It’s time to dip into the miscellaneous file, that catch-all wonder, and this week we discover that we’ve now got proof that some things most of us like to eat – and drink – may be better for us than we thought.
Do you always have your morning cup of coffee? Well, Rutgers scientists have found a compound in coffee that may team up with caffeine to fight Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia, two progressive and currently incurable diseases associated with brain degeneration. In an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, they suggest these two compounds may become a therapeutic option to slow brain degeneration.
Prior research has shown that drinking coffee may reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. While caffeine has traditionally been credited as coffee’s special protective agent, coffee beans contain more than a thousand other compounds that are less well known.
The Rutgers study focused on a fatty acid derivative of the neurotransmitter serotonin, called EHT that’s found in the coffee bean’s waxy coating. The researchers found that EHT protects the brains of mice against the abnormal protein accumulation associated with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
The researchers wondered whether EHT and caffeine could work together for even greater brain protection. They gave mice small doses of caffeine or EHT separately as well as together. Each compound alone was not effective, but when given together they boosted the activity of a catalyst that helps prevent the accumulation of harmful proteins in the brain. This suggests the combination of EHT and caffeine may be able to slow or stop the progression of these diseases. Current treatments address only the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease but don’t protect against brain degeneration. The scientists say that further research is needed to determine the proper amounts and ratio of EHT and caffeine required for the protective effect in people.
So if drinking coffee is a good idea what about eating nuts? Long-term, high nut consumption could be the key to better cognitive health in older people according to new research from the University of South Australia.
In a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging of 4822 Chinese adults aged 55 plus years, researchers found that eating a handful of nuts a day was positively associated with better mental functioning, including improved thinking, reasoning and memory.
The study analyzed China Health Nutrition Survey data collected over 22 years and found that 17% of the participants were regular consumers of nuts. The researchers say that most nuts have specific anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects which can alleviate and reduce cognitive decline and that by eating a handful of nuts per day, older people could improve their cognitive function by up to 60% compared with those who don’t eat nuts.
The researchers say that nuts are known to be high in healthy fats, protein and fiber with nutritional properties that can lower cholesterol and improve cognitive health. While there is no cure for age-related cognition decline and neurogenerative disease, variations in what people eat can make improvements for older people.
So I guess I’ll keep drinking my morning cup of coffee and eating my handful of mixed nuts before I sleep at night. And now, scientific research says it might be a good idea if you did the same thing!