Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Jan;38(1):17-44.
doi: 10.1007/s11011-022-01063-9. Epub 2022 Aug 12.

Natural remedies for Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Saara Ahmad  1 , Saad Bilal Ahmed  2 , Asra Khan  3 , Muhammad Wasim  3 , Saiqa Tabassum  4   5 , Saida Haider  4 , Fatima Ahmed  6 , Zehra Batool  7 , Saima Khaliq  8 , Hamna Rafiq  3 , Prashant Tikmani  3 , Anwar-Ul-Hassan Gilani  3
Affiliations

Natural remedies for Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Saara Ahmad et al. Metab Brain Dis. 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the common type of dementia and is currently incurable. Existing FDA-approved AD drugs may not be effective for everyone, they cannot cure the disease nor stop its progression and their effects diminish over time. Therefore, the present review aimed to explore the role of natural alternatives in the treatment of AD. A systematic search was conducted using Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane and PubMed databases and reference lists up to November 30, 2021. Only randomized control trials were included and appraised using the National Institute of Health framework. Data analysis showed that herbs like Gingko Biloba, Melissa Officinalis, Salvia officinalis, Ginseng and saffron alone or in combination with curcumin, low-fat diet, NuAD-Trail, and soy lecithin showed significant positive effects on AD. Moreover, combination of natural and pharmaceuticals has far better effects than only allopathic treatment. Thus, different herbal remedies in combination with FDA approved drugs are effective and more promising in treatment of AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Cognition; Herbs; Randomized clinical trial.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Ahmed T, Gilani AH (2014) Therapeutic potential of turmeric in Alzheimer’s disease: curcumin or curcuminoids? Phytother Res 28(4):517–525. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.5030 - DOI
    1. Ahmed T, Gilani AU, Abdollahi M, Daglia M, Nabavi SF, Nabavi SM (2015) Berberine and neurodegeneration: A review of literature. Pharmacol Rep 67(5):970–979. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharep.2015.03.002 - DOI
    1. Akhondzadeh S, Abbasi SH (2006) Herbal medicine in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen 21(2):113–118. https://doi.org/10.1177/153331750602100211 - DOI
    1. Akhondzadeh S, Noroozian M, Mohammadi M, Ohadinia S, Jamshidi AH, Khani M (2003) Salvia officinalis extract in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a double blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. J Clin Pharm Ther 28(1):53–59. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2710.2003.00463.x - DOI
    1. Akhondzadeh S, Sabet MS, Harirchian MH, Togha M, Cheraghmakani H, Razeghi S, Hejazi S, Yousefi MH, Alimardani R, Jamshidi A, Zare F, Moradi A (2010a) Saffron in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a 16-week, randomized and placebo-controlled trial. J Clin Pharm Ther 35(5):581–588. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2710.2009.01133.x - DOI

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources