{"id":131524,"date":"2025-05-25T20:29:10","date_gmt":"2025-05-25T20:29:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/131524\/"},"modified":"2025-05-25T20:29:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-25T20:29:10","slug":"creatine-may-help-with-alzheimers-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/131524\/","title":{"rendered":"Creatine May Help with Alzheimer&#8217;s Disease"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul data-node-id=\"0\" class=\"css-1wk73g0 emevuu60\">\n<li data-node-id=\"0.0\">Creatine is everywhere on social media right now, with recs coming from influencers and health experts. <\/li>\n<li data-node-id=\"0.1\">Research is starting to find that the popular supplement can do more than help you build muscle. <\/li>\n<li data-node-id=\"0.2\">In a small pilot trial published in a journal, researchers found that creatine monohydrate may help improve cognitive function in individuals with Alzheimer&#8217;s Disease. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"2\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\"><br data-node-id=\"2.0\"\/>It\u2019s hard to cruise your For You feed right now without being faced with yet another testimonial about the perks of taking a creatine supplement. While creatine is the supplement du jour, there is solid data to support its use\u2014mostly around fitness. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"3\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">But a growing body of research suggests that creatine may do more than help you <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC8949037\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC8949037\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"build muscles\" data-node-id=\"3.1\" class=\"body-link css-7bauu1 emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">build muscles<\/a>, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.womenshealthmag.com\/health\/a63677569\/creatine-depression-study\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.womenshealthmag.com\/health\/a63677569\/creatine-depression-study\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"easing depression\" data-node-id=\"3.3\" class=\"body-link css-7bauu1 emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">easing depression<\/a> and helping with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.womenshealthmag.com\/health\/a63690161\/creatine-cognitive-function-sleep-study\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.womenshealthmag.com\/health\/a63690161\/creatine-cognitive-function-sleep-study\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"brain fog\" data-node-id=\"3.5\" class=\"body-link css-7bauu1 emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">brain fog<\/a> after a bad night&#8217;s sleep. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"4\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">Now, a new study suggests that there may be some benefit to using creatine to boost cognition in people with Alzheimer\u2019s disease. The research is very early and this is technically a pilot trial (which is basically a trial run). But the findings bring up a number of questions about whether something as simple as adding a creatine supplement could help improve symptoms in people with such a devastating condition. <\/p>\n<p>Related Stories<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"7\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">Here&#8217;s what the study, found plus what  doctors and nutritionists recommend keeping in mind. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"8\" class=\"body-tip css-13fzjfi emevuu60\"><strong data-node-id=\"8.0\">Meet the experts<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/neurology.msu.edu\/directory\/amit-sachdev\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/neurology.msu.edu\/directory\/amit-sachdev\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Amit Sachdev,\" data-node-id=\"8.2\" class=\"body-link css-7bauu1 emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">Amit Sachdev,<\/a> MD, is the medical director in the Department of Neurology at Michigan State University; Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, is co-founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/sohostrengthlab.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/sohostrengthlab.com\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"SoHo Strength Lab\" data-node-id=\"8.4\" class=\"body-link css-7bauu1 emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">SoHo Strength Lab<\/a>; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kumc.edu\/mtaylor3.html\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.kumc.edu\/mtaylor3.html\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Matthew Taylor\" data-node-id=\"8.6\" class=\"body-link css-7bauu1 emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">Matthew Taylor<\/a>, PhD, RD, is a study co-author, assistant professor, and director of the KU Brain Nutrition Laboratory at University of Kansas Medical Center; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.providence.org\/doctors\/profile\/203880-clifford-segil\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.providence.org\/doctors\/profile\/203880-clifford-segil\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Clifford Segil,\" data-node-id=\"8.8\" class=\"body-link css-7bauu1 emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">Clifford Segil,<\/a> DO, is a neurologist at Providence Saint John\u2019s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA<\/p>\n<p><strong data-node-id=\"9.0\">What did the study find?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"10\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">The study, which was published in the journal <a href=\"https:\/\/alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/trc2.70101\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/trc2.70101\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Alzheimer\u2019s &amp; Dementia Translational Research &amp; Clinical Interventions\" data-node-id=\"10.1.0\" class=\"body-link css-7bauu1 emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">Alzheimer\u2019s &amp; Dementia Translational Research &amp; Clinical Interventions<\/a>, looked into the \u201cfeasibility\u201d of patients with Alzheimer\u2019s disease taking 20 grams a day of creatine monohydrate (the most widely studied form of creatine) for eight weeks. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"11\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">The researchers looked at how compliant the patients were (i.e. how likely they were to take the supplement). They also monitored levels of creatine in the patients\u2019 blood at the start, four weeks, and eight weeks later, along with levels of creatine in their brains. They also tested the patients&#8217; cognition at the start of the study and after eight weeks. <\/p>\n<p>Related Stories<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"13\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">The researchers found that 19 of the 20 participants were more than 80 percent compliant with taking the creatine during the study. They also found that creatine levels went up in their blood after four and eight weeks, and that creatine in the brain increased by 11 percent. And here&#8217;s the really interesting part: The researchers discovered that the patients had better improvements in cognitive tests, including sorting and reading, along with tests to measure attention and response, after eight weeks of creatine supplementation. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"14\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">The researchers concluded that the findings provide \u201cpreliminary evidence\u201d for more research. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"15\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">\u201cWe decided to do this study because there were a couple of recent studies in mice suggesting that, in a mouse model of Alzheimer\u2019s, creatine monohydrate supplementation may be beneficial,\u201d says study co-author <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kumc.edu\/mtaylor3.html\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.kumc.edu\/mtaylor3.html\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Matthew Taylor\" data-node-id=\"15.1\" class=\"body-link css-7bauu1 emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">Matthew Taylor<\/a>, PhD, RD, assistant professor and director of the KU Brain Nutrition Laboratory at University of Kansas Medical Center. \u201cPrior to this study, no work had been done in humans with Alzheimer\u2019s, so it was the right time to start looking at it as a potentially beneficial supplement for Alzheimer\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong data-node-id=\"16.0\">Why might creatine supplements help people with Alzheimer\u2019s disease?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"17\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">The study didn\u2019t look into this, but there are some theories. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"18\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">\u201cThe brain requires a lot of energy, but in Alzheimer\u2019s, brain energy metabolism drastically declines,\u201d Taylor explains. \u201cCreatine is a very important substance for transporting energy produced by our mitochondria and increasing creatine levels may even encourage mitochondria to produce more energy.\u201d <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"19\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS, co-founder of <a href=\"https:\/\/sohostrengthlab.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/sohostrengthlab.com\/\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"SoHo Strength Lab\" data-node-id=\"19.1\" class=\"body-link css-7bauu1 emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">SoHo Strength Lab<\/a>, co-signs that theory. Creatine helps to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), \u201cand ATP is the brain\u2019s primary energy source,\u201d he says. Adding more creatine to the body could, in theory, help support cognition in people with Alzheimer&#8217;s disease, Matheny adds. <\/p>\n<p>Related Stories<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"21\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">Creatine may also have other roles, like decreasing inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, which could potentially help with symptoms of Alzheimer\u2019s disease, Taylor says. \u201cEach of these roles could help with cognitive function in Alzheimer\u2019s, but we still have so much to learn about the roles of this molecule in the brain,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n<p><strong data-node-id=\"22.0\">Should people with Alzheimer\u2019s disease take creatine supplements?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"23\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">We\u2019re not there yet. Again, this was a pilot study and it simply found that people who have Alzheimer\u2019s disease may be able to regularly take creatine supplements and might have a boost in cognition as a result. <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"24\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">But this doesn\u2019t mean that people with Alzheimer\u2019s disease should take creatine, says <a href=\"https:\/\/neurology.msu.edu\/directory\/amit-sachdev\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/neurology.msu.edu\/directory\/amit-sachdev\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Amit Sachdev,\" data-node-id=\"24.1\" class=\"body-link css-7bauu1 emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">Amit Sachdev,<\/a> MD, medical director in the Department of Neurology at Michigan State University. \u201cI would not advise the use of creatine with the goal of improving cognition,\u201d he says, noting that there\u2019s not yet \u201cwell-established data to support this use.\u201d <\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"25\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.providence.org\/doctors\/profile\/203880-clifford-segil\" target=\"_blank\" data-vars-ga-outbound-link=\"https:\/\/www.providence.org\/doctors\/profile\/203880-clifford-segil\" data-vars-ga-ux-element=\"Hyperlink\" data-vars-ga-call-to-action=\"Clifford Segil,\" data-node-id=\"25.0\" class=\"body-link css-7bauu1 emevuu60\" rel=\"noopener\">Clifford Segil,<\/a> DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John\u2019s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, agrees. &#8220;We are not at a point that creatine supplementation for brain health is an accepted supplement,&#8221; he says.<\/p>\n<p data-journey-content=\"true\" data-node-id=\"26\" class=\"css-i9p093 emevuu60\">Taylor agrees. \u201cOur study is far from a definitive study,\u201d he says. \u201cWell-designed, placebo-controlled clinical trials are needed to determine whether creatine is beneficial for Alzheimer\u2019s. I would suggest Alzheimer\u2019s patients and their families discuss taking any supplement with their neurologist.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/1748204950_906_ea27d1a6-ecd9-4da8-b2a7-049a03b4ab93_1528214135.file\" alt=\"Headshot of Korin Miller\" title=\"Headshot of Korin Miller\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"css-o0wq4v ev8dhu53\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men\u2019s Health, Women\u2019s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master\u2019s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Creatine is everywhere on social media right now, with recs coming from influencers and health experts. Research is&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":131525,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4318],"tags":[1380,57993,1331,105,1381,4434,57992,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-131524","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-content-type-news","9":"tag-contentid-148448ee-b26c-450f-8c54-c1bcac950652","10":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-locale-us","13":"tag-nutrition","14":"tag-shorttitle-how-creatine-may-help-with-alzheimers-symptoms","15":"tag-uk","16":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114570367009467682","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=131524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/131524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/131525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=131524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=131524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=131524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}