CHAPTER 22 Other Potential Promemory Agents
MANY OTHER MEDICATIONS have been proposed as treatments for mild memory loss, or as part of an antiaging regimen. These agents include DHEA, hormones and related peptides, and metallic elements. Although several of these substances are intriguing, the knowledge base is currently insufficient to include them in the Memory Program. Nonetheless, knowing the basic facts will give you a better understanding of the stories that you are likely to hear in the media about one or more of these agents as potential cures for memory loss.
What about DHEA?
Dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, is a natural substance produced primarily by the adrenal glands, which sit on top of the kidneys in the lower back. DHEA is the main starting point for the synthesis of over twenty steroids, including the female hormone estrogen and the male hormone testosterone. Some call it the mother of all steroid hormones.
Actions of DHEA
Heightens sex drive.
Raises general activity level.
Strengthens immune function.
In mice, maintains neuronal structure, improves the ability to traverse a maze.
Increases longevity in mice.
In the human brain, DHEA is present at six times its concentration in the bloodstream. In the average person, DHEA blood levels decline fivefold from the age of twenty to seventy years. A few proponents quote this fact to claim that giving DHEA to older people boosts low blood levels and corrects a ‘‘deficit.” More systematic research is needed to find out if this claim is valid. Of note, in a study of older men, those with the highest DHEA blood levels had the best general health over the course of a decade of follow-up. An alternative to DHEA is pregnenolone, a natural steroid that is converted to DHEA in the body.
Taken From: The Memory Program How to Prevent Memory Loss
and Enhance Memory Power
