Antioxidants and Anti Aging

Headstrong - Thu, 19 Apr 2007

Could a diet high in antioxidants help maintain a healthy brain?

Some non-western countries demonstrate a lower incidence of dementia and research is showing this may be because of the spices they grow, sell and eat. Certain spices such as curry spices have been shown to be high in antioxidants which help eliminate harmful free radicals from the body.

Previously many neuroscientists were of the opinion that cognitive decline is inevitable with advancing age, with many people suffering advanced dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, in their very old age,particularly after the age of 80, where 1 in 4 people are suffering some form or stage of dementia. But some people remain completely lucid until the day they die. This is particularly so in some non-western countries, where there is a lower incidence of dementia.

There is a definite link between oxidation and cognitive damage. The highly reactive and corrosive gas, oxygen, is essential for all aerobic organisms including humans. The gas’s reactive nature is partly due to the fact that an oxygen molecule is made up of two oxygen atoms linked together. What happens is that in chemical reactions, such as in the essential respiration we need to gain energy, the oxygen molecule splits and one atom combines with other chemical elements and compounds. For example, some oxygen is bound up in carbon dioxide (CO2).

The remaining atom that doesn’t find a chemical ‘buddy’ is known as a free radical. These highly volatile and energetic atoms can grab electrons from the body’s cells and cause a great deal of damage to body tissues. The process is similar to the rusting of metals, which is also a result of oxidative damage. Environmental factors, like stress, environmental pollutants and a poor diet can accelerate the damage of oxidation.

It is well-known that there are some strong links between damage caused by free radicals and some cancers and other serious illnesses. It is also likely that there is a major connection between oxidation and dementia.Unfortunately, the high-fat brain tissues are especially susceptible to oxidative effects. Various neurodegenerative illnesses including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntingdon’s diseases, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and age-related cognitive decline are likely to have oxidation as one of the major causes.

To protect against the damage of the energetic free radicals, the body produces highly potent antioxidant enzymes including glutathione peroxides, catalase and superoxide dismutase. The main antioxidant enzyme produced by the brain is haemoxygenase. A proportion of the population do not synthesise these critical enzymes in sufficient quantities, and are therefore at a significantly higher of suffering oxidative damage, including dementia,with increasing probability with advancing age.

“There have been some research findings to suggest that some spices may contain powerful antioxidants”

Recently, there have been some research findings to suggest that some spices may contain powerful antioxidants. These spices have not only provided good health, but have also provided great wealth to those growing,harvesting and selling them around the world, both in the distant past and in contemporary times. But it is only recently that scientific research has identified the active ingredients that provide the free radical-grabbing antioxidants. This has led to a better understanding of how antioxidants promote physical and mental health.

One of the important groups of active ingredients in antioxidants is polyphenols. These essential chemicals have been used in the past, before the invention of refrigeration, to prevent food from going off (oxidising). Some polyphenols are found in curcumin (the yellow curry pigment),grapes (resveratrol) and rosemary (rosmaric acid).

Dr Giovanni Scapagnini has conducted research on rats and found that curcumin increases the production of haemoxygenase in the rodents’ brains. He hypothesises that spices may have been an important currency in the past, even though it was not clearly understood how certain spices assisted in the prevention of neurodegenerative disease.

So those people who love curries may be at a distinct advantage of remaining mentally alert and fully functional right up to very old age. It is probably a good idea for the rest of the population to do the same to have the best chance of optimum cognitive health for the rest of their lives.   

For more information: http://www.hbhealth.com/article.html?art_id=86&page_id=5

Try combining a diet high in antioxidants with the HeadStrong Cognitive Fitness program.