Why eating seaweed might help prevent Parkinson’s disease

Eating the seaweed Ecklonia cava might be able to decelerate or stop Parkinson’s illness, in accordance with a 2024 examine.

Researchers discovered that antioxidants within the seaweed—which is commonly utilized in soups and salads in Asian delicacies—might shield our neurons from free radicals to forestall this debilitating illness.

Parkinson’s is a situation that impacts the nervous system, inflicting signs like shaking, stiffness and issue transferring. It occurs when neurons that produce dopamine—a chemical that helps management motion—begin to die off within the mind. While Parkinson’s shouldn’t be itself deadly, it causes critical problems that may result in dying. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a treatment but.

But researchers have beforehand discovered hyperlinks between dietary antioxidants and Parkinson’s prevention. For instance, analysis has discovered that resveratrol—which is in lots of vegetation and fruits together with crimson grapes, berries and peanuts—protected the neurons producing dopamine within the mind from dying in a number of mouse fashions of Parkinson’s illness.

Ellagic acid, α-lipoic acid and myrtenal all improved studying and reminiscence efficiency in addition to neuromuscular coordination in mouse fashions of Parkinson’s. Ellagic acid is discovered in lots of fruit and veggies together with grapes, pomegranates, berries and nuts.

Myrtenal is present in varied vegetation, corresponding to hyssop and sage. And α-lipoic acid is present in crimson meat, spinach and broccoli.

Several research have advised that ingesting tea may help stop Parkinson’s illness. Although we do not actually know the way it works, some analysis suggests it’s as a result of antioxidants that tea comprises.

Fighting free radicals

Our physique produces dangerous free radicals in response to environmental insults corresponding to ultraviolet rays and air air pollution. Free radicals are additionally a pure byproduct of regular processes in cells.

Antioxidants are like bodyguards, defending cells from the harm brought on by free radicals. Our physique naturally produces antioxidants however some meals, like Ecklonia cava, are wealthy in antioxidants and may complement our naturally produced antioxidants to assist our our bodies battle free radical harm.

For the latest examine, based mostly in Japan, researchers induced Parkinson’s illness in mice utilizing the pesticide rotenone. Rotenone kills the neurons that produce dopamine within the mind, which causes the mice to develop a illness that appears like Parkinson’s, with comparable signs, corresponding to slower motion and impaired gastrointestinal motility (when there are issues transferring meals and waste by the digestive tract).

Once the researchers induced Parkinson’s within the mice, they fed some with antioxidants from Ecklonia cava and a few with a daily weight loss program. They discovered that the neurons producing dopamine within the mind of the mice fed with antioxidants gave the impression to be protected. Also, these mice had fewer Parkinson’s signs than the mice fed with the common weight loss program.

The researchers additionally regarded on the impact of antioxidants in cells grown in a dish and uncovered to rotenone. Rotenone will increase the manufacturing of free radicals, killing the cells.

The researchers discovered that antioxidants decreased the manufacturing of free radicals induced by rotenone within the cells, stopping cell dying. This analysis opens up the potential for utilizing Ecklonia cava polyphenols— plant compounds with antioxidant properties—to develop new therapies and prevention strategies for Parkinson’s.

Lost in translation?

Unfortunately, outcomes from research on animal fashions and cells are usually not at all times translatable to people. For instance, regardless of the protecting motion of one other antioxidant, vitamin C, present in cells and animal fashions to guard towards Parkinson’s, it doesn’t appear to have the identical impact in people.

This is as a result of animal and cell fashions don’t utterly mimic Parkinson’s illness in people. Animals have completely different mind constructions and capabilities in comparison with people, which suggests the best way the illness develops and progresses could be completely different. On the opposite hand, cell fashions, even when researchers use human cells, lack complexity.

Parkinson’s illness impacts the whole mind and physique, involving many several types of cells and interactions. Cell fashions normally give attention to a single kind of cell, lacking out on this complexity.

Parkinson’s illness develops over a few years, with signs altering over time. Cell and animal fashions can not simply replicate this long-term development. For instance, the utmost lifespan of most laboratory mice is 2 years, whereas Parkinson’s is assumed to develop over many years.

In conclusion, sturdy large-scale scientific strials are wanted to validate the efficacy of Ecklonia cava in stopping or slowing down Parkinson’s. However, as a result of Ecklonia cava is already out there in meals dietary supplements, it in all probability does no hurt to take it frequently.

Will it stop you from getting Parkinson’s? Maybe, however so does common train.

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