Huperzine A-New Hope for Alzheimer's Patients

People with Alzheimer's Disease and other forms of dementia - problems that affect memory, thinking, and sometimes behavior - have a limited choice of helpful drugs. Now, a natural supplement based on a Chinese plant is showing promise as an alternative to the synthetic drugs currently in use.

Chinese club moss, whose botanical name is huperzia serrata, has been used as a folk remedy for hundreds of years, mainly to treat fevers and inflammation. There's now an extract, called Huperzine A, that's being sold over-the-counter (without a prescription) and used by some people to help improve their memories. And studies done in China have shown it to be effective against some of the symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease.

One of the theories about the pathology (disease process) of Alzheimer's is that there is less acetylcholine in the brain tissue to help nerves transmit impulses. There are synthetic drugs approved by the FDA which increase the amount of acetylcholine by interfering with the enzyme that breaks it down. However, these drugs are very strong and can have dangerous side effects. One of them, tacrine, can be harmful to the liver, so it must be carefully monitored and its doses restricted. Huperzine A seems to have the same action as these other drugs - increasing acetylcholine - but possibly with fewer side effects.

In a research study in China Huperzine A improved the symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease in 58% of the participants. Unfortunately, there has been very little research in the United States on its use for Alzheimer's or any other conditions. But it's been so helpful to the people who have taken it that a study is now under way.