkinsonism.

Posted on February 3, 2010 by Dr. Gary Pack

Current treatments of Parkinson’s disease aim only at restoring dopamine levels to improve symptoms, temporarily, while allowing the patient to continue to deteriorate. Neuroprotection is important in these patients to prevent continual deterioration. The pharmaceutical monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor, rasagiline, has been found to be neuroprotective in Parkinson’s disease. The neuroprotective effect of rasagiline is […]

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Conditions: Alzheimer's disease, Dementia, Neuroprotection, Oxidative damage, Parkinson's disease

Supplements: EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate)

Foods: Black tea (Camellia sinensis), Green tea (Camellia sinensis)

Miscellaneous: Substantia nigra

Yamabushitake Mushroom and Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Posted on May 30, 2009 by Dr. Gary Pack

Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus) is an edible mushroom used traditionally to improve mental functioning. It is known as Lion’s Mane mushroom. It is used as a food in China and Japan. There are chemicals present in the mushroom which cause cultured astrocyte cells to produce neurogenic growth factor (NGF.) NGF promotes nerve cell differentiation and survival. […]

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Conditions: Alzheimer's disease, Cognitive impairment, Senile dementia

Supplements: Bacopa (Bacopa monniera), Docosahexanoic acid (DHA), Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), Yamabushitake (Hericium erinaceus)

Foods: Lion's mane mushroom, Mushrooms

Miscellaneous: Neurogenic growth factor