Saturday Sep 13, 2014 (Foodconsumer.org) -- A new study suggests that eating ginger often or taking a ginger supplement may help prevent Alzheimer's disease.   The study shows that supplementation with 6-shogaol a compound found in ginger helped prevent cognitive impairment in animal dementia models.

Ginger is used as a spice and a traditional herbal medicine.  And it has also been known for its disease modifying effects in Alzheimer;s disease.  

In previous studies, 6-shogaol exhibited a memory-enhancing and antioxidant properties against neurological diseases like Alzheimer's disease.  This compound has also recently been found to have anti-neuroinflammatory effects against Parkinson's  disease.

The current study demonstrated that the ginger ocmpound has anti-inflammatory effects against  oligomeric forms of the Aβ (AβO) in animal brains.

The study found "administration of 6-shogaol significantly reduced microgliosis and astrogliosis in intrahippocampal AβO-injected mice, ameliorated AβO and scopolamine-induced memory impairment, and elevated NGF levels and pre- and post-synaptic marker in the hippocampus."

The findings suggest that 6-shogaol may inhibit glial cell activation and reducing memory impairment in animal models of dementia and it is possible that this compound may be used to help prevent dementia like Alzheimer's disease.  (David Liu, PHD)

Moon M, Kim HG, Choi JG, Oh H, Lee PK, Ha SK, Kim SY, Park Y, Huh Y, Oh MS., 6-Shogaol, an active constituent of ginger, attenuates neuroinflammation and cognitive deficits in animal models of dementia.  Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2014 Jun 20;449(1):8-13.

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