Evidence Lacking That Huperzine A Extract Protects Brain, Prevents Alzheimer’s

Practitioners of Chinese medicine use the plant extract huperzine A to treat swelling, fever and blood disorders. The dietary supplement comes from several species of firmoss plant, including the Chinese club moss Huperzia serrata.

So what’s all the hoopla about huperzine? Some evidence suggests that it could raise levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. These are chemicals that carry messages between brain cells. More neurotransmitters could equal better brain function. And, in fact, a number of experiments in mice and other rodents have found that the extract can help with decline in thinking skills associated with Alzheimer’s or stroke, reverse brain-cell damage in stroke, reduce inflammation and interfere with some chemical reactions associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Put simply, it may treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia in animals. But it’s not clear whether those benefits would translate into humans. And no study has tested whether the supplement could prevent Alzheimer’s.

The Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) reviewed the evidence for possible brain benefits of huperzine A and published the findings in a consensus report. The GCBH does not recommend taking the supplement with the expectation of any brain gains. The studies of the supplement in people don’t provide evidence that it could prevent dementia or Alzheimer’s disease or improve memory, according to the independent collaborative of scientists, health care providers, scholars and other experts.

A study of huperzine A in 84 healthy military personnel failed to prove that the extract improved thinking skills. In a small group of junior high students who reported memory problems, the supplement had minimal benefits. Other small, short studies showed benefits of huperzine A in people who already have Alzheimer’s or dementia. But the studies didn’t continue for long enough to determine how long the effects would last. Because huperzine A may act in the body like prescription Alzheimer’s drugs, such as Aricept, there is concern that combining the two could cause a side-effect overload.

Either way, just as a cancer medication wouldn’t necessarily prevent cancer in someone who doesn’t have it, a supplement that may help people with Alzheimer’s wouldn’t necessarily prevent the condition in others.