Encouraging new research has shown that a combination of two chemicals, one of which is found in green tea have proved to be effective in the prevention and treatment of brain disorders. Serious conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases will benefit enormously from these new discoveries.
Amyloids are known to have a negative impact resulting in fatal brain disorders. These are tightly bound sheets of protein that find their way into the brain, eventually suffocating brain cells. This causes memory loss, language impairment, motor function and eventually premature death.
The stability and complexity of amyloids has made the destruction of plaque cells in the brain, until recently, only minimally successful.
An article published in the December issue of Nature Chemical Biology cited studies by the Boston Biomedical Research Institute and the University of Pennsylvania showing that combining the EGCG component in green tea with another isolated compound can actually dissolve these amyloids. This is the first time a particular set of chemical extracts has shown such effectiveness in amyloid eradication.
Further research will continue and scientists anticipate discovering what exactly causes the success of combining these two components. It is considered to be a promising initial step forward, furthering the understanding and treatment of amyloid-based diseases.
EGCG is short for, Epigallocatechin 3-gallate and is the ester of of epigallocatechin and gallic acid. If we drink enough green tea or take green tea supplements there may be hope yet, that some of will be able to pronounce it and possibly even store the word in our memories.