Growing up, I never heard of all these current cancers, etc. I have to think a lot of health problems are caused by un-natural foods/lost cooking arts, rx, toxic enviornment, obesity, depression, a violent/ idiotoc society.
On Dec 8, 4:46�am, Liberal mike 532 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Attacking Alzheimer's with Red Wine and > Marijuanahttp://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/110806/ > Two new studies point to a wonderful way to ward off Alzheimer's > disease and other forms of age-related memory loss. This article > first > appeared on Miller-McCune.com. > > Two new studies suggest that substances usually associated with > dulling the mind -- marijuana and red wine -- may help ward off > Alzheimer's disease and other forms of age-related memory loss. Their > addition comes as another study dethrones folk remedy ginkgo biloba > as > proof against the disease. > > At a November meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Washington, > D.C., researchers from Ohio State University reported that THC, the > main psychoactive substance in the cannabis plant, may reduce > inflammation in the brain and even stimulate the formation of new > brain cells. > > Meanwhile, in the Nov. 21 issue of the Journal of Biological > Chemistry, neurologist David Teplow of the University of California, > Los Angeles reported that polyphenols -- naturally occurring > components of red wine -- block the formation of proteins that build > the toxic plaques thought to destroy brain cells. In addition, these > substances can reduce the toxicity of existing plaques, thus reducing > cognitive deterioration. > > Together, the studies suggest scientists are gaining a clearer > understanding of the mechanics of memory deterioration and > discovering > some promising approaches to prevention. > > Previous research has suggested that polyphenols -- which are found > in > high concentrations in tea, nuts and berries, as well as cabernets > and > merlots -- may inhibit or prevent the buildup of toxic fibers in the > brain. These fibers, which are primarily composed of two specific > proteins, form the plaques that have long been associated with > Alzheimer's disease. > > UCLA's Teplow and his colleagues monitored how these proteins folded > up and stuck to each other to produce aggregates that killed nerve > cells in mice. They then treated the proteins with a polyphenol > compound extracted from grape seeds. They discovered the polyphenols > blocked the formation of the toxic aggregates. > > "What we found is pretty straightforward," Teplow declared. "If the > amyloid beta proteins can't assemble, toxic aggregates can't form, > and, thus, there is no toxicity." If this also proves true in human > brains, it means administration of the compound to Alzheimer's > patients could "prevent disease development and also ameliorate > existing disease," he said. Human clinical trials are upcoming. > > At Ohio State, researchers led by psychologist Gary Wenk are studying > the protective effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as > THC. > They found that administering a THC-like synthetic drug to older rats > performed better at a memory test than a control group of non- > medicated elderly rodents. > > In some of the rats, the drug apparently lowered inflammation in the > hippocampus -- the region of the brain responsible for short-term > memory. It also seems to have stimulated the generation of new brain > cells. > > "When we're young, we reproduce neurons and our memory works fine," > said co-author Yannick Marchalant, another Ohio State psychologist. > "When we age, the process slows down, so we have a decrease in new > cell formation in normal aging. You need those cells to come back and > help form new memories, and we found that this THC-like agent can > influence creation of those cells." > > Wenk added two cautionary notes to his report. First, to be > effective, > any such treatment along these lines would have to take place before > memory loss is obvious. Second, the researchers still have much work > to do. > > "We need to find exactly which receptors are most crucial" to the > generation of new brain cells, he said. This discovery would "ideally > lead to the development of drugs that specifically activate those > receptors." > > In the meantime, should aging baby boomers who are worried about old- > age mental impairment light up a joint? Wenk was cautious in his > answer, no doubt because marijuana is suspected to be harmful to > health in other ways. > > "Could people smoke marijuana to prevent Alzheimer's disease if the > disease is in the family? We're not saying that, but it might > actually > work," he said. "What we are saying is it appears that a safe, legal > substance the mimics those important properties of marijuana can work > on receptors in the brain to prevent memory impairments in aging. So > that's really hopeful." --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. 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