Scientists in Japan say Vitamin E is a powerful protector of the brain and may help prevent diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Their research shows for the first time that it is possible to reverse a degenerative brain disease simply by administering vitamin E.
Although they relate to mice and not humans, the results are said to be startling.
They indicate that vitamin E is a potent antidote to the oxidative stress linked to brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s.
The scientists, led by Takanori Yokota at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, say simply taking vitamin supplements could help prevent such diseases.
Oxidative stress is caused by the toxic effect of highly reactive oxygen molecules, called free radicals, which damage cells and DNA.
It is thought to be especially harmful to the brain, and there is growing evidence that it may be responsible for certain progressive neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s and Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Antioxidants such as vitamin E neutralise free radicals and counteract the damage they cause.
Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the scientists said: “This therapy almost completely corrects the abnormalities in a mouse model of human neurodegenerative disease.”
They added that similar vitamin E-deficient mice could prove useful to investigating the mechanisms of Alzheimer’s and other age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
Published on DrKelley.info, December 7, 2001. Embedded links (if any) may no longer be active. (Ed. 01.11.11)
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