I was reading an article recently that alleged that Harold Wilson, P.M. of Britain in the 60s had Alzheimer’s disease. It is characterised by loss of memory and impaired cognitive function. It got me looking at published data where food ingredients might prove useful in ameliorating the condition. Grape seed extracts have recently been studied in animal models as a possible agent for protecting the brain against the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, even in halting the condition, once it had started.
The most recent article from researchers at the Mount Sinai School Of Medicine working with the University of Minnesota (Liu et al., 2011) highlighted a role for grape seed polyphenols which have long held powerful antioxidative properties. The study conducted on lab mice predisposed to neurodegenerative disease showed that these polyphenols could prevent its onset. The mechanism behind Alzheimer’s disease is due in part to production of a specific form of beta-amyloid peptide which acts as a neurotoxin and which accumulates in brain cells, causing the loss in cognitive function.
A special strain of mice prone to the disease were developed which were used as the model organism for testing the efficacy of the grape seed polyphenols. One received treatment, the other, the control group, did not. Results showed that a certain type of beta-amyloid peptide called Aβ*56 was lower in the polyphenol treated group than in the control group. As yet, there is still no reliable biomarker for identifying people at risk from developing the condition, and whilst supplements might be a general route of prevention, is the ingestion of grape seed polyphenols likely to be dose-dependent ? Likewise, some grape cultivars must be richer in both total polyphenols and their types which requires further investigation. Also what about other seeds ? Blackcurrant for example.
One early study at the Flinders University in Adelaide found that mice fed with grape seed extract for 6 months had ‘improved cognitive function’ compared to those on a normal diet. The extract was shown then to block formation of deposits of amyloid proteins.
Such results reinforce one of my views that drinking a glass of red wine could well prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s if there was a readily available source of grape seed polyphenol present. Nutritional supplements are available too however if red wine is not to everyone’s liking. I’d be interested to know from readers if they actively take supplements to prevent or manage the condition.
References
Liu, P., Kemper, L,J. Wang, J., Zahs, K.R., Ashe, K.H., Pasinetti, G.M. (2011) Grape Seed Polyphenolic Extract Specifically Decreases A[beta]*56 in the Brains of Tg2576 Mice. J. Alzheimer’s Disease 26 (4) in press.
Wang, Y.J., Thomas, P., Zhong, J.H., et al. (2009) Consumption of grape seed extract prevents amyloid-beta deposition and attenuates inflammation in brain of an Alzheimer’s disease mouse. Neurotox Res. 15 pp. 3–14.
I find this extract is brilliant anyway. At least I might stop myself going mad. The other day I forgot where I parked the car but I took this supplement and I suddenly remembered where the car and my husband was too! Brilliant!