New Herbal Medicine Developed to Control Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that disrupts and damages the fundamental brain functions. The most critical and dangerous symptom is memory loss, which poses serious risks to patients. It is therefore absolutely necessary to prevent and control the disease.

There are currently four chemical drugs for controlling the disease, but they may have side effects. For example, Memantine slows down the brain cell death and controls AD, but it has also side effects, including headache, constipation, dizziness, and confusion. Another widely-used drug, Donepezil, may result in indigestion, articular pain, insomnia or sleepiness, dizziness, and nightmares.

After 12 years of research, the Iranian scientists have developed an herbal medicine to prevent and control Alzheimer’s disease: Melitropic.

Studies show that two behavioral symptoms, anxiety and irritability, were remarkably reduced in the patients that took the Iranian herbal capsule, compared to the chemical therapy. Clinical trials have also verified the therapeutic effectiveness of the herbal medicine. The medicine, mainly containing lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), reduces the destructive effects of the toxic beta-amyloid protein and slows the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The Iranian herbal medicine costs nearly one-tenth the price of similar chemical drugs.

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A study was carried out on 42 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s, aged between 65 and 80, to compare Melitropic’s efficacy with placebo. The 4-month study evaluated amnesia, cognitive activities and the side effects. The results indicate that the development of Alzheimer’s disease and the symptoms of anxiety and irritability were significantly controlled in the patients that received Melitropic therapy, compared to the placebo. Moreover, major scientific and research centres in foreign countries, such as the UK universities, have evaluated the herbal medicine and authenticated its effectiveness in controlling Alzheimer’s.

Another herbal product for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, made in Iran after 10 years of research, is “SaffroTin” capsule, which contains saffron extract. Several studies have proven that saffron is effective in controlling Alzheimer’s. The evidence and documents verifying SaffroTin’s efficacy have been published in more than 50 scholarly articles in scientific journals. The Iranian medicine has been also approved by European Pharmacopoeia.