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The Relationship Between Resveratrol And Alzheimer's

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We’ve known for a long time that red wine and dark chocolate can prevent sadness and boredom. Researchers a few years back suggested that the antioxidant resveratrol present in both treats might have heart benefits, although the significance of those claims is still being interrogated. Now, scientists are examining the possibility that resveratrol might work to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s or slow its progression in existing cases.

Resveratrol and Alzheimer’s
Scientists at Georgetown University have observed a relationship between resveratrol treatments and a protein called amyloid-beta40, which is a biomarker for Alzheimer’s. The results of this study were published Friday in the journal Neurology.

Usually, the amount of Abeta40 present in a person’s cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tends to decline as Alzheimer’s gets worse. Although the exact cause of this correlation has yet to be established, scientists hypothesize that Abeta40 buildups in the brain might cause Alzheimer’s symptoms and account for its absence in the CSF. …show more content…

The study only involved about 120 subjects--quite a small sample size relative to most research of significance. Still, they did establish that patients taking the placebo medication experienced the predicted Abeta40 decline in the CSF, while those receiving the resveratrol treatments showed little to no change in their Abeta40

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