Choline vs. Alzheimer's
It is well known that Alzheimer's disease damages the brain long before the first symptoms appear. And as soon as these symptoms are detected, it is too late – the disease has become irreversible, so it is especially important to find effective preventive measures.
A new study has shown that an increase in choline intake helps prevent Alzheimer's disease.
Choline is a safe and easy–to-use nutrient that is naturally present in some foods and can be used as a dietary supplement. All plant and animal cells need choline to maintain their structural integrity. It has long been known that choline is especially important for brain function. The human body uses it to produce acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter responsible for memory, muscle control and mood. Choline is also used to create cell membranes and plays a vital role in regulating gene expression.
There are two mechanisms by which choline protects the brain from the onset of Alzheimer's disease:
it blocks the formation of beta-amyloid plaques – a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease
choline supplementation reduces microglia activation.
Excessive activation of microglia leads to inflammation of the brain and can eventually lead to the death of neurons, thereby impairing cognitive functions. Choline supplementation reduces microglia activation, offering additional protection against the devastating disease. A decrease in the activity of microglia leads to a change in two key receptors, nicotinic acetylcholine α-7 and δ-1. These receptors regulate the immune response of the central nervous system, and their dysregulation contributes to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Choline can act as an agonist for these receptors, that is, activate them.
The study was conducted on female mice that had artificially developed Alzheimer's disease. To test the improvement of spatial memory, scientists used the Morris water maze. It turned out that mice who received a large dose of choline (5.0 g / kg of choline chloride) in food throughout their lives showed an improvement in spatial memory, compared with those whose diet did not change (1.1 g / kg of choline chloride).
The scientists also studied the tissue of the hippocampus, an area of the brain that plays a central role in memory formation, and confirmed that lifelong addition of choline to the diet reduces the formation of toxic beta-amyloid plaques and changes the expression of the δ-1 receptor, thereby weakening the activation of microglia.
Currently, the established adequate level of choline intake for adult (>19 years old) women is 425 mg / day, and for adult men – 550 mg / day, but the data obtained in the study suggest that this amount is not enough to prevent the disease. It is recommended to raise the amount of choline consumed to the upper permissible level, which will not cause side effects in adults: 3500 mg / day, which is 8.24 times higher than the currently accepted norm for women, and 6.36 times higher for men. Choline is found in large quantities in chicken liver, eggs, beef, wheat germ, milk and Brussels sprouts. In addition, vitamin supplements containing choline, such as choline bitartrate and choline chloride, are readily available and inexpensive. Such vitamin supplements are especially relevant for vegetarians.
Choline is an attractive candidate for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease, as it is considered a very safe alternative to many pharmaceutical drugs. Although the results improve understanding of the course of the disease, the authors believe that clinical trials are needed to confirm whether choline can be used as an effective method of treating and preventing the disease in the future.
Article by Velazquez et al. Lifelong choline supplementation ameliorates Alzheimer's disease pathology and associated cognitive deficits by attenuating microglia activation is published in the journal Aging Cell.
Elena Panasyuk, portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru According to Arizona State University: Follow-up study indicates that common nutrient supplementation may hold the answers to combating Alzheimer's.