Healthwise

Tuesday, 2 July 2013

Cinnamon - The ...Spice That Prevents Alzheimer’s

The Sweet and Savory Spice That Prevents Alzheimer’s

June 26, 2013

The Greeks and Romans once prized it for its medicinal properties.

Now it’s proving to do more than just quell an upset stomach.

We now know that this sweet and savory spice may help protect your brain.

Alzheimer’s develops from a buildup of plaque and tangles (also known as beta-amyloid and tau). These are proteins that accumulate in the brain. Over time, their abundance causes neurons to die.

The result? Communication in the brain shuts down.

And that’s where the spice comes into play. Two compounds in the spice actually prevent the development of tangles. It keeps your brain healthy and memory intact.

Having diabetes puts you at a greater risk for developing Alzheimer’s. Cinnamon can help with that too.

Cinnamon helps improve blood sugar levels. It has an “insulin-like effect” and stops sugar spikes.

Just half a teaspoon of cinnamon a day can significantly reduce your blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

This sweet smelling spice is stopping the buildup of plaque and stopping Alzheimer’s disease in its tracks…

We’re talking about cinnamon. It contains two active compounds—cinnamaldehyde and epicatechin.

Cinnamaldehyde gives cinnamon its sweet smell. It prevents oxidative stress from reaching the tau proteins. Tau proteins are vital in keeping neurons functioning properly. By blocking oxidative stress, cinnameldehyde helps keep neurons alive and healthy.

The other compound epicatechin is a powerful antioxidant. It also helps protect your brain from oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is a major factor when it comes to Alzheimer’s and brain cells. If you can prevent oxidative stress and free radicals from destroying neurons, you can prevent or delay the onset of the disease. And that’s exactly what cinnamon is proving to do.

So far researchers have only conducted in vitro and mice studies using cinnamon. But you don’t have to wait to add this protective spice to your meals.

Cinnamon continues to show promise as well as other natural solutions we’ve discovered. In the October 2012 issue of INH’s Natural Health Dossier, we revealed the top three natural treatments that can not only prevent Alzheimer’s—but also reverse it. These are simple, natural ways to protect your brain and preserve your memory. But the time to start using them is now. To access this issue and our entire archives, join Natural Health Dossier today. It takes just a few minutes. It’s never too soon to start protecting your brain and memory.

References:
1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23531502
2 http://physrev.physiology.org/content/84/2/361.full

http://institutefornaturalhealing.com/2013/06/the-sweet-and-savory-spice-that-prevents-alzheimers/

What’s Wrong With Our Bowels?

Carl Lowe | Jun 27, 2013

Something has gone seriously wrong with our digestive systems. Research shows that the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is dramatically increasing worldwide.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the two most common forms of IBD. The most prevalent symptoms of ulcerative colitis, which occurs in the inner lining of the colon (large intestine) or rectum, are diarrhea, abdominal cramps and rectal bleeding. People suffering from Crohn’s disease, inflammatory and ulcerative damage that occurs in the deep layers of the intestinal wall, experience pain in the abdomen (often in the lower right side), diarrhea, weight loss and occasionally bleeding.

Two of the culprits in the spread of IBD may be a lack of exercise and overindulgence in junk food. A study at University Hospital’s Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Cleveland, has found that the number of children admitted to the hospital for IBD has increased by more than 65 percent in the past 10 years.

“The reason for this large increase in hospitalizations of children with IBD is not clear,” says researcher Thomas J. Sferra. “We also found an increase in IBD-related complications and co-existing conditions which suggest an increase in the severity of this disease has contributed to a greater need for hospitalization.”

Other studies show that IBD has become a global health issue.

Research coordinated by the University of Calgary shows that the highest prevalence of IBD worldwide is in Canada and Europe. Asia has a lower prevalence of IBD. In developing nations, IBD is a rare occurrence; however, as these nations have become more industrialized, the incidence of IBD has increased. Gender differences are inconsistent, suggesting that the disease occurrs equally among females and males.

Universally, incidence rates for both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are highest among individuals who were between 20 and 40 years old. IBD strikes individuals in the most healthy and productive years of life, resulting in long-term cost to the victim, healthcare system and society.

http://easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/nutrition/whats-wrong-with-our-bowels/

Monday, 1 July 2013

... protective effect for magnesium against Alzheimer's disease

Research conducted at University of Texas suggests protective effect for magnesium against Alzheimer's disease

NewsRx.com
06-28-13

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Pain & Central Nervous System Week -- Current study results on Neurodegenerative Diseases have been published. According to news reporting originating from Austin, Texas, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, "Profound synapse loss is one of the major pathological hallmarks associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and might underlie memory impairment. Our previous work demonstrated that the magnesium ion is a critical factor in controlling synapse density/plasticity."

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from the University of Texas, "Here, we investigated whether elevation of brain magnesium by the use of a recently developed compound, magnesium-L-threonate (MgT), can ameliorate the AD-like pathologies and cognitive deficits in the APPswe/PS1dE9 mice, a transgenic (Tg) mouse model of AD. MgT treatment reduced A beta plaque and prevented synapse loss and memory decline in the Tg mice. Strikingly, MgT treatment was effective even when given to the mice at the end stage of their AD-like pathological progression.

To explore how elevation of brain magnesium ameliorates the AD-like pathologies in the brains of Tg mice, we studied molecules critical for APP metabolism and signaling pathways implicated in synaptic plasticity/density. In the Tg mice, the NMDAR/CREB/BDNF signaling was downregulated, whereas calpain/calcineurin/Cdk5 neurodegenerative signaling and beta-secretase (BACE1) expression were upregulated. MgT treatment prevented the impairment of these signaling pathways, stabilized BACE1 expression, and reduced soluble APP beta and beta-C-terminal fragments in the Tg mice. At the molecular level, elevation of extracellular magnesium prevented the high-A beta-induced reductions in synaptic NMDARs by preventing calcineurin overactivation in hippocampal slices. Correlation studies suggested that the protection of NMDAR signaling might underlie the stabilization of BACE1 expression."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "Our results suggest that elevation of brain magnesium exerts substantial synap-toprotective effects in a mouse model of AD and may have therapeutic potential for treating AD in humans."

For more information on this research see: Elevation of Brain Magnesium Prevents and Reverses Cognitive Deficits and Synaptic Loss in Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model. Journal of Neuroscience, 2013;33(19):8423-8441. Journal of Neuroscience can be contacted at: Soc Neuroscience, 11 Dupont Circle, NW, Ste 500, Washington, DC 20036, USA. (Society for Neuroscience - www.sfn.org/; Journal of Neuroscience - www.sfn.org/index.aspx?pagename=JournalOfNeuroscience)

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting W. Li, Univ Texas Austin, Center Learning & Memory, Austin, TX 78712, United States (see also Neurodegenerative Diseases).

http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=19559