Drinking green tea may help prevent Alzheimer's disease
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By David Liu, Ph.D.
Friday June 24, 2011 (foodconsumer.org) -- A study released online June 21, 2011 in Journal of Alzheimer's Disease suggests that drinking green tea may help prevent Alzheimer's disease (AD).
The study led by Natasa Dragicevic of University of South Florida and colleagues shows that plant-based flavonoids and other bioactive chemicals like Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and luteolin helped improve in vitro some biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's diseases.
Prior to the current study, plant-derived flavonoids have already been found helpful for some Alzheimer's disease phenotypes, the authors reported.
In the current study, the researchers first identified flavonoids and other bioactive compounds that may help amyloid-induced mitochondrial dysfunction. EGCG and luteolin were found most effective in correcting the amyloid induced mitochondrial dysfunction.
EGCG is a major flavonoid in green tea and previous studies have already found it is protective against certain types of cancer and luteolin is an anti-inflammatory agent found in foods like "celery, green pepper, thyme, perilla, chamomile tea, carrots, olive oil, pepperminy, rosemary navel oranges and oregano," according to wikipedia.
They also tested EGCG in mice and found EGCG treatment was able to restore altered mitochondrial respiratory rates, mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive oxygen species production and ATP levels by 50 to o80 percent in certain locations including the hippocampus, cortex and striatum.
The researcher concluded that "The results of this study lend further credence to the notion that EGCG and other flavonoids, such as luteolin, are ‘multipotent therapeutic agents’ that not only reduce toxic levels of brain Aβ, but also hold the potential to protect neuronal mitochondrial function in AD."
Five million Americans may live with Alzheimer's disease, according to the National Institute on Aging. There is no cure for the disease. The u.S. government says there is no known risk factors for the disease, but studies suggest a person's diet and lifestyle may affect his risk for the disease.
A diet with low saturated fat and a low glycemic index; a diet with more salad dressing, nuts, fish, poultry and certain fruits and vegetables and fewer high fat dairy products, red meat, organ meats and butter; vitamin c; cinnamon; vitamin D; Mediterranean diet; physical activity; and antioxidants among other things may help prevent Alzheimer's disease.
On the other hand, tobacco smoking, exposure to aluminum chemicals, inatek of too much dietary iron, high blood sugar level, low bone mineral density and fatty diet among other things may boost the risk for Alzheimer's disease.
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