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Losing your memories, no longer recognizing your loved ones, forgetting everyday gestures … It is the harsh reality of Alzheimer’s disease. This disease creates a kind of “rust” in the brain in the form of plates that damage and destroy neurons, our brain cells. Current treatments help slow the symptoms, but do not heal the disease. This is why research is actively used to find means of prevention. Among them, certain foods would have very effective benefits on the progression of the disease. Japanese researchers have explored the track of an aromatic herb.
For this, scientists have used laboratory mice, genetically modified having developed signs of Alzheimer’s disease. The team then divided the mice into two groups: the first received a normal diet, while the second consumed the same food, but enriched with the powder of a certain aromatic plant. The idea was that the active substance of this plant would go directly into the brain to fight the famous “rust”. Unfortunately, as they explain in the journal Scientific Reports, the main component very difficultly passed the brain protective barrier: “It was therefore deduced that its effect (…) resulted from other mechanisms”.
So how does this plant work? According to the results, its main compound acts actually as a messenger who sends a brain signal to tell him to slow down the production of an enzyme that “cleans” dopamine, an essential substance for communication between neurons. Result: with less “cleaning”, the level of dopamine in the brain increases. It is this increase in dopamine which, in turn, prevents toxic proteins from closing to form the plates of Alzheimer’s disease. The compound having allowed this feat is called Rosmarine acid which, as its name suggests, is present in rosemary. This Mediterranean plant is used in cooking as a flavor. It has also been known for centuries for its virtues, including its richness in antioxidants which protect our cells from aging.
According to Japanese researchers, rosemary could therefore be an excellent ally of prevention against Alzheimer’s disease, helping the brain defend itself better. It is of course not a miracle remedy and this does not replace medical treatment. But the advantage of this track, as scientists point out, is its excellent tolerance: “(The) Rosmaric acid being a familiar substance in human food, its risk as a treatment should be low “. In branches in our simmered dishes, chopped on our grills or in infusion, rosemary can be a precious boost for the health of our brain.
