foodconsumer.org: Green Tea Holds Promise for Treatment of Brain Disorders

Green Tea Holds Promise for Treatment of Brain Disorders
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admin on 12/08/2009 01:15:00
 
Posted by: Dr. Mercola
December 07 2009
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.
Sources:
Science Daily December 3, 2009