What Green Tea May Do for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Sufferers

According to the December 2007 issue of Alternatives Newsletter, researchers from the Technion - Israel Institute of Science in Haifa, Israel, have conducted some promising studies of the effects of green tea extract on brain cells. They have successfully shown in animal studies that green tea extract fed to mice with induced Alzheimer's and Parkinson's protected brain cells from dying and restored damaged brain cells. Although the studies involved mice, scientists know that the brain of a mouse has some similarities to the human brain. Therefore, as a result of these positive findings, ongoing tests with humans suffering from Alzheimer's and Parkinson's are currently being conducted in China and elsewhere.

In the Dec. 14, 2007, online issue of Science Daily, an article entitled "Green Tea May Protect Brain Cells Against Parkinson's Disease" suggests similar findings with regard to Parkinson's disease. The article says researchers using animal models looked at the effect green tea polyphenols have on Parkinson's disease, after having previously found that green tea has what they termed neuroprotective effects. Green tea polyphenols contain EGCG, an antioxidant that has been shown to have significant health benefits. The scientists found that green tea polyphenols protect dopamine neurons. Parkinson's disease occurs when there is a loss of dopamine-producing brain cells.

Alzheimer's disease, sometimes called dementia, may also soon be treated and prevented with green tea. Like the findings reported in the Alternatives Newsletter, a Sept. 25, 2005, online article in Science Daily entitled "Green Tea Ingredient Prevents Alzheimer's-like Brain Damage In Mice," says green tea may in fact protect the brain against Alzheimer's disease. The article cites an earlier report that found green tea prevented Alzheimer's-like damage in the brains of mice that had been genetically programmed to develop the Alzheimer's disease process. Scientists have now found that EGCG decreases the production of an Alzheimer's- related protein which can accumulate in the brain, leading to nerve damage and loss of memory. In mouse model studies, scientists found that EGCG seems to block the process by which the Alzheimer's-related protein is formed. Most significant of their findings was that when mice with induced Alzheimer's received daily injections of EGCG, brain-clogging plaques were reduced by as much as 54 percent.

Although more research using human models is needed, scientists currently studying the effects of green tea on Parkinson's and Alzheimer's agree that if consuming green tea can actually be shown to have such profound protective effects on the human brain, it would be a huge medical advance in both preventing and treating Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Regardless, scientists already know green tea has benefits when it comes to cancer and cardiovascular disease, so there is no reason for anyone to hold off in adding green tea to their diet.

Resources:

"Alternatives Newsletter," December 2007, Volume 12, No. 6

Article, Science Daily, "Green Tea May Protect Brain Cells Against Parkinson's Disease;" http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071213101406.htm

Article, Science Daily, "Green Tea Ingredient Prevents Alzheimer's-like Brain Damage In Mice;" http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/09/050928234820.htm