66 results found for: Alzheimer's

Counting Calories Could Prevent Diseases

Research presented on February 11, 2019 at FAPESP (São Paulo Research Foundation) Week London supports the potential for calorie restriction to protect against several diseases. The studies were conducted under the auspices of the Center for Research on Redox Processes in Biomedicine, which is funded by FAPESP. “We are looking at how changes to the diet affect metabolism and how that ends up changing the odds of having diseases associated with aging,” commented researcher Alicia Kowaltowski, of the University of São Paulo. In one experiment, a group of mice was allowed to consume as much food as they desired, and the number […]

Is A High Carb Diet Good For Older Brains?

Research published in the November 20, 2018 issue of Cell Reports suggests a potential benefit for a diet low in protein and high in complex carbohydrates in older individuals. Acting on the findings of a study conducted in 2015 at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre which revealed that a low-protein, high- carbohydrate diet was as effective as a calorie restricted diet in regard to extending the life of mice, Professor of Geriatric Medicine David G. Le Couteur and colleagues evaluated the effects of three unrestricted low-protein, high-carbohydrate diets and a control diet on the brain’s hippocampus, which is an area involved in […]

Got Milk Thistle? It Does the Body (and Liver) Good

Milk thistle, a liver cleansing herb, was so important to early American settlers that colonists brought it over from Europe as part of their traditional medicine supply. Milk thistle grows throughout the world – in Africa, Australia, Asia, the U.S. and South America. The mature plant boasts identifiable bright purple flowers. Milk thistle is also commonly called silymarin because of the health-promoting antioxidants, particularly silybin.  It really is a tonic for the liver and is used to treat toxic liver damage caused by alcohol, chemicals and even chemotherapy. It has been used in ancient medicine and among herbalists to treat […]

Are Mitochondria The Future of Medicine?

Why do we age? Why does cancer develop? What’s the connection between heart failure and Alzheimer’s disease, or infertility and hearing loss? Can we extend lifespan, and if so, how? What is the Exercise Paradox? Why do antioxidant supplements sometimes do more harm than good? Many will be amazed to learn that all these questions, and many more, can be answered by a single point of discussion: mitochondria and bioenergetics. In Mitochondria and the Future of Medicine, author and naturopathic doctor Lee Know tells the epic story of mitochondria, the widely misunderstood and often-overlooked powerhouses of our cells. The legendary […]

Low Dose Aspirin Could Help Treat Alzheimer’s Disease

On July 2, 2018, The Journal of Neuroscience reported the discovery of an ability of aspirin to decrease amyloid beta plaque in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. The presence in the brain of amyloid beta plaques, along with neurofibrillary tangles made up of hyperphosphorylated tau protein, are among the characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease in humans. Dr Pahan and colleagues determined that aspirin upregulates transcription factor EB (TFEB), a regulator of lysosome formation. “Lysosomes play a central role in cellular homeostasis by regulating the cellular degradative machinery,” lead researcher Kalipada Pahan, PhD, and colleagues explain. “Since aberrant lysosomal function has been associated with […]

Green Tea’s Secret Property Could Benefit Arteries

A report appearing on June 1, 2018 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry suggests that the green tea compound epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) could help dissolve atherosclerotic plaque associated with heart attack and stroke. The compound is currently under investigation in regard to its ability to reduce amyloid plaque in the brain, which is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at Lancaster University and the University of Leeds found that EGCG binds to the amyloid fibers of apolipoprotein A-1 (apoA-1), which can form amyloid deposits in arterial plaques similar to those that occur in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients. These deposits enlarge plaque and make […]

Sage Advice: One Spice’s Long List of Benefits

Soft, fuzzy sage leaves have a rich history and use culinary as well as medicinally. Sage has been used in Europe for centuries as a spice and a medicine. There are many different species of sage, perhaps as many as 900, but Salvia officinalis is most commonly used medicinally, horticulturally, and commercially. Used commonly as a savory culinary spice in everything from sauces to poultry seasoning to modern cocktails, sage also has a rich history of medicinal use. The essential oil in sage contains monoterpenes and tannins which may contribute to the way it can benefit health and the human body, exerting […]

Mushrooms May Have Anti-aging Potential

Your favorite pizza topping could you help fight aging! A team of Penn State researchers found mushrooms are rich in antioxidants that scientists say could be used fight aging and boost general health. The study suggests that mushrooms have high amounts of the ergothioneine and glutathione, both important antioxidants, said Professor Robert Beelman. He added that the researchers also found that the amounts the two compounds varied greatly between mushroom species. “What we found is that, without a doubt, mushrooms are highest dietary source of these two antioxidants taken together, and that some types are really packed with both of them,” […]