Huperzine-A protects against beta-amyloid buildup

And while the studies cited above demonstrate the power of Huperzine-A to treat those suffering from Alzheimer’s, senility, and memory loss, one of the most exciting recent animal studies showed how Huperzine-A protects the brain from developing these diseases in the first place. In 2009, researchers at Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, where Huperzine-A was first isolated, reported that Huperzine-A protects brain mitochondria from beta-amyloid.⁸

By demonstrating that Huperzine-A protects the brain from beta-amyloid, these researchers have shown it may both treat and prevent Alzheimer’s.

Huperzine-A protects against free radicals

In addition to its acetylcholine enhancing effects, and the newly discovered noncholinergic effects, Huperzine-A has also been found to protect against free radical-induced cell toxicity in lab tests.⁹

This is significant because many diseases are believed to be the result of free radical damage. Huperzine-A has also been shown to dramatically decrease the abnormally elevated free radical activity in the brains of old animals¹⁰ as well as the blood of Alzheimer’s patients.¹¹ This protective effect has been noted by scientists to be a significant additional benefit of Huperzine-A, beyond its acetylcholine enhancing effect.

Huperzine-A enhances learning

In a study to determine the effects of Huperzine-A on memory and learning, Chinese researchers selected 34 matched pairs of normal middle school students whose only complaints were of poor memory and difficulty in learning.

In a double-blind trial, one member of each pair was given 100 mcg of Huperzine-A twice daily for four weeks, while the other member received the placebo. The students’ memory quotients were measured before and after the trial, and their academic performance in their Chinese, English, and mathematics lessons was also monitored.

At the end of the study, the Huperzine-A group scored significantly higher than the control group on standard memory tests. They also did significantly better in their Chinese and English lessons.¹² These results have prompted busy executives to embrace Huperzine-A to keep them sharp and give them a mental edge.

Reverses effects of amnesia

Scopolamine is a class of drugs that induces amnesia by interfering with acetylcholine and is a common tool in research on memory enhancing drugs. An animal study showed that Huperzine-A reversed the deficits in performance and memory that result from scopolamine, again demonstrating that Huperzine-A has the potential to benefit patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory disorders.¹³

The advantages of Huperzine-A over prescription drugs

Animal research suggests that Huperzine-A’s ability to preserve acetylcholine may be greater than that of the two FDA-approved Alzheimer’s drugs designed to do the same thing; tacrine and donepezil. Like these drugs, Huperzine-A works by disrupting acetycholinesterase, yet it seems to do it more effectively and with fewer side effects.¹⁴

These findings, along with the fact that Huperzine-A has a longer duration of action, is absorbed more quickly, penetrates the brain more rapidly, and does not produce liver toxicity,¹⁵ are just a few more reasons why the pharmaceutical companies are now trying to jump on the Huperzine-A bandwagon.

Suggested dosage and potential side-effects

The doses of Huperzine-A used in clinical studies range from 50 mcg to 400 mcg daily. And while dizziness was reported in a few people in one study, and mild insomnia and water retention in another, no severe side effects have been reported in human trials using Huperzine-A. The most common side effect is usually mild nausea or headache, and all of these minor side effects are dose related and can be avoided by starting with the smallest amount and slowly increasing the daily dosage of Huperzine-A.

However, if side effects continue to occur, reduce dosage until side effects disappear. It is important to note, Huperzine-A should not be used by children, pregnant women, or nursing mothers.

Tomorrow’s pharmaceutical today?

With the intense interest of pharmaceutical medicine in Huperzine-A, it would not surprise us if this inexpensive, readily available natural substance was hijacked by Big Pharma and turned into a costly prescription-only pharmaceutical for the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. The potential profit is too great to be ignored.

So before this beneficial dietary supplement becomes tomorrow’s restricted pharmaceutical, you might consider trying it out now. You can protect your brain, your memory, and ultimately your pocketbook by taking advantage of the health benefits of Huperzine-A now, while you still can.

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References