Japanese Dementia Breakthrough DENIED to American Seniors
Caring for a loved one with dementia is absolutely heartbreaking.
And it’s not just watching their memories… and even independence… slip away.
It’s seeing them go through the constant agitation, confusion, irritability – and even lashing out – that come with the disease.
But, believe it or not, they’ve been successfully treating these symptoms in Japan for more than 70 years.
There’s a safe, herbal formula that’s part of the standard of care for dementia patients in Japan.
It’s been proven in study after study to dramatically reduce some of the most devastating symptoms of dementia.
American seniors are never told about it – and it’s a bit hard to get your hands on.
But we’re going to show you exactly how.
Let’s start with the obvious – the way American medicine treats symptoms like agitation and anxiety in dementia patients is a disaster.
We load them up with drugs like benzodiazepines and antipsychotics that are specifically NOT recommended for dementia patients – and could make their condition worse.
Researchers from UCLA poured through nine years’ worth of Medicare data on dementia patients and found that one out of every four were being given an inappropriate drug – usually to sedate them.
But that’s what makes yokukansan different…
Yokukansan is a traditional Japanese medicine, made from a blend of seven herbs. It’s been used for about 400 years – but it was really in the 1950s that doctors started prescribing it to soothe agitation in dementia patients.
Now, it’s part of the standard of care in Japan. And the research behind it is ironclad.
Back in 2016, a research team performed a “meta-analysis” on yokukansan, where they pooled together several studies and ran the numbers.
Yokukansan consistently improved Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) scores in dementia patients. It was particularly effective in reducing delusions, hallucinations, agitation, and aggression.
This actually followed another meta-analysis three years before, which found that yokukansan consistently boosted Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) scores in dementia patients – including relieving agitation and aggression.
And unlike a lot of the drugs being thrown at American dementia patients, yokukansan is remarkably safe.
The trick to yokukansan is that it helps control neurotransmitters in the brain. It increases the activity of serotonin, while regulating signals from glutamate and GABA. The end result is a natural, calming effect.
Now, let’s be clear – yokukansan is not a cure for dementia. But it’s been proven to help dementia patients – and their caregivers – cope with some of the most heart-wrenching effects of the disease.
Yokukansan is well known in Japan, but American seniors are never told about it – and you’ll have a hard time finding it in the United States.
But there are some Japanese retailers who make it available online. You can find Kracie Pharmaceuticals yokukansan supplements from suppliers like Japan With Love (https://japanwithlovestore.com/).
If you’re caring for a loved one with dementia, just make sure to keep their doctor posted on any supplements they are taking.
Always scouring the world for you,
Ray Thatcher
Research Director, Health Sciences Institute
Sources:
- Matsunaga S, Kishi T, Iwata N. Yokukansan in the Treatment of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: An Updated Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Alzheimers Dis. 2016 Sep 6;54(2):635-43. doi: 10.3233/JAD-160418. PMID: 27497482.
- Matsuda Y, Kishi T, Shibayama H, Iwata N. Yokukansan in the treatment of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2013 Jan;28(1):80-6. doi: 10.1002/hup.2286. PMID: 23359469.
- University of California – Los Angeles Health Sciences. (2026, January 13). Millions with dementia still prescribed drugs linked to falls and confusion. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260113220915.htm
