Drink launched to reduce early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease

by Taryn Davies | 15 January 2013

The drink is now on sale in the UK

The once-a-day drink has been launched after more than ten years of research and clinical trials that show it could have significant benefits for those diagnosed with early-stage disease.

Souvenaid (a 125ml once-daily drink) was developed by scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and medical nutrition company Nutricia. It contains a unique combination of nutrients that are naturally present in food, at levels difficult to achieve from diet alone.

This includes omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA; eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA), uridine (as uridine monophosphate, UMP) and choline, together with phospholipids and B vitamins.

Dementia affects over 800,000 people in the UK and Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form. In an aging population, ministers and experts have acknowledged the need to diagnose people earlier, to help manage the symptoms and plan for the future.

The loss of connections in the brain (synapses) is one of the key features of early Alzheimer’s disease, and a combination of nutrients is required in the process of making new connections. People living with Alzheimer’s disease have been shown to have relatively low levels of these nutrients in their bodies, despite eating a normal diet. This adds to a growing body of evidence that highlights how nutrition can help manage the disease, and, without consideration of its role, any advantage of diagnosing people earlier could be lost.

A recent survey of specialists involved in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease showed that only a third (33%) regularly assess nutritional status during the diagnostic process and two-thirds do not even have access to a dietitian for people with early Alzheimer’s disease.

Often, after a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, it can be difficult to stay positive, particularly when there has been no real innovation in the management of early Alzheimer’s disease in the last ten years. As such, Souvenaid offers a much needed new nutritional approach for people living with early Alzheimer’s disease.