Green Tea Holds Promise for Treatment of Brain Disorders

Scientists have found that combining two chemicals, one of which is the green tea component EGCG, can prevent and destroy a variety of protein structures known as amyloids. The other chemical is known as DAPH-12.

Amyloids are the primary culprits in fatal brain disorders such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and Parkinson's diseases.  They are tightly packed sheets of proteins that infiltrate the brain. These plaques eventually suffocate vital neurons or brain cells, causing loss of memory, language, motor function and eventually premature death.

For decades, a major goal of neurological research has been finding a way to destroy or prevent the formation of amyloid plaques in the brains and nervous systems of people with Alzheimer's and other degenerative diseases. Researchers have generally had little success in destroying plaques in the human brain, and only minimal success in the laboratory. Amyloids are immensely stable, and have a complex composition.