Wednesday Nov 26, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- Researchers at UCLA in collaboration with Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York have generated more evidence in laboratory and animal studies to suggest that drinking red wine may help prevent Alzheimer's disease.

In the study report, David Teplow, a UCLA professor of neurology, and colleagues said red wine polyphenols blocked the formation of the toxic aggregates of amyloid beta (Aß) and decreased toxicity by binding Aß.

The study was published in the Nov 21 2008 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Early studies suggested that polyphenols from wine, tea, nuts, berries, cocoa and various plants may inhibit or prevent the buildup of toxic fibers consisting mainly of two proteins called Aß40 and Aß42, which depot in the brain and form the plaques that kill neuron cells. But no one knows how.

For the study, the researchers monitored how Aß40 and Aß42 proteins folded up and stuck to each other to produce aggregates that killed nerve cells in mice. And then they treated the proteins with a commercially available grape seed polyphenolic extract, MegaNatural-AZ (MN) and observed how proteins behave in the presence of the polyphenol extract.

This extract also reduced toxicity of Abeta plaques.

Teplow said "Our work in the laboratory, and Mt. Sinai's Dr. Giulio Pasinetti's work in mice, suggest that administration of the compound to Alzheimer's patients might block the development of these toxic aggregates, prevent disease development and also ameliorate existing disease."

The researchers concluded that MN is worthy of consideration as a therapeutic agent for treating Alzheimer’s. But trials are needed to confirm the efficacy.

Alzheimer’s disease affects an estimated 4.5 million Americans. This incurable disease is not a result of normal aging process.   However, a modified diet and lifestyle can reduce the risk.

Read here to learn more about how to prevent Alzheimer's.