Alzheimer?s Prevention Found in Grapes

Ivanhoe Newswire

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Previous research has linked red wine to protection from heart disease and certain types of cancer, and a new study details how it may protect against Alzheimer's disease.

A recently published study reveals how compounds called polyphenols -- which occur naturally in red wine -- may block the formation of the toxic plaques thought to destroy the brain cells of Alzheimer's patients.

Researchers treated two types of proteins that contribute to the buildup of toxic brain plaques with a polyphenol compound extracted from grape seeds. They found the compound blocked toxic buildup of the proteins and also decreased the toxicity of existing plaques.

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"What we found is pretty straightforward," lead author David Teplow, a professor of neurology at the University of California Los Angeles, was quoted as saying. "If the A? proteins can't assemble, toxic aggregates can't form, and thus there is no toxicity. Our work in the laboratory and Mt. Sinai's Dr. Giulio Pasinetti's work in mice suggest that administration of the compound to Alzheimer's patients might block the development of these toxic aggregates, prevent disease development and also ameliorate existing disease."

SOURCE: Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2008;

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