Imagine decluttering your brain. Tidying it a bit to get rid of things that are damaging your brain. Is it even possible? Well, yes! You can tidy up your brain and even manage progressive neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Wondering how? With the help of a tea! Yes, that’s right! A new study has found that a combination of natural compounds will help in brain cleaning.A recent study by researchers at the University of California found that a combination of natural compounds, of which one is found in a tea, restored energy levels in aging brain cells and also cleared harmful protein buildup linked with Alzheimer’s disease. The findings are published in the journal GeroScience.
Cleaning the brain
The new study found that a combination of naturally occurring compounds, nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3) and epigallocatechin gallate (a green tea antioxidant), can restore the levels of guanosine triphosphate, an essential energy molecule in brain cells. This treatment will remove harmful protein buildup linked with Alzheimer’s disease. They added that this promising nonpharmaceutical treatment also rejuvenates aging brain cells. They tested the treatment on neurons in a dish and found that it improved the brain cells’ ability to clear damaging amyloid protein aggregates linked to Alzheimer’s.“As people age, their brains show a decline in neuronal energy levels, which limits the ability to remove unwanted proteins and damaged components. We found that restoring energy levels helps neurons regain this critical cleanup function,” lead author Gregory Brewer, adjunct professor of biomedical engineering at UC Irvine, said in a statement.
Researchers tracked energy molecule levels in brain cells from aged Alzheimer’s model mice using a genetically coded fluorescent sensor called GEVAL. They found the free GTP (guanosine triphosphate) levels reduced with age, especially in mitochondria, leading to impaired autophagy, the process by which cells eliminate damaged components.But when they treated the neurons for just 24 hours with nicotinamide and epigallocatechin gallate, the GTP levels came back to normal. This process improved energy metabolism; activation of key GTPases involved in cellular trafficking, Rab7 and Arl8b; and efficient clearance of amyloid beta aggregates. Oxidative stress, which is another major contributor to neurodegeneration, also went downhill.
“This study highlights GTP as a previously underappreciated energy source driving vital brain functions. By supplementing the brain’s energy systems with compounds that are already available as dietary supplements, we may have a new path toward treating age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease,” Brewer said.“More work is going to be required to find the best way to administer this treatment, since a recent clinical trial involving UC Irvine researchers showed that oral nicotinamide was not very effective because of inactivation in the bloodstream,” he cautioned.
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