Creatine Supplementation for Dementia Prevention: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Purpose: The primary objective of this narrative review is to evaluate contemporary scientific evidence regarding the efficacy of oral creatine monohydrate supplementation in the prevention and mitigation of cognitive decline and dementia [23, 17].

Research materials and methods: A systematic search of academic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, was conducted to analyze peer-reviewed literature, randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, and preclinical models focusing on brain bioenergetics and neurodegeneration [3, 23].

Basic results: Results indicate that the brain consumes approximately 20% of resting energy, necessitating efficient ATP regeneration via the phosphocreatine-creatine kinase system [11, 24, 21]. Oral supplementation increases brain creatine levels by 3–10%, potentially narrowing the bioenergetic gap associated with neurodegeneration [20, 11, 18]. Clinical findings demonstrate significant improvements in memory performance, particularly in adults aged 66–76 years and those under metabolic stress [8, 3, 22]. Preclinical models further suggest that creatine mitigates amyloid-β neurotoxicity and enhances spatial memory by upregulating markers of synaptic plasticity [16, 9, 26].

Conclusions: Creatine is a safe, accessible intervention that supports brain metabolism and neuroprotection [13, 21]. Preliminary evidence positions creatine as a promising adjunctive therapy for dementia prevention, although future long-term clinical trials are essential to establish optimal dosing protocols [10, 9, 23].