And if the Vitamin E was the key to maintaining your independence longer when you suffer from Alzheimer’s disease?
The experiment carried out by American researchers from the Minneapolis VA Health Care System provides an additional avenue to explore in order to delay this neurodegenerative disease.
The scientists wanted to assess the impact that vitamin E, memantine (already used in the treatment of moderate to severe forms of dementia) and also these two substances combined can have on the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The trial conducted on 313 patients proved conclusive for vitamin E.
After a follow-up of more than two years, the team of scientists led by Maurice Dysken realized that only vitamin E made it possible to slow down the development of the disease.
Vitamin E is renowned for its antioxidant action which protects cells from free radicals. It is mainly found in vegetable fats (oils and margarine, sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts and other nuts, bran cereals, peanuts, avocado.
A gain of six months
The functional decline of patients with a moderate form of Alzheimer’s disease was slowed down by six months, ie a decrease of 19% per year. This difference between patients who took vitamin E and others is equivalent to the ability to dress or wash themselves, the study finds. In other words, the patient would remain autonomous a little longer. The patient would then require less support from a carer (2 hours less per day).
“It’s not a miracle, or even a cure, said Dr. Maurice Dysken, author of the study, published in the scientific journal Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The best we can do , right now, it’s to slow down the progression.”
In France, 860,000 people suffer from Alzheimer’s type dementia.