Vitamin C and Alzheimer’s Disease

Vitamin C, the vitamin we take to fight colds, and is needed for normal growth and development, plays a crucial role in cognitive function.  Researchers in Australia found patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia have lower blood levels of vitamin C than people with normal cognitive function.¹

Note: Despite all advances in stem cells research and the application of these therapies in many countries all over the world, stem cells therapies are not legally approved yet in San Diego, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, New York, Jacksonville, Seattle, Houston, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Miami, Beverly Hills and other US cities. However, stem cell treatments are legal in Costa Rica.

At the Stem Cells Transplant Institute, we give every patient vitamin C therapy to help optimize the results of stem cell therapy.

Vitamin C and Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia

Scientists at Swinburne Technical University and The National Institute of Integrative Medicine in Australia evaluated 50 studies, 14 studies of patients with dementia including Alzheimer’s disease, and 36 studies involving people with normal cognitive function, to understand the effect of vitamin C on cognitive function and its role in dementia.

In the studies patients answered a questionnaire called the Mini Mental State Examination or MMSE, that is designed to identify the progression and severity of dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment. The questionnaire evaluates memory, calculation, language, orientation and comprehension.

Results showed people with normal cognitive function had sufficient levels of vitamin C in the blood while people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia had significantly lower blood levels of vitamin C. Among people with normal cognitive function, blood levels of vitamin C correlated with cognitive ability.

Earlier research has shown vitamin C’s role as an antioxidant is critical for protecting our bodies and our brains from damage due to free radicals and oxidative stress. Damage due to exposure to free radicals is increased by aging, stress, lack of sleep, certain medications, smoking, poisons, and sun exposure.

Animal studies have shown that vitamin C helps keep the nervous system functioning by aiding in the development and differentiation of neurons, and synthesis of the myelin sheath and is critical for the healing process following traumatic brain damage.

Intravenous Vitamin C and Stem Cell Therapy for Alzheimer’s Disease

At the Stem Cells Transplant Institute, we use several types of therapy to optimize the results of stem cell treatments. One of the treatments we use is intravenous vitamin C.

Stem cell therapy for Alzheimer’s disease

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) can promote the release of acetylcholine, promote neurogenesis and synaptic formation and can reduce oxidative stress and cell death. Research is showing hUC-MSCs to be a better alternative to allogeneic stem cells because of their hypo-immunogenicity, superior tropism, high differentiation potential and paracrine activity.^3-6 Evidence suggests HUC-MSCs can differentiate into a variety of neuro-regulatory molecules and can elevate several factors including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), Glucagon-like pepetide-1 (GLP-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).² Neural stem cells transplanted at sites of nerve injury are thought to promote functional recovery by producing trophic factors that induce survival and regeneration of host neurons. Intravenously administered mesenchymal stem cells are also capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and effectively migrating to regions of neural injury, without inducing tumor growth or an immune response.²

Research has shown mesenchymal stem cells have the potential to affect Alzheimer’s through multiple pathways and can:

1. Decrease Amyloid-beta plaque formation
2. Stimulate neurogenesis, synaptogenesis and neuronal differentiation
3. Rescue spatial learning and memory deficits
4. Possibly decrease inflammation by upregulating neuroprotective cytokines and decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokines

Intravenous vitamin C to support stem cell therapy

• Helps block damage caused by free radicals
• Aids in the development and differentiation of neurons
• Helps in the production of the myelin sheath that protects the neurons
• Aids in cognitive function
• Aids in the formation and maintenance of blood vessels which is critical for optimal cognitive function
• Vital for healing wounds including traumatic brain injury
• It is needed to convert dopamine to serotonin
• It modulates neurotransmitter release in nerve cells
• Helps convert norepinephrine from dopamine

Orally, too much vitamin C can cause irritation to the digestive tract and diarrhea. Much higher doses of vitamin C can be safely administered intravenously without the negative side effects.

Why Choose the Stem Cells Transplant Institute?

• Our physicians are accredited by the American Academy of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine
• We collaborate with the leading researchers, laboratories and clinics worldwide
• Our physicians are members of the International Society for Stem Cell Application, and our CEO and founder, is the ISSCA Chapter Director for Central America and the Caribbean.
• We utilize cutting edge procedures that mix adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells with platelet rich growth factors to enhance efficacy and improve outcomes
• We use adult mesenchymal stem cells derived from the human umbilical cord tissue
• Our physicians are fully licensed to practice medicine and perform stem cell treatments in Costa Rica.
• Stem cell treatment at the Stem Cells Transplant Institute may be significantly less expensive than similar treatments available in the United States, Europe, Mexico and Asia
• We promise to treat every patient with care and respect.
• We promise to do everything within our power to assist our patients and answer your questions thoroughly and honestly.

To learn more about stem cell and vitamin C therapy for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, contact the Stem Cells Transplant Institute today.

Scientific Publications:

1. Travica N., Ried, K., et. al., Plasma Vitamin C Concentrations and Cognitive Function: A Cross-Sectional Study. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 02, April, 2019.
2. Fang Y, Gao T, Zhang B, Pu J. Recent Advances: Decoding Alzheimer’s Disease With Stem Cells. Front Aging Neurosci. 2018;10:77. Published 2018 Mar 22. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2018.00077
3. Dong Hyun Kim et. al., Thrombospondin-1 secreted by human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells rescues neurons from synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease model. Scientific Reports volume8, Article number: 354 (2018) 
4. Lee, M. et al. Low immunogenicity of allogeneic human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells in vitroand in vivo. Biochem Biophys Res Commun446, 983–9 (2014).
5. Kim, J. Y., Jeon, H. B., Yang, Y. S., Oh, W. & Chang, J. W. Application of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells in disease models. World J Stem Cells2, 34–8 (2010).
6. Jeong, S. Y. et al. Thrombospondin-2 secreted by human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells promotes chondrogenic differentiation. Stem Cells31, 2136–48 (2013).
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15068981
8. https://riordanclinic.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/13-75-1-PB.pdf