Some scientists feel that overpowering dementia’s destruction with natural substances is the best route to take.
Cracking the code to find the cure for Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia is an on-going battle. While solid answers remain a mystery and some feel we’re still far, far off from finding a solution, new studies offer hope and the feeling that someday we may actually turn over the right rock, if we’re lucky.
Related: What is Lewy Body Dementia?
What’s new? Members of the American Chemical Society led by So Beong-Ou Lim have discovered an interesting twist in the path. Blueberry vinegar has actually been found to put a dent in dementia.
Whether or not you should go out and buy a bottle to add to the dressing for your next salad is debatable. That being said, it does look somewhat positive. Studies completed on mice who had induced amnesia showed that blueberry vinegar reduced the breakdown of acetylcholine in the brain.
Natural Solutions
What does this mean for humans? Acetylcholine is an organic chemical that helps us learn and maintain our memory by acting as a neurotransmitter. In people with dementia it breaks down in their brain before it does its job, changing their thinking process.
Drugs that stop the breakdown of acetylcholine do exist. The problem is, they fight dementia but they don’t last very long in your body. In addition, they can be toxic for your liver-not a winning situation.
Finding a naturally occurring substance that can do the same could be of great benefit, and so this looks like a good start.
To test how the treatment affected the mice, researchers analyzed their performance in mazes. The little guys showed improved performance when ingesting the vinegar, suggesting that it actually does improve short-term memory. What else it can do remains to be seen, but it’s a start.
For more on dementia and tips on spotting early signs, click here.
