Green tea helps against Alzheimer's disease

 Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that is increasingly prevalent worldwide.

 

UCLA scientists have discovered a molecule found in green tea that is capable of breaking down the protein knots that form in the brain and cause Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.

 

The molecule contained in green tea is called EGCG - epigallocatechin gallate.

 

This ingredient is capable of destroying fibers made up of tau protein that form knots attacking brain cells.

 

The study is published in  Nature Communications.

 

Scientists have discovered how EGCG is able to break down fibers made up of tau protein.

 

Thousands of layers of tau molecules connect and stick together to form amyloid fibers that form tangles.

 

These structures were first described by Alzheimer when examining the brains of patients who died of dementia .

 

These fibers grow and spread in the brain, leading to the destruction of brain cells and brain atrophy .

 

Many scientists believe that disrupting or removing tau fibers could be effective in halting the progression of dementia , as it would also reduce the destruction of brain cells.

 

So far, attempts to do this have been unsuccessful due to the use of high-mass antibodies that have difficulty penetrating the brain .

 

For several decades, scientists have known about the presence of this ingredient in green tea , which is capable of destroying amyloid fibers.

 

The goal of the study was to determine how EGCG  destroys tau fibers.

 

For the purpose of the study, samples of tau nodules from the brains of patients who died of Alzheimer's were used.

 

Samples were incubated for different times in medium containing EGCG .

 

After three hours, half of the tau fibers were destroyed and the rest partially degraded.

 

Scientists have identified several specific sites located along tau fibers that EGCG binds to.

 

Other molecules such as CNS-11 and CNS-17 are also capable of slowing cell-to-cell fiber propagation.

 

The structure of tau knots has only recently been discovered, so further studies are still needed to elucidate the specifics of the structures causing neurodegenerative diseases, as well as possible therapeutic approaches.

 

References:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-32951-4

What is the benefit of tea to prevent diabetes?

 

Type 2 diabetes is an increasingly common disease worldwide.

 

Prevention and treatment of the disease largely depend on lifestyle. 

 

Drinking four cups of black, green or oolong tea a day reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to 17%.

 

This is according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the European Diabetes Association in Stockholm.

 

The research team from the Wuhan University of Science and Technology, China, conducted a meta-analysis of 19 different studies involving more than one million adults in 8 different countries over a 10-year period.

 

It has been found that there is an inverse relationship between tea consumption and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

 

Each cup of tea we consume during the day reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 1%, but this effect is significantly increased with 4 cups of tea per day.

 

Compared to adults who did not drink tea , those who drank between 1 and 3 cups a day had a 4% lower risk of developing the disease.

 

On the other hand, those who consumed at least 4 cups of tea per day had a 17% lower risk.

 

This effect of tea was found regardless of the type of tea that the participants consumed, as well as regardless of their gender and place of residence.

 

This underlines the importance of the amount of tea consumed, compared to any other factors, that affect the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

 

It has long been known that the consumption of tea is very beneficial due to the content of many antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic substances in it.

 

It is possible that some of the ingredients in tea , such as polyphenols, are associated with lowering blood sugar levels , but the amount of bioactive substances is important for these effects to occur.

 

The results of the study are important because they show how simple lifestyle changes, such as drinking more tea , can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

 

References:

https://www.doctissimo.fr/nutrition/alimentation-et-sante/bien-manger-pour-etre-en-bonne-sante/prevenir-le-diabete-par-lalimentation/diabete-boire-4-tasses- de-the-par-jour-ou-plus-reduit-les-risques-de-17/8836a0_ar.html