Is the cure in a cuppa?
They say most problems can be fixed with a cuppa, and that a glass of red wine a day can improve heart health – now the two may be even more powerful combined when it comes to the brain.
They say most problems can be fixed with a cuppa, and that a glass of red wine a day can improve heart health – now the two may be even more powerful combined when it comes to the brain.
New research shows chemicals in green tea and red wine may block the brain damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientists targeted a process that allows harmful clumps of protein in the brain to kill neurons.
Using purified extracts of the chemicals EGCG in green tea and resveratrol in red wine, they were able to stop nerve cells from being harmed.
The findings, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, could pave the way for new drugs to treat Alzheimer’s.
Lead scientist Professor Nigel Hooper, from the University of Leeds in the UK, says it’s an important step in increasing understanding of the cause and progression of the disease.
“It’s a misconception that Alzheimer’s is a natural part of ageing; it’s a disease that we believe can ultimately be cured through finding new opportunities for drug targets like this,” he said.
Alzheimer’s is characterised by a buildup of amyloid-beta protein in the brain which clumps together to form toxic, sticky balls.
The amyloid balls latch on to molecules called prions on the surface of nerve cells. As a result, the nerve cells start to malfunction and eventually die.
“We wanted to investigate whether the precise shape of the amyloid balls is essential for them to attach to the prion receptors, like the way a baseball fits snugly into its glove,” claimed Dr Jo Rushworth, another member of the Leeds team.
“If so, we wanted to see if we could prevent the amyloid balls binding to prion by altering their shape, as this would stop the cells from dying.”
The next step for the team is to uncover exactly how the amyloid-prion interaction destroys neurons.
Dr Simon Ridley, from the charity Alzheimer’s Research UK which helped fund the study, warned the results were in its earl-stage and it should not be a signal for people to stock up on green tea and red wine.
