Slow protein clearance 'clue to Alzheimer

Scientists suggest people with Alzheimer's disease clear a damaging protein from their brains more slowly than those who are healthy.

It was already known that the beta-amyloid protein built up in the brains of people with the condition.

But the US study in Science suggests it is the poor clearance of the protein, not the build-up, that is the problem.

UK experts said the study of 24 people was small, but exciting, and could help understanding of the disease.

The ageing population means that dementia, including Alzheimer's, is currently seen as one of the main health challenges in the UK.

Numbers affected are set to soar - figures suggest that more than a million people will have developed the disease before 2025.
Using a spinal needle to collect the fluid, the team of neurologists from the University of Medicine in St Louis measured the amount of beta-amyloid in the brain fluid of 12 patients with late-onset Alzheimer's, and 12 patients who did not have the disease.

The levels were then sampled every hour for 36 hours.
It was found that the clearance of beta-amyloid in people with Alzheimer's was 30% slower than those without the disease.

They suggested beta-amyloid clearance rates could eventually be measured, perhaps via a blood test, in order to detect Alzheimer's before the symptoms appear.

And they added that the results meant scientists could now look at how beta-amyloid is moved out the brain. This in turn could help scientists develop drugs to target that process.

The study of was welcomed by the Alzheimer's Society.

Dr Clive Ballard, director of research, said: "This exciting study gives us an insight into the building blocks of Alzheimer's disease.

"We now need further research to find out why the system is not working properly and whether amyloid is toxic in higher concentrations.

"The burning question is whether this process starts before the onset of symptoms as this could be vital to the development of new treatments."

However Dr Simon Ridley, head of research at the Alzheimer's Research Trust, was more cautious. He commented: "As the researchers themselves point out, this was a small study, and it is not yet clear whether increased amyloid is a cause of Alzheimer's or a symptom of it.

"If we are to find the answers to these elusive questions and find an effective treatment for dementia, we must invest in more research.

Alzheimer's Disease - keeping away ways

Apple Juice

Apple juice can boost the yield of acetylcholine in the brain. That is the like ingredient found in the number one prescribed, extremely advertised pharmaceutic drug Aricept (donepezil), which is used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.

When researchers at the University of Massachusetts Lowell spiked the drinking water of old mice with apple juice concentrate they recorded increased speed and accuracy on memory and learning tasks, such as maneuvering their way through mazes.

Go with the past adage of an apple a day, but make that two apples or two cups of juice.

Cinnamon

Dr. Richard Anderson, an expert on diabetes at the U.S Department of Agriculture, found that eating cinnamon can invigorate weak, ineffective insulin, enabling it to process sugar normally. Add cinnamon to your foods and drinks.

A total of one-half to one teaspoon a day is plenty for most people. You can also get a high dose of the active ingredients by taking a standardized water-soluble extract of cinnamon as a dietary supplement.

Anderson’s latest research work shows out that cinnamon may stop the genesis of Alzheimer’s disease because it blocked the formation of “tau filaments,” which help to initiate the disease.

Coffee 

Coffee, once considered the drink of the unhealthy, is now emerging as a tonic for the aging brain, as well as a deterrent to several chronic diseases that promote Alzheimer’s. Moreover, several studies suggest that coffee drinking earlier in life reduces the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

In one large Finnish study,men and women who drank the most coffee  during middle age were 65 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s 20 years later.

What’s coffee’s secret? It’s an anti inflammatory, helps block the ill effects of cholesterol in the brain, and cuts the risks of stroke, depression, and diabetes, all promoters of dementia. It’s also high in antioxidants and caffeine, both strong players in brain biochemistry.

Wise words from the Mayo Clinic: “For most people, it appears that a moderate daily intake of coffee  doesn’t seem to hurt and may even help.