Alzheimer’s disease affects more and more people. Many studies show that polyphenols contained in vegetables and fruits have a beneficial effect in protecting against it. How does it work with cocoa?
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Insidious disease
Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease. According to one theory, it is observed in its course overproduction of beta-amyloid (Aβ) proteinwhich forms sticky oligomers around synapses. This disrupts the work of the brain, especially in the memory system. Hence, during dementia, there is a loss of skills such as remembering, orientation, thinking, counting, understanding, and the ability to learn and judge situations. What is worse, the disease develops insidiously and the first signs are often underestimated. The sick person simply notices that he is beginning to lack words or that his memory is failing. At first, your loved ones may not even notice the problems.
There are approximately 350 people suffering from Alzheimer’s in Poland. This number is constantly growing and already affects almost half of people over 85 years of age. Therefore, the world of science is looking for new and effective ways to both treat the disease and protect against it. One study indicates that cocoa bean extract may have a preventive effect against the development of dementia.
Ekstrakt z kakao lavado
The team led by Dr. Giulio Maria Pasinetti, who lectures at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, decided to address cocoa as a product rich in flavanols that have a wide beneficial effect on the body. They found that lavado cocoa extract can reduce the damage to the nervous system seen in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. This means that the cognitive changes that occur as a result of the development of the disease can be stopped. The results of their work were published in Journal of Alzheimer’s Diseas.
Lavado cocoa extract is a minimally processed cocoa with a high content of polyphenols. Researchers set out to test its effect on reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease compared to natural and Dutch cocoa.
Mice with Alzheimer’s
To study the effects of cocoa on the nervous system, cocoa extract was administered to genetically engineered mice to mimic the human form of Alzheimer’s disease. They were given extracts of three types of cocoa, which differ in their polyphenol content, and their effect on reducing the formation of Aβ oligomers was tested. It turned out that The most rich in polyphenols – lavado extract performed best in this respect. It both inhibited the formation of Aβ oligomers and was more effective at reversing synaptic damage in mice. Dr. Pasinetti states:
Our discovery of the protective effect of lavado cocoa extract (but not Dutch cocoa extract) against synaptic deficits strongly suggests that polyphenols are active compounds that save information flow at synapses. In Dutch cocoa, a significant part of the polyphenols is lost as a result of the alkalization of the grain in the production process.
Cocoa and cocoa
So it is not without significance what cocoa or chocolate we reach for. It turns out that processed cocoa loses many of its health properties, especially in terms of polypheol content. This production step is introduced to reduce the acidity of the product, but also to make it darker in color. Lavado Cocoa Extract, which is slightly processed, has potential to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists suggest this may be the way to find an effective cure for dementia, but that requires more research. Dr. Pasinetti concludes:
Since loss of synaptic function may be more important in memory loss than loss of nerve cells, rescuing synaptic function may be a better target for finding an effective Alzheimer’s cure.
The photo comes from flickr.com
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