Chinese club moss battling Alzheimer’s
Club Moss
A Chinese plant called club moss is being examined by researchers as a possible weapon for treating Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
The plant is already being sold in stores with nutritional supplements in the United States as well as being used in China for treatment of cognitive disorders.
US researchers have embarked on a national clinical trial of club moss to determine its legitimate benefits as well as risks. In the trials the participants receive either placebo or a dose of Huperzine A – an alkaloid extracted from the plant – in an amount that is larger than that currently available in US stores.
After the placebo-controlled phase, all patients take doses of Huperzine A for eight weeks and have the option to continue taking it, if they believe it is helpful. Investigators test patients’ cognitive functions throughout the trial.
The Chinese club moss trials are part of a growing number of US federally funded research studies looking at natural and alternative therapies with the National Institutes of Health aiming to spend more than $300 million on research into complementary and alternative medicine during the coming year.
