New nutrient drink may help ward off Alzheimer's disease

Scientists have developed a nutrient cocktail which may slow down cognitive impairment in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers, including those at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, developed a nutrient cocktail aimed at treating what they consider is "the root cause" of Alzheimer's - loss of brain synapses.

The mixture, Souvenaid, increases production of new synapses and restores connectivity between brain regions, improving memory and other cognitive functions, 'MIT Technology Review' reported.

Researchers mixed three naturally occurring dietary compounds: choline, uridine, and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA.

"All those compounds, taken simultaneously, boost production of phosphatides, encouraging membrane development, which is critical in creating new synapses," researchers said.

In the study, published in the journal Lancet Neurology, patients with prodromal Alzheimer's the predementia stage of Alzheimer's with mild symptoms were given either Souvenaid or a placebo.

Compared to people who drank the placebo, patients who drank Souvenaid throughout the trial showed less worsening in everyday cognitive and functional performance and significantly less atrophy of the hippocampus, which is caused early in Alzheimer's by brain tissue loss.

"It feels like science-fiction, where you can take a drink of Souvenaid and you get more synapses for improved cognitive function. But it works," said Emeritus Richard Wurtman, a professor at MIT.