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Niacinamide and Alzheimer's disease

Niacinamide is the subject of intense speculation regarding its use as a treatment for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Results of a 2008 Irvine University study conducted on mice were promising, and researchers are hoping the vitamin can help relieve Alzheimer's symptoms, which include memory loss and cognitive changes. A joint study by Irvine and The Alzheimer's Research Association on humans, set to be will not be complete until January 2010, but many people have begun taking megadoses of niacinamide in the hope of preventing early-onset Alzheimer's and relieving symptoms of more advanced cases.

  1. About Niacinamide

    • Niacinamide is a water-soluble form of niacin, or vitamin B-3; it is also referred to as nicotinic acid. People with severe niacin deficiency, also known as pellagra, often display impaired memory, difficulty concentration and personality changes--symptoms similar to those of Alzheimer's. Niacinamide was used in the 1920s and 1930s as a treatment for schizophrenia with some success, but scientists have pointed out that those patients may simply have been suffering from pellagra.
      The Irvine study of mice, according to neurobiologist Kim N. Green, "..found that niacinamide restored cognitive deficits associated with pathology." Other researchers went so far as to declare the mice "cured," stating that they had returned to predisease functioning. Also encouraging is the fact that niacinamide prevents nerve cell degeneration in animal models of Huntingdon's disease, Parkinson's disease and Lou Gehrig's disease. To date, however, there have been no conclusive human studies.

    Considerations and Dosages

    • Currently, the only treatment for Alzheimer's, Enbrel, is extremely expensive, and it needs to be injected directly into the spine by a neurologist. Niacinamide, on the other hand, is inexpensive, and--with current FDA approval for megadoses--is considered safe for most people. Subjects in the Irvine study are being given 1500 mg of niacinamide twice a day, but some naturopaths and homeopathic practitioners recommend much higher doses, with some advocating doses of 4000 to 6000 mg a day. If you want to try niacinamide on yourself or a family member suffering from Alzheimer's, be aware that, like niacin, niacinamide can cause flushing, itching and tingling sensations a few minutes after being consumed, although niacinamide does this to a lesser degree. The sensations are harmless and quickly subside, but some people find them disturbing. According to The Digital Naturopath, it is safe to take a 325 mg aspirin tablet beforehand to reduce these side effects.

    Precautions

    • If you have diabetes, gout, or gallbladder disease, consult your doctor before taking niacinamide; it may interfere with medicine for those conditions. Adverse reactions to niacinamide are uncommon, but they are serious. Call a doctor if you have abdominal pain, diarrhea or faintness; if you have jaundice--yellowed skin or eyes--get emergency treatment immediately.
      Niacinamide sometimes raises the levels of liver enzymes; don't take it if you have impaired liver function or have an active peptic ulcer.

      The jury is still out on the effects on niacinamide on human beings with Alzheimer's disease, but there's reason for hope.

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