Here is a piece of good news to those persons suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
A recent study has shown that a group of chemicals found in many fruits and vegetables, as well as tea, cocoa and red wine could protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating, progressive disorder affecting an estimated 15-20 million people worldwide.
Over the past four decades, through worldwide research efforts, it is now known that in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease there are abnormal cellular processes which lead to neurodegeneration and dementia. Understanding these disease processes at the molecular level will allow the development of pharmacological agents to block these processes, and lead the way for effective therapies in Alzheimer’s disease.
Central to the development of Alzheimer’s disease is toxic beta-amyloid peptide, a substance that is normally produced in the brain but, in this disease, is deposited abnormally as amyloid plaques.
Dr. Robert Williams, a Biochemist working at Kings College London revealed that while much more research needs to be done, there is mounting evidence that certain flavonoids chemicals found in plants and food derived from plants - might provide therapeutic benefit for Alzheimer’s sufferers.
Williams told the media in a recent interview that there have been some intriguing epidemiological studies that the consumption of flavonoid-rich vegetables, fruit juices and red wine delays the onset of the disease.
He said these reports, while not as powerful as controlled, randomized clinical trials, have encouraged a number of research groups, including our own, to investigate the biology of flavonoids in more detail.
The medical expert revealed a lack of good research and clinical trial data meant this field of research had suffered from a lack of scientific credibility, not helped by early positive health claims for flavonoids that cannot access the brain or are broken down too rapidly by the body to be of any benefit.
The medical expert added skepticism also persists because flavonoids are known antioxidants and yet clinical trials with other antioxidants, such as vitamin E, showed no reported benefit on either symptoms or disease progression in dementia.
Williams said a new concept is emerging that suggests flavonoids do not act simply as antioxidants but exert their biological effects through other mechanisms.
To all those persons suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease it is time to consume tea, cocoa and red wine since they contain flavonoid which could treat your sickness.
He said a small number of recent studies carried out in models of Alzheimer’s disease have found that oral administration of green tea flavonoids or grape flavonoids reduces brain pathology and, in some cases, improves cognition. Dr Williams and colleagues have focused their own cellular studies on a flavonoid called epicatechin, which is abundant in a number of foodstuffs, including cocoa.
Furthermore, Williams said he and his team found that epicatechin protects brain cells from damage but through a mechanism unrelated to its antioxidant activity and shown in laboratory tests that it can also reduce some aspects of Alzheimer’s disease pathology.
Williams said their findings is very interesting because epicatechin and its breakdown products are measurable in the bloodstream of humans for a number of hours after ingestion and it is one of the relatively few flavonoids known to access the brain suggesting it has the potential to be bioactive in humans.
He said flavonoids can protect brain cells against the toxic actions of beta-amyloid.
He adds: "Although our findings support the general concept that dietary intake of flavonoid-rich foods or supplements could impact on the development and progression of dementia, they are clearly insufficient to make any sort of nutritional recommendations at this stage.
Williams said the challenge now is to identify the single flavonoid or combination of flavonoids that exert the most positive effects and to define the mechanisms of action and optimal quantity required before embarking on clinical trials to treat their effectiveness in dementia.
Here is a piece of good news to those people who love to drink half a glass of wine in a daily basis.
A recent study has shown that those people who drink at least half a glass of wine everyday could increase their life span by five more years.
According to the research published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health it was discovered that light long term alcohol consumption of all types-up to 20 g a day- extended life by around two extra years compared with no alcohol at all.
The researchers also discovered that extended life expectancy was slightly less for those who drank more than 20 g.
It was also learned that men who drank only wine, and less than half a glass of it a day, lived around 2.5 years longer than those who drank beer and spirits, and almost five years longer than those who drank no alcohol at all.
The findings were based on 1,373 randomly selected men whose cardiovascular health and life expectancy at age 50 were repeatedly monitored between 1960 and 2000.
Wine drinkers who drink half a glass of the liquor everyday could increase their life expectancy by five more years according to a recent study.
The team of experts conducted the research by looking into how much alcohol the men drank, what type it was, and over what period, in a bid to assess whether this had any impact on the risks of their dying from cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and from all causes.
The team also tracked weight and diet, whether the men smoked, and for how long, and checked for the presence of serious illness.
Based on their 40 years of monitoring, 1,130 of the men died. Over half the deaths were caused by cardiovascular disease.
The proportion of men who drank alcohol almost doubled from 45% in 1960 to 86% in 2000, with the proportion of those drinking wine soaring from 2% to 44% during that period.
Furthermore, the researchers found out that drinking wine was strongly associated with a lower risk of dying from coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and death from all causes.
The researchers said the results of their findings held true, irrespective of socioeconomic status, dietary and other lifestyle habits, factors long thought to influence the association between wine drinking and better health.