Posted by Jane Lawman on January 02, 2008 at 02:16:41:
An ingredient of green tea may help to protect the brain against the ravages of Alzheimer's disease, research in the US suggests.
Green tea contains many antioxidants, including those known as flavonoids, that can protect against damage to the brain caused by charged particles called free radicals.
Researchers report that a component of green tea prevented Alzheimer's-like damage in the brains of mice genetically programmed to develop the neurodegenerative disease process. The component, called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), is a major antioxidant in green tea and has been widely studied for its reported protection against certain cancers.
Now the USF team provides the first evidence that EGCG decreases production of the Alzheimer's-related protein, beta-amyloid, which can accumulate abnormally in the brain and lead to nerve damage and memory loss. This reduction in beta-amyloid was observed both in cell cultures and a mouse model for Alzheimer's disease. EGCG appears to block the initial process by which the Alzheimer's-related protein is formed in brain cells.
Green tea contains many antioxidants, including those known as flavonoids that can protect against free radical damage to the brain.
