Grape seeds and Alzheimers Disease by Steve Chaney

This post has some great information on research preventing Alzheimers Disease.

For this week's topic I am continuing with the theme of
preventing dementia - not that the professor is getting
any more absent minded!

I came across some fascinating research this past week
about the role of polyphenols extracted from grape
seeds in preventing Alzheimers Disease.

But first some background information:

Alzheimers Disease is thought to be caused by the
accumulation of an abnormal protein called amyloid-beta
or Abeta in the brain. This protein forms large
aggregates that result in the formation of what are
called amyloid plaques in the brain, and it is these
amyloid plaques that are thought to be the direct cause
of the cognitive decline associated with Alzheimers.

The best model system currently available for testing
approaches to preventing or treating Alzheimers Disease
is a strain of mice that have been genetically
engineered to produce large amounts of the Abeta protein
- the so-called Alzheimers Disease or AD mouse.

Now to the experiments:

A research team lead by Dr. Giulio Maria Pasinetti have
asked whether the polyphenols obtained from two
different grape seed extracts reduce amyloid plaque
formation in these genetically engineered AD mice (J.
Wang et al, J. Neurosci., 28: 6388-6392, 2008; L. Ho et
al., J. Alzheimers Disease, 16: 59-72, 2009).

They looked at polyphenol-containing grape seed
extracts from Vitis vinifera (the grapes used to make
red wine) and from Vitis muscadinia (muscadine grapes).

Both decreased the formation of amyloid plaques in AD
mice, but they acted by two different mechanisms.

The grape seed extract from red wine grapes decreased
the formation of Abeta protein, while the grape seed
extract from muscadine grapes prevented the aggregation
of the Abeta protein into amyloid plaques.

Dr. Pasinetti concluded: "Collectively, our
observations suggest that the distinctly different
polyphenolic compounds from red wines may beneficially
modulate Alzheimer Disease phenotypes through multiple
Abeta-related mechanisms. Results from our study
suggest the possibility of developing a 'combination'
of dietary polyphenolic compounds for Alzheimers
Disease prevention and/or therapy by modulating
multiple Abeta-related mechanisms"

It is important to keep in mind that these are animal
studies and need to be replicated by human clinical
trials, but they do suggest that polyphenol extracts
obtained from both red wine grapes and muscadine grapes
may have some unique health benefits.

Stay tuned. I'll keep you informed as this research
story unfolds.

To Your Health!
Dr. Stephen G Chaney

For more information on this subject, watch this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M16jYdF8YUE