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Antioxidant in green tea may improve memory
By Janice Goh, TODAY
An antioxidant in green tea may help combat an underlying cause of Alzheimer's
disease but only when it is used in its purified form, suggests a study cited in The
Journal of Neuroscience.
Accumulation of beta-amyloid — a very small protein fragment of a larger protein in
brain cells — is one of the possible causes of Alzheimer's disease. In the study,
researchers developed mice that contained overproducing beta-amyloid proteins. The
researchers tested the effects of high dosages of the green tea antioxidant —
epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) — on the rats.
After several months of injecting the mice with EGCG daily, the nerve cells of treated
mice were found to generate as much as 54 per cent less beta-amyloid proteins than
those of non-treated mice. The researchers also found that other antioxidants in
green tea inhibited the ability of EGCG to reduce beta-amyloid proteins, suggesting
that EGCG in its purified form was more effective.
One of the researchers, Dr Jun Tan, director of the Neuroimmunology Laboratory at
the University of South Florida, was quoted as saying that if the nature of beta-
amyloid in the Alzheimer's mouse model is representative of that in humans, EGCG
dietary supplementation may be effective in preventing and treating Alzheimer's
disease.
Alzheimer's disease accounts for 50 to 60 per cent of all dementia cases, making it
the most common cause of dementia. Contrary to common perception, dementia is
not part of normal ageing. It is an illness that causes brain cells to die faster than
normal. The disorder is characterised by memory loss, personality and mood changes
and difficulty in performing routine tasks.
Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) — an umbrella organisation of Alzheimer
associations worldwide — says on its website that most people with dementia live in
developing countries, with China and its neighbouring countries leading in numbers.
ADI was citing a report published in The Lancet, a medical journal.
In Singapore, based on the National Mental Health Survey in 2003, 6 per cent of
Singaporeans aged 65 and above have dementia. In absolute figures, this translates
to about 14,000 people with dementia today, said Dr Philip Yap Ling Kiat, consultant,
department of geriatric medicine at the Alexandra Hospital. "With an ageing
population and if prevalence remains at 6 per cent, we can expect 48,000 people with
dementia in 2030, a very large number, given our small country," he said.
For years, green tea has been studied for its cancer-fighting and heart-protecting
properties. Generally, tea contains chemicals called polyphenols, which provide the
antioxidant properties. EGCG, the antioxidant used in the study, is the main
polyphenolic component in green tea, said the study. Tea also contains caffeine and
traces of minerals, amino acids and enzymes.
To prepare an antioxidant-rich brew of tea, nutritionist Anna Jacobs recommends
using more tea leaves per cup or less water. Brew it longer and stir the tea leaves
when you let the tea leaves brew. Each cup of tea, which provides plenty of fluid, can
count towards the recommended eight glasses of fluid daily. But do keep a watch on
the total caffeine intake, she advised. Both Dr Yap and Ms Jacobs find the results of
the study promising, but agreed that more needs to be done to obtain conclusive
evidence for humans. Meanwhile, some ways to keep dementia at bay, said Dr Yap,
include preventing diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and
coronary artery diseases. Also, engage in mental activities such as learning new
things, piecing puzzles and reading the papers.
A bridge game, for instance, not only stimulates your mind but also brings about
laughter and cheer and helps to maintain good relationships and an active social
network — all of which can keep your mind sharp and sound. — TODAY/az
By Janice Goh, TODAY
An antioxidant in green tea may help combat an underlying cause of Alzheimer's
disease but only when it is used in its purified form, suggests a study cited in The
Journal of Neuroscience.
Accumulation of beta-amyloid — a very small protein fragment of a larger protein in
brain cells — is one of the possible causes of Alzheimer's disease. In the study,
researchers developed mice that contained overproducing beta-amyloid proteins. The
researchers tested the effects of high dosages of the green tea antioxidant —
epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) — on the rats.
After several months of injecting the mice with EGCG daily, the nerve cells of treated
mice were found to generate as much as 54 per cent less beta-amyloid proteins than
those of non-treated mice. The researchers also found that other antioxidants in
green tea inhibited the ability of EGCG to reduce beta-amyloid proteins, suggesting
that EGCG in its purified form was more effective.
One of the researchers, Dr Jun Tan, director of the Neuroimmunology Laboratory at
the University of South Florida, was quoted as saying that if the nature of beta-
amyloid in the Alzheimer's mouse model is representative of that in humans, EGCG
dietary supplementation may be effective in preventing and treating Alzheimer's
disease.
Alzheimer's disease accounts for 50 to 60 per cent of all dementia cases, making it
the most common cause of dementia. Contrary to common perception, dementia is
not part of normal ageing. It is an illness that causes brain cells to die faster than
normal. The disorder is characterised by memory loss, personality and mood changes
and difficulty in performing routine tasks.
Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI) — an umbrella organisation of Alzheimer
associations worldwide — says on its website that most people with dementia live in
developing countries, with China and its neighbouring countries leading in numbers.
ADI was citing a report published in The Lancet, a medical journal.
In Singapore, based on the National Mental Health Survey in 2003, 6 per cent of
Singaporeans aged 65 and above have dementia. In absolute figures, this translates
to about 14,000 people with dementia today, said Dr Philip Yap Ling Kiat, consultant,
department of geriatric medicine at the Alexandra Hospital. "With an ageing
population and if prevalence remains at 6 per cent, we can expect 48,000 people with
dementia in 2030, a very large number, given our small country," he said.
For years, green tea has been studied for its cancer-fighting and heart-protecting
properties. Generally, tea contains chemicals called polyphenols, which provide the
antioxidant properties. EGCG, the antioxidant used in the study, is the main
polyphenolic component in green tea, said the study. Tea also contains caffeine and
traces of minerals, amino acids and enzymes.
To prepare an antioxidant-rich brew of tea, nutritionist Anna Jacobs recommends
using more tea leaves per cup or less water. Brew it longer and stir the tea leaves
when you let the tea leaves brew. Each cup of tea, which provides plenty of fluid, can
count towards the recommended eight glasses of fluid daily. But do keep a watch on
the total caffeine intake, she advised. Both Dr Yap and Ms Jacobs find the results of
the study promising, but agreed that more needs to be done to obtain conclusive
evidence for humans. Meanwhile, some ways to keep dementia at bay, said Dr Yap,
include preventing diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and
coronary artery diseases. Also, engage in mental activities such as learning new
things, piecing puzzles and reading the papers.
A bridge game, for instance, not only stimulates your mind but also brings about
laughter and cheer and helps to maintain good relationships and an active social
network — all of which can keep your mind sharp and sound. — TODAY/az
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