d on the nutrition bandwagon, as a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine (April 24, 1997, 336 (17) 1216-22) found that either a drug (selegiline) or Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) slowed progression of Alzheimer's. So which would you choose? At least the nutrients have a history of being the safest route. Anyway, what else is out there for progressive, age-related memory loss? First of all, for those who care to have an actual screening test for Alzheimer's disease there's actually a new urine test available. It's called AD7C urinalysis and checks for a special protein called neural thread protein (NTP), which has been found in large amounts in the brains of Alzheimer's victims. Interested parties can contact NYMOX (800-936-9669, or info@nymox.com) for more information. There really is a long list of nutrients to consider if one chooses to really attack senility or even just mild forgetfulness. A concerted effort to find legitimate candidates can drown you in possibilities, with studies to match. We can't cover them all, but we'll discuss a few of my favorites. For thousands of years Ginkgo biloba has had (and maintained) a reputation for enhancing cognitive function. There are hundreds of studies available concerning its benefits in increasing blood flow to the brain, and improving memory. Now it's been found to have beneficial effects in a multitude of situations, including vertigo, asthma, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and others. For best effect it should be used as a standardized extract of 24 percent flavoglycosides (or ginkgoheterosides). Doses mentioned in most studies seem to settle on about 40 milligrams three times a day. Six months of use should show something. Otherwise, it's probably not going to help. Though considered nontoxic (which technically nothing is totally), it's not known what effects it has for pregnant or nursing women, and rare side effects may be headache or stomach ache. The Journal of the Ame...
