A short review published on the Medfox Publishing website says that several antioxidants may slow or even prevent brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other dementias. The editor says that the Food and Drug Administration  wants to restrict access to the vitamin supplements.

The review says that vitamin C, vitamin E, glutathione, and Alpha lipoic acid are the dietary supplements that may help slow or prevent Alzheimer's and other brain disorders.

The following are the references used in the review. We list them for those who want to read the details of each study.

References: 

  1. Role of free radicals in the neurodegenerative diseases: therapeutic implications for antioxidant treatment," Drugs & Aging, 2001; 18(9):685-716.
  2. Vitvitsky V, Thomas M, Ghorpade A, et al, "A functional transsulfuration pathway in the brain links to glutathione homeostasis," The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2006; 281(47):35785-35793.
  3. Young A, Johnson S, Steffens D, Doraiswamy P (2007) "Coenzyme Q10: a review of its promise as a neuroprotectant." CNS Spectrums, 2007; 12(1):62-68.
  4. Spalletta G, Bernardini S, Bellincampi L, et al (2007) ""Glutathione S-transferase P1 and T1 gene polymorphisms predict longitudinal course and age of onset of Alzheimer disease," The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2007; 15(10):879-887.
  5. Levy, TE, Living in Your Right Mind, p. 17, LivOn Books, Henderson, NV, 2010.
  6. Myint PK, Luben RN, et al "Plasma vitamin C concentrations predict risk of incident stroke over 10 years in 20,649 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer Norfolk prospective population study," Am J Clin Nutr., 2008 Jan;87(1):64-9.
  7. Zandi P, Anthony J, Khachaturian A, et al, "Reduced risk of Alzheimer Disease in users of antioxidant vitamin supplements. The Cache County Study," Archives of Neurology, 2004; 61(1):82-88.
  8. Sen CK, Khanna S, Roy S, "Tocotrienols: Vitamin E beyond tocopherols," Life Sci. 2006, Mar 27;78(18):2088-98.
  9. Serbinova E, Kagan V, Han D, Packer L, "Free radical recycling and intramembrane mobility in the antioxidant properties of alpha-tocopherol and alpha-tocotrienol," Free Radic Biol Med. 1991 10(5):263-75.
  10. Yoshida Y, Niki E, Noguchi N, "Comparative study on the action of tocopherols and tocotrienols as antioxidant: chemical and physical effects," Chem Phys Lipids. 2003 Mar;123(1):63-75.
  11. Schaffer S, Müller WE, Eckert GP, "Tocotrienols: constitutional effects in aging and disease," J Nutr. 2005) Feb;135(2):151-4.
  12. Mangialasche F, Kivipelto M, Mecocci P, "High plasma levels of vitamin E forms and reduced Alzheimer's disease risk in advanced age," J Alzheimers Dis. 2010, Jan 1;20(4):1029-37.
  13. Jenner P, "Oxidative mechanisms in nigral cell death in Parkinson's disease," Movement Disorders, 1998, 13 Suppl 1:24-34.
  14. Jenner P, Olanow C, "Understanding cell death in Parkinson's disease," Annals of Neurology, 1998, 44(3 Suppl 1):S72-S84.
  15. Sechi G, Deledda M, Bua G, et al, "Reduced intravenous glutathione in the treatment of early Parkinson's disease," Progress in Neuro-psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, 1996, 20(7):1159-1170.
  16. Gabby M, Tauber M, et al, "Selective role of glutathione in protecting human neuronal cells from dopamine-induced apoptosis,"Neuropharmacology, 1996, May;35(5):571-8.
  17. Maczurek A, Hager K, et al, "Lipoic acid as an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective treatment for Alzheimer's disease," Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2008, Oct-Nov;60(13-14):1463-70.