Can the Consumption of Antioxidants Help Prevent Alzheimer's Disease
Can the consumption of antioxidants help prevent Alzheimer Disease?
Chenani Edwards
St. Petersburg College
Background
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a disease that affects memory and cognitive thought processes of the brain. It is the most common form of dementia in older people, and there is no current cure for this disease. However, there are studies being conducted stating that the high intake of antioxidants is associated with preventing the disease. This study is intended to focus on whether the consumption of antioxidants in its natural or supplement form will have the same effect in preventing or slowing down the disease pathological memory loss. AD is characterized by two abnormal structures in the brain: amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. It also causes extreme shrinkage of the cerebral cortex, certain subcortical regions, and the hippocampus. This is due to a loss of neurons and synapses, and most commonly affects brain regions responsible for learning, reasoning, and memory (The Gale Group, Inc., 2008).
Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles interfere with neural communication and function, eventually leading to the loss of neuron cells. Amyloid plaques are tangles of the amyloid protein in nervous tissue. Amyloid protein is naturally very sticky and can accumulate in densely coiled clusters known as plaques. According to the Alzheimer 's Association, it is believed that a disruption in the formation, accumulation or removal of beta amyloid proteins is the primary cause of Alzheimer 's disease. Researchers believe that the accumulation of beta amyloid plaques causes a disruption in neural communication and activates the inflammatory response by the immune system in which immune cells attack and further destroy neural cells (PromiseO, 2010).
Neurofibrillary tangles are composed of twisted masses of protein fibers within nerve cells. These tangles consist primarily of a protein called tau. ‘According to
Chenani Edwards
St. Petersburg College
Background
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a disease that affects memory and cognitive thought processes of the brain. It is the most common form of dementia in older people, and there is no current cure for this disease. However, there are studies being conducted stating that the high intake of antioxidants is associated with preventing the disease. This study is intended to focus on whether the consumption of antioxidants in its natural or supplement form will have the same effect in preventing or slowing down the disease pathological memory loss. AD is characterized by two abnormal structures in the brain: amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. It also causes extreme shrinkage of the cerebral cortex, certain subcortical regions, and the hippocampus. This is due to a loss of neurons and synapses, and most commonly affects brain regions responsible for learning, reasoning, and memory (The Gale Group, Inc., 2008).
Amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles interfere with neural communication and function, eventually leading to the loss of neuron cells. Amyloid plaques are tangles of the amyloid protein in nervous tissue. Amyloid protein is naturally very sticky and can accumulate in densely coiled clusters known as plaques. According to the Alzheimer 's Association, it is believed that a disruption in the formation, accumulation or removal of beta amyloid proteins is the primary cause of Alzheimer 's disease. Researchers believe that the accumulation of beta amyloid plaques causes a disruption in neural communication and activates the inflammatory response by the immune system in which immune cells attack and further destroy neural cells (PromiseO, 2010).
Neurofibrillary tangles are composed of twisted masses of protein fibers within nerve cells. These tangles consist primarily of a protein called tau. ‘According to
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