Vitamin B may reduce risk of stroke

Posted by Neill Abayon

Researchers have uncovered evidence that suggests vitamin B supplements could help to reduce the risk of stroke, according to a study published in the journal Neurology.

 Vitamin B supplements are said to be beneficial for many health issues, including stress, anxiety, depression, dementia, Alzheimer's disease and heart disease.

However, according to Xu Yuming of Zhengzhou University in Zhengzhou, China, previous studies have conflicting findings regarding the use of vitamin B supplements and stroke or heart attack.

"Some studies have even suggested that the supplements may increase the risk of these events," he adds.

In order to determine the role of vitamin B supplements in the risk of stroke, Prof. Yuming and colleagues analyzed 14 randomized clinical trials involving a total of 54,913 participants.

All studies compared use of vitamin B supplements with a placebo, or a very low dosage of the vitamin. All participants were then followed for a period of 6 months.

During this time, there were 2,471 reported strokes over all of the studies.

More here. 

Diabetes drug enters clinical trial for Alzheimer's treatment

 Posted by Neill Abayon

A drug commonly used for treating diabetes may reverse symptoms of late-stage Alzheimer's disease and is now in the process of entering a major clinical trial.

Researchers from Lancaster University in the UK conducted a study revealing that the drug, liraglutide, may reverse memory loss in the late stages of Alzheimer's, as well as prevent the build-up of toxic plaques on the brain that contribute to symptoms of the disorder.

Liraglutide is from a class of drugs known as GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide-1) analogue. The drug is prescribed to those suffering from diabetes and is used to stimulate insulin production.

But the study, published in the journal Neuropharmacology, shows that the drug can also pass through the blood-brain barrier and protect brain cells.

The researchers tested the drug on the brains of 14 month-old mice who were suffering from late stage Alzheimer's disease. Liraglutide was injected into the mice over a 2-month period.

More here.

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Fish oil could prevent alcohol-related dementia

Posted by Neill Abayon

Omega-3 fish oil could help protect against alcohol-related dementia, according to a study presented at the 14th Congress of the European Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism in Warsaw, Poland.

 The study, conducted by researchers from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, analyzed the brain cells of rats who had been exposed to large quantities of alcohol.

In a previous study carried out by the same research team, it was discovered that moderate social drinking, defined as two alcoholic drinks a day for men and one for women, could reduce the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.

The research showed that small amounts of alcohol could improve the fitness of brain cells, by "toughening them up" to cope with stress later in life that could lead to dementia. However, high amounts of alcohol were found to "overwhelm" the cells, leading to inflammation and cell death.

According to the Alzheimer's Society, alcohol-related dementia - often referred to as Wernicke-Korsakoff's syndrome, is diagnosed in about 1 in 8 people with alcoholism. Studies have shown that the condition is most common in men between the ages of 45 and 65 with a long history of alcohol misuse.

For this most recent study, the researchers assessed adult rat brain cells that had been exposed to large quantities of alcohol - the equivalent to a human being four times over the legal alcohol limit for driving. 

More here .


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Alzheimer's disease linked to poor dental health

Posted by Neill Abayon

A study has found that people with poor oral hygiene or gum disease could be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer's compared with those who have healthy teeth.

Researchers from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in the UK, discovered the presence of a bacterium called Porphyromonas gingivalis in the brains of patients who had dementia when they were alive. The bug is usually associated with chronic periodontal (gum) disease.
For the study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 10 brain samples from patients with dementia were donated for analysis by a scheme called Brains for Dementia Research, alongside 10 brain samples from people who had not had the disease.
Examination of the samples revealed the presence of the Porphyromonas gingivalis in the samples of the brains affected by Alzheimer's.

Need for invasive dental treatment 'increases the bacterial risk'

This bacteria is usually found in oral cavities, and enters the blood stream through a variety of daily activities, such as chewing, eating and brushing teeth. However, it is more likely to enter the blood stream after invasive dental treatment, where it is possible that the bacteria can enter the brain regularly, the researchers say.

More here.

Alzheimer's blood test edges closer

Alzheimer's is a growing problem as people live longer

By James Gallagher

Researchers believe they are closer to developing a blood test that could diagnose Alzheimer's.

There is no definitive test for the brain-wasting disease. Doctors rely on cognition tests and brain scans.

A technique published in the journal Genome Biology showed differences in the tiny fragments of genetic material floating in the blood could be used to identify patients.

The test was accurate 93% of the time in trials on 202 people.

One of the main goals of Alzheimer's research is to find ways of detecting the disease earlier.

It starts years before symptoms appear and it is thought that future treatments will need to be given before large parts of the brain are destroyed. This will require new ways of testing for the condition.

The team at the Saarland University, in Germany, analysed 140 microRNAs (fragments of genetic code) in patients with Alzheimer's disease and in healthy people.

They found 12 microRNAs in the blood which were present in markedly different levels in people with Alzheimer's. These became the basis of their test.

Early trials showed it was successful and was "able to distinguish with high diagnostic accuracies between Alzheimer's disease patients and healthy" people.

More here.

Daily dose of beet juice promotes brain health in older adults

Posted by Neill Abayon

The memory and mind-destroying disease known as Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia are often seen as terrifying consequences of aging that strike out of the blue -- and supposedly little can be done to prevent or treat these horrible conditions. But while Big Pharma has consistently failed to come up with drugs that halt or reverse cognitive decline, at least for long, research into natural therapies continues to provide tangible evidence that much can be done to fight dementia using exercise, diet and supplements.

For example, vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to declining mental abilities (http://www.naturalnews.com/025807_V...) and researchers have also found that ancient meditation and exercise techniques, including qigong and Tai Chi, slow physical, mental and psychological decline in people with dementia (http://www.naturalnews.com/025040_A...). And now, for the first time, scientists have discovered that drinking beet juice can increase blood flow to the brain in older adults and may combat the progression of Alzheimer's and related conditions.

Read the full article here.

Protect yourself from Alzheimer's disease with cinnamon

Posted by Neill Abayon

Degenerative mental diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia continue to ravish the lives of millions around the world. And to make matters worse, the financial burden of caring for dementia patients now tops one percent of the entire world's gross domestic product (GDP). But there are ways to help prevent and treat serious mental decline, including simply eating lots of cinnamon.

Dr. Richard Anderson, a diabetes expert from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, discovered several years ago that cinnamon helps to stabilize blood sugar levels by improving the quality of insulin in the body. But more recently, he found that cinnamon also helps to stop the formation of Alzheimer's disease, the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S.

When eaten with food or taken in extract form, cinnamon helps block the formation of "tau filaments" that are associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. In tests, cinnamon actually disassembled and eliminated these filaments from within cells, effectively reversing the effects of the disease.

Read the full article here.

Popular Asian spice can cure Alzheimer's disease

Posted by Neill Abayon

Nature is full of various herbs and spices that protect against disease and even treat and cure it. And according to Chris Kilham, an ethnobotanist and Fox News' "Medicine Hunter", turmeric root -- also known in its extract form as curcumin -- is one such powerful spice that appears to both prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease and even cure it.

"People who develop Alzheimer's disease get a sticky plaque in the brain called amyloid beta," explained Kilham to Dr. Manny Alvarez in a recent Fox News interview. Such plaques either develop as a result of Alzheimer's, or they are the direct cause of it. But either way, they are directly related to the degenerative process.

However studies show that turmeric actually eliminates these plaques, both when they are first starting to form and even during the late stages of their advancement.

"What we have in turmeric is something that appears to inhibit the development of Alzheimer's disease…and actually help to reduce the occurrence of plaque in the brain if you have it," noted Kilham. "We know in animal studies, when animals actually have amyloid beta plaque in their brains and they're given turmeric root…that plaque is reduced."


Read the full article here.

Green tea 'slows prostate cancer'

Posted by Neill Abayon

A chemical found in green tea appears to slow the progression of prostate cancer, a study has suggested.

Green tea has been linked to a positive effect on a wide range of conditions, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

The research, in the US journal Cancer Prevention Research, found a significant fall in certain markers which indicate cancer development.

A UK charity said the tea might help men manage low-risk tumours.

Although previous studies have shown benefits from drinking green tea - including some positive findings in relation to prostate cancer, there have been mixed results.

In this study, Philadelphia-based researchers tested a compound called Polyphenon E.

They were looking for a number of biomarkers - molecules - including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) which are indicators of developing cancer.

Read the full article here.

ALZHEIMER'S REPORT

Posted by Neill Abayon

While many new medications for alzheimer's disease are being tested,donepezil hydrochloride (Aricept) recently received approval by the U.S. food and Drug Administration. The drug approved to be safe and effective in clinical trials of patients with mild to moderate severed disease.
Like tecrine hydrochloride (cognex) - the first medication approved for alzheimer's - donepezil hydrochloride blocks the breakdown of acetychlorine, a critical brain chemical associated with memory. But the new drug appears to have fewer side effects than tacrine, which can elevate liver enzymes, requiring regular blood testing.
Still other research, focuses on promising therapies that might delay onset of the disease. Recent studies suggest that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen, or the hormone estrogen might stave off Alzheimers. Also under investigation is vitamin E plus selegiline an antioxidant that boosts the brain chemical dopamine, and prednisone, a steroid that may have an NSAID-like effect.