The Advantage of Berries

The silent menace that has been affecting millions of people across the world seems to haunt us everyday. The race for a cure is on, but there are currently more than five million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease. As of today, the top two medications for Alzheimer's treatment are Aricept and Galantomine, however, neither medication will cure or stop the disease from worsening.

Although the cause of the disease is still ambiguous, data from experimental and human studies show that oxidative stress (OS) plays a major role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. Oxidative stress in organs occurs from an imbalance between the appearance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and your body's ability to detoxify these oxygen species. ROS are common and natural byproducts of the normal metabolism of oxygen, however, buildup can severely disrupt the normal processes of the brain if they are not detoxified. It is believed that reactive oxygen species cause damage to cellular and DNA structures. In fact, cellular changes show that OS is an event that occurs before the development of the hallmark pathologies of the disease: neurofibrillary tangles and beta amyloid plaques in the brain.

It is debatable about whether the "oxidative stress theory" is the true culprit behind Alzheimer's disease. However, recent research shows that promising steps can be taken to prevent oxidative stress in the brain. That new hope relies on antioxidants.

An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules, which prevents oxidative stress. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that transfers electrons from a substance to an oxidizing agent, and it is a normal occurrence of cell functioning. Oxidation reactions can in turn produce free radicals, which can cause a chain reaction and damage to the cell. According to research done by the National Institute of Health, it becomes increasingly difficult for our body to counteract oxidation as we grow older, and this is evidence as to why Alzheimer's disease primarily affects older people. However, following the "oxidative stress theory," antioxidants can prevent excessive oxidation and therefore the development of tangles and plaques in the brain.

Antioxidants are thought to be highly effective in the management of ROS-mediated tissue impairments. Many antioxidant compounds possess anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, or antiviral "powers" to a greater or lesser extent.

So what does this mean for patients with Alzheimer's disease? Well, antioxidants are commonly found in a variety of fruits and vegetables. In a study conducted by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, however, berries had the highest antioxidant content. Berries (blueberries, blackberries, acai berries, etc.) are well known to be "superfruits" for their recently discovered health potentials. Blueberries (genus Vaccinium) are flowering plants whose anthocyanins (dark pigments that serve as antioxidants) are considered to be nature's most "strong" antioxidants. In fact, its antioxidants have demonstrated properties that go well beyond suppressing oxidation.

Although, antioxidants may provide tremendous preventive measures for Alzheimer's disease, the effect that oxidative stress has on the pathogenesis of this disease is yet to be scientifically confirmed. However, if the "oxidative stress theory" were confirmed, the easy accessibility of antioxidants contained in berries would serve to provide hope for future Alzheimer's treatment. Although these berries may be small, do not underestimate the power that they contain.

References:

Huang, W. et al. Survey of antioxidant capacity and phenolic composition of blueberry, blackberry, and strawberry. Journal of Zhejiang University 94-102 (2012).

Ono, K. et al. Anti-amyloidogenic effects of antioxidants: Implications for the prevention and therapeutics of Alzheimer's disease. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1762, 575-586 (2006).

National Center for Biotechnology Information. Antioxidant treatment in Alzheimer's disease: current state (2003).

National Center for Biotechnology Information. DNA base damage by reactive oxygen species, oxidizing agents, and UV radiation (2013).

Perry, G., Cash, A., Smith, M. Alzheimer Disease and Oxidative Stress. Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology 120-123 (2002).

Gemma, C., Vila, J., Bachstetter, A., Bickford, P. Brain Aging: Models, Methods, and Mechanisms. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2007.

Rice University. Antioxidants and Free radicals (1996).

Images:

1. Antioxidant Pathways: Courtesy of Red Labs

2. Anthocyanin Content: Courtesy of The Blackcurrant Foundation