What if a vanilla milkshake could help ease the effects of Alzheimer’s disease? Axona, the manufacturer of medical milkshakes, funded a clinical trial that provided some promising results. Researches found that patients who consumed the medical milkshakes found short-term positive effects in cognition and memory. Still, researchers caution that there isn’t enough evidence to conclusively say whether the milkshakes really work or not.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5.4 million Americans have the disease. Alzheimer’s affects 1 in 8 people over 65 and causes memory loss, mood and personality changes. Currently Alzheimer’s disease is fatal. A number of prescription drugs are available to fight Alzheimer’s but there is no cure.
Axona is available by prescription only and contains 217 calories. Patients mix the powder with any type of liquid. The reason why the Axona milkshakes just might be a breakthrough is because the brains of Alzheimer’s patients don’t convert glucose into energy as efficiently as healthy brains. According to Axona, the shake contains caprylic triglyceride, a compound derived from coconut oil that is metabolized in the liver to produce ketone bodies which serve as alternate brain fuel for Alzheimer’s patients.
For more information on this promising “sweet” drug, visit the Wall Street Journal. Or help find a cure and join Bethany Village in the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
