the growth of Alzheimer's disease in aging, medical research is turning to improving diagnostic methods for detection as well as
sources of the disease, which lately turned up data
about french fries, cigarette smoke, and car exhaust that accelerate the
disease.
What
researchers have found is a growing amount of new evidence of a group
of chemicals involved in the development and progression of Alzheimer's
disease and other neurological diseases such as Parkinson's. This group
of chemicals is called type-2 alkenes, which are found in smoke
inhalation from cigarettes, French fries and the exhaust of automobiles.
“The
thought process and memory deficits associated with Alzheimer’s disease
appear to be due to the very early loss of function of nerve endings in
the brain,” said Richard M. LoPachin, Ph.D., a neurochemist and
director of research in the Department of Anesthesiology at Montefiore
Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
“Two
years ago, we published a series of peer-review papers describing how
type-2 alkenes (such as acrylamide and acrolein) damage nerve endings in
the brains of animals and, since then, interest in the scientific
community has grown steadily,” said Dr. LoPachin. “For example, just in
the last six months there were more than a half dozen articles published
in neuroscience journals that demonstrate an excess of acrolein and
other type-2 alkenes in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.”
years ago, we published a series of peer-review papers describing how
type-2 alkenes (such as acrylamide and acrolein) damage nerve endings in
the brains of animals and, since then, interest in the scientific
community has grown steadily,” said Dr. LoPachin. “For example, just in
the last six months there were more than a half dozen articles published
in neuroscience journals that demonstrate an excess of acrolein and
other type-2 alkenes in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.”
What
this means, according to Dr. LoPachin, there is a process that involves
the generation of highly toxic chemicals within nerve endings that
initiates dementia and launches attacks on brain nerve endings both
inside and outside the body.
this means, according to Dr. LoPachin, there is a process that involves
the generation of highly toxic chemicals within nerve endings that
initiates dementia and launches attacks on brain nerve endings both
inside and outside the body.
“This
dual intoxication of nerve endings led us to conclude that daily
environmental exposure to neurotoxic type-2 alkenes could increase the
incidence of Alzheimer’s disease,” he said.
dual intoxication of nerve endings led us to conclude that daily
environmental exposure to neurotoxic type-2 alkenes could increase the
incidence of Alzheimer’s disease,” he said.
Curry
spice, wine and apple skins have been found to inhibit the growth of
the disease but not to cure it, as the movement of research continues to
understand and stop the progression of neurological diseases such as
Alzheimer's disease.
spice, wine and apple skins have been found to inhibit the growth of
the disease but not to cure it, as the movement of research continues to
understand and stop the progression of neurological diseases such as
Alzheimer's disease.
