cannabisnews.com: Attacking Alzheimer's with Red Wine and Marijuana Attacking Alzheimer's with Red Wine and Marijuana Posted by CN Staff on December 08, 2008 at 16:21:23 PT By Tom Jacobs, Miller-McCune.com Source: AlterNet USA -- Two new studies suggest that substances usually associated with dulling the mind -- marijuana and red wine -- may help ward off Alzheimer's disease and other forms of age-related memory loss. Their addition comes as another study dethrones folk remedy ginkgo biloba as proof against the disease.At a November meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Washington, D.C., researchers from Ohio State University reported that THC, the main psychoactive substance in the cannabis plant, may reduce inflammation in the brain and even stimulate the formation of new brain cells. Meanwhile, in the Nov. 21 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, neurologist David Teplow of the University of California, Los Angeles reported that polyphenols -- naturally occurring components of red wine -- block the formation of proteins that build the toxic plaques thought to destroy brain cells. In addition, these substances can reduce the toxicity of existing plaques, thus reducing cognitive deterioration.Together, the studies suggest scientists are gaining a clearer understanding of the mechanics of memory deterioration and discovering some promising approaches to prevention.Previous research has suggested that polyphenols -- which are found in high concentrations in tea, nuts and berries, as well as cabernets and merlots -- may inhibit or prevent the buildup of toxic fibers in the brain. These fibers, which are primarily composed of two specific proteins, form the plaques that have long been associated with Alzheimer's disease.UCLA's Teplow and his colleagues monitored how these proteins folded up and stuck to each other to produce aggregates that killed nerve cells in mice. They then treated the proteins with a polyphenol compound extracted from grape seeds. They discovered the polyphenols blocked the formation of the toxic aggregates."What we found is pretty straightforward," Teplow declared. "If the amyloid beta proteins can't assemble, toxic aggregates can't form, and, thus, there is no toxicity." If this also proves true in human brains, it means administration of the compound to Alzheimer's patients could "prevent disease development and also ameliorate existing disease," he said. Human clinical trials are upcoming.At Ohio State, researchers led by psychologist Gary Wenk are studying the protective effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC. They found that administering a THC-like synthetic drug to older rats performed better at a memory test than a control group of non-medicated elderly rodents.In some of the rats, the drug apparently lowered inflammation in the hippocampus -- the region of the brain responsible for short-term memory. It also seems to have stimulated the generation of new brain cells."When we're young, we reproduce neurons and our memory works fine," said co-author Yannick Marchalant, another Ohio State psychologist. "When we age, the process slows down, so we have a decrease in new cell formation in normal aging. You need those cells to come back and help form new memories, and we found that this THC-like agent can influence creation of those cells."Wenk added two cautionary notes to his report. First, to be effective, any such treatment along these lines would have to take place before memory loss is obvious. Second, the researchers still have much work to do."We need to find exactly which receptors are most crucial" to the generation of new brain cells, he said. This discovery would "ideally lead to the development of drugs that specifically activate those receptors."In the meantime, should aging baby boomers who are worried about old-age mental impairment light up a joint? Wenk was cautious in his answer, no doubt because marijuana is suspected to be harmful to health in other ways."Could people smoke marijuana to prevent Alzheimer's disease if the disease is in the family? We're not saying that, but it might actually work," he said. "What we are saying is it appears that a safe, legal substance the mimics those important properties of marijuana can work on receptors in the brain to prevent memory impairments in aging. So that's really hopeful."Tom Jacobs is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years experience at daily newspapers. He has served as a staff writer for the Los Angeles Daily News and the Santa Barbara News-Press. His work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Ventura County Star. This article first appeared on Miller-McCune.comCopyright: 2008 Miller-McCune.com Source: AlterNet (US)Author: Tom Jacobs, Miller-McCune.comPublished: December 8, 2008Copyright: 2008 Independent Media InstituteContact: letters alternet.org Website: http://www.alternet.org/URL: http://www.alternet.org/story/110806/CannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #23 posted by FoM on December 09, 2008 at 13:15:03 PT Grape Seeds May Combat Alzheimer's For people who aren't into alcohol grape seeds may do.http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Features/0,1197,4537,00.html [ Post Comment ] Comment #22 posted by Hope on December 09, 2008 at 09:58:13 PT Wine vinegar? Wine fermented even more? I wonder if it might be a source of the ingredients that are beneficial, too. [ Post Comment ] Comment #21 posted by dongenero on December 09, 2008 at 09:24:40 PT Pomegranate juice Is supposed to provide good polyphenols.I sure like a little glass of red wine each day:) [ Post Comment ] Comment #18 posted by Hope on December 09, 2008 at 08:49:40 PT couldn't plain old grape juice do the same thing I think that at least some of the beneficial chemicals are created during fermentation. Although, I'm sure a lot of the benefits can be obtained from grape juice... red grape juice in particular, as I recall hearing once. And, of course, there's that stuff in the grocery store that supposedly had all the good stuff without the actual alcohol. It was sealed in foil and I couldn't actually see the substance, but I imagined it being a sludgy substance filled with the sort of stuff that can settle to the bottom in some wines. There's a name for that stuff besides grape "sludge"... but I can't recall what it's called. [ Post Comment ] Comment #17 posted by FoM on December 09, 2008 at 06:28:36 PT Storm Crow That makes sense to me. [ Post Comment ] Comment #16 posted by Storm Crow on December 09, 2008 at 06:18:59 PT How about grape juice? Since wine is no more than grape juice gone "bad", couldn't plain old grape juice do the same thing as wine? Fresh Merlot grape juice, anyone? So here's my take on "How to avoid Alzheimer's 101"- Get stoned and munch out on berries, grape juice and nuts! Add a few brisk walks as needed. Sounds good to me! [ Post Comment ] Comment #15 posted by OverwhelmSam on December 09, 2008 at 04:38:32 PT Jonathan Magby Case "Substantially" Settled Another city gets slammed for marijuana law enforcement:"Magbie died four days into a 10-day jail sentence for possessing marijuana, which he said he used to ease the discomfort caused by his disability. The jail infirmary, where he was housed for several days, wasn't equipped with the ventilator he needed to breathe at night.His death sparked several government investigations, which exposed major lapses in Magbie's care at the D.C. jail and Greater Southeast Hospital."http://www.mpp.org/states/district-of-columbia/news/city-settles-in-death-of.htmlAttorneys for his mother, Mary R. Scott, declined to provide details of the financial settlement, which she reached with the city, private contractors and the insurance company that covered doctors at the hospital. The American Civil Liberties Union, which represented Scott, called the settlement "substantial" in a news release. [ Post Comment ] Comment #14 posted by OverwhelmSam on December 09, 2008 at 04:31:28 PT Meet The New Drug Czar It appears the nomination for drug czar does not have the support of drug free america and other drug prohibition organizations. These are the nominees for US Drug Czar that I would like Drug Free America to consider:Rob KampiaEthan NadelmanKeith StroupAllen St.Pierre [ Post Comment ] Comment #13 posted by Hope on December 08, 2008 at 22:12:34 PT And of course vaporizable and smokeable forms of the good herb. [ Post Comment ] Comment #12 posted by Hope on December 08, 2008 at 22:10:28 PT I could see using supplements of different sorts that provided all of these advantages. Cooked ground herb, the full spectrum of cannabinoids, in capsule or loose herbal form, or tea bags. The polyphenols and the flavinoids and all that in some form.Sounds good and it would be right. Still got some fighting to do people.The reaction I can imagine prohibitionists having to this good news, brings to mind something else someone else said over on Kos. Something like, "Ignorance is natural but stupidity takes commitment". [ Post Comment ] Comment #11 posted by John Tyler on December 08, 2008 at 22:05:15 PT sonething not cannabis "Could people smoke marijuana to prevent Alzheimer's disease if the disease is in the family? We're not saying that, but it might actually work," he said. "What we are saying is it appears that a safe, legal substance the mimics those important properties of marijuana can work on receptors in the brain to prevent memory impairments in aging. So that's really hopeful." Meaning... cannabis could do the job, but we want something that will do the same thing that is not cannabis. [ Post Comment ] Comment #10 posted by Hope on December 08, 2008 at 22:03:38 PT HepC Patient I can understand that. Alcohol can be, or is, hard on a healthy liver. [ Post Comment ] Comment #9 posted by The GCW on December 08, 2008 at 20:43:00 PT the hippocampus the hippocampus is also where the majority of those THC receptor sites exist in the brain. They are also helpful for higher levels of thinking, problem solving and imagination etc. [ Post Comment ] Comment #8 posted by FoM on December 08, 2008 at 20:18:30 PT Alcohol I was with my husband at the doctor when he told him how any drinking would kill him. He wasn't a drinker and that made the doctor smile. He said people don't realize how toxic alcohol becomes to a HepC Patient. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by Hope on December 08, 2008 at 20:15:54 PT Cabernets and Merlots should sell well this season. "In some of the rats, the drug apparently lowered inflammation in the hippocampus -- the region of the brain responsible for short-term memory. It also seems to have stimulated the generation of new brain cells.":0) [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by Hope on December 08, 2008 at 20:00:26 PT Some people. Some alcohol... wines and beers in particular, but certainly not exclusively, even a little can trigger a mega headache, a migraine even, and some people get sick feeling from just a small amount of it.Sometimes alcohol will trigger a headache in me. I seldom drink... but I'm picky in an effort to avoid that where I've experienced it before.Hard liquor? Ever been sick on Vodka or ... man... Hot Damn Shnappes? It doesn't even have to happen to me, by any means. Seeing it happen to anyone, on anything, is enough to make me cautious.Liquor sick. Oooh. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by Hope on December 08, 2008 at 19:53:33 PT I saw some stuff in the healthish food department of the grocery store. Said it was the stuff in wine that was good for you without the alcohol and you drink it. Flavinoids, maybe... and stuff like that.I always liked the scripture where Paul tells Timothy to tell "The older women not to drink too much wine.":0) [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by mykeyb420 on December 08, 2008 at 19:17:58 PT too bad I don't drink,,,,never have Well,, at least I'm half protected from alzheimers [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by The GCW on December 08, 2008 at 19:04:49 PT Pill Nation For people that can not drink the wine:How about some cheese with that Merlot wine pill? [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by FoM on December 08, 2008 at 17:19:23 PT Sam I agree about alcohol. Many people can't drink any alcohol if they have HepC or have any liver disease. [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on December 08, 2008 at 16:57:14 PT Wine Of course the only problem with wine is that the beneficial substances are delivered along with toxic alcohol and all its detrimental effects.With cannabis, there is nothing toxic. In fact, the intoxicating agent IS the medicine. [ Post Comment ] Post Comment