Posted on 04/03/2008 2:02:40 PM PDT by Clairity
A daily dose of caffeine blocks the disruptive effects of high cholesterol that scientists have linked to Alzheimer's disease. A study in the open access publication, Journal of Neuroinflammation revealed that caffeine equivalent to just one cup of coffee a day could protect the blood-brain barrier (BBB) from damage that occurred with a high-fat diet.
The BBB protects the central nervous system from the rest of the body's circulation, providing the brain with its own regulated microenvironment. Previous studies have shown that high levels of cholesterol break down the BBB which can then no longer protect the central nervous system from the damage caused by blood borne contamination. BBB leakage occurs in a variety of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease.
In this study, researchers from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences gave rabbits 3 mg caffeine each day - the equivalent of a daily cup of coffee for an average-sized person. The rabbits were fed a cholesterol-enriched diet during this time.
After 12 weeks a number of laboratory tests showed that the BBB was significantly more intact in rabbits receiving a daily dose of caffeine.
"Caffeine appears to block several of the disruptive effects of cholesterol that make the blood-brain barrier leaky," says Jonathan Geiger, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. "High levels of cholesterol are a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, perhaps by compromising the protective nature of the blood-brain barrier. For the first time we have shown that chronic ingestion of caffeine protects the BBB from cholesterol-induced leakage."
Caffeine appears to protect BBB breakdown by maintaining the expression levels of tight junction proteins. These proteins bind the cells of the BBB tightly to each other to stop unwanted molecules crossing into the central nervous system.
The findings confirm and extend results from other studies showing that caffeine intake protects against memory loss in aging and in Alzheimer’s disease.
"Caffeine is a safe and readily available drug and its ability to stabilise the blood-brain barrier means it could have an important part to play in therapies against neurological disorders," says Geiger.
Seriously, considering the devastating effect Alzheimer's has on people and their loved ones, if something as simple as coffee could prevent it, it's worth a try.
How long before studies show smoking is good for you too?
Oh-oh, I’m in trouble. I don’t like either.
Where am I? Who are you?
And pizza! I always knew it!
This must be true. I’ve never met a cop with Alzheimer’s!
Pizza can lower your prostate cancer risk.
See: http://www.mcastleman.com/page2/page27/page14/page14.html
Dr. Nick
PS-Hot dogs and bacon linked to lung CA
See: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/68058.php
Reading about the possible devastating side effects of statins, including Transient Global Amnesia, I’ll take a donut and a coffee any day.
Wow....good news for me.
Where can I find a good cake doughnut-*(the one with cinnamon and sugar on it)* - recipe, location?/Just Asking - seoul62.......
Good article re the prostate, thanks.
It just depends on WHAT you smoke...Dude
I drink coffee. Then later on I drink beer.
I drink coffee. Then later on I drink beer.
I drink coffee. Then later on I drink beer.
You’re going to tell me that all the people with Alzheimer’s disease never had morning coffee?
I’m calling BS.
In Norway - at least, the Norway of a century ago that my father’s Norwegian came from - coffee drinking was so ingrained in the culture that the colloquial reply to “Tak fur sitten [thanks for visiting]” was “Tak fur caffien [thanks for the coffee].” Be interesting to see the stats for Altzheimers in Norway.
Wow. Way cool. Guess my coffee habit IS going to pay off!
Pizza is good for men’s prostate health... it’s the tomatoes!
Obviously there are a LOT of factors involved in Alzheimer’s. How stimulated you keep your mind, etcetera. This is one more useful tool. But you go right on and call BS if you want to. Me, I’ll call for another cup of joe!
How can they be sure it’s the caffeine and not the donut that provides the benefit?
Gosh, my Dad drank 8 cups a day! Unfortunately, it didn’t help.
My father had Alzheimer's. Although technically it was pneumonia that killed him, it was really the Alzheimer's which robbed him of his will to live. He just gave up.
But, he drank at least two cups of coffee, on occasion quite a bit more (hunting, fishing, etc) per day.
Somehow I don't think caffeine, at least in coffee, is going to be the big savior of those of us with a family history of Alzheimer's.... I'm hoping for green tea myself. :)
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