TEA HELPS IN THE BATTLE AGAINST ALZHEIMERS

It could be one of the most popular medicines to be prescribed.

Tea is already thought to protect the body against heart disease and cancers, but research shows black and green tea inhibit the activity of enzymes associated with the development of Alzheimer’s, a form of dementia that affects about 10 million people around the world.

The findings come in the wake of much research that suggest flavanoids contained in tea, particularly green tea, protect against strokes, heart attacks and many different types of cancers, as well as more prosaic conditions such as tooth decay and dehydration. One study shows that drinking three cups a day is the equivalent of eating six apples.

Scientists at Newcastle University’s Medicinal Plant Research Centre found both teas inhibited the activity of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which breaks down the chemical messenger, or neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Alzheimer’s is characterized by reduced acetylcholine. Both teas also hinder the activity of the enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), which has been found in protein deposits on the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s.

Green tea went one step further in obstructing the activity of beta-secretase, which helps produce protein deposits in the brain linked to Alzheimer’s. The findings, published in Phytotherapy Research, could help in developing treatments for Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Ed Okello, the lead researcher and a green tea drinker himself, said, “Our findings are particularly exciting, as tea is already a popular drink, it is inexpensive, and there do not seem to be any adverse side-effects.”