Another reason to eat chocolate

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Loma Linda University Health

New studies show dark chocolate improves memory & mood, boosts immunity and reduces stress as well as inflammation. 

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LOMA LINDA, CA — Findings from two studies show that consuming dark chocolate that has a high concentration of cacao (minimally 70% cacao, 30% organic cane sugar) has positive effects on:

1. Stress levels
2. Inflammation
3. Mood
4. Memory
5. Immunity.

Effects of a Regular-Sized Chocolate Bar

“For years, we have looked at the influence of dark chocolate on neurological functions from the standpoint of sugar content - the more sugar, the happier we are," said Dr. Lee Berk. 

While it is well known that cacao is a major source of flavonoids, this is the first time the effect has been studied in human subjects to determine how it can support cognitive, endocrine and cardiovascular health. 

Lee S. Berk, DrPH, , served as principal investigator on both studies. Dr. Berk is associate dean of research affairs, School of Allied Health Professions and a researcher in psychoneuroimmunology and food science from Loma Linda University.

"Positive Impact"

Berk added, "This is the first time that we have looked at the impact of large amounts of cacao in doses as small as a regular-sized chocolate bar in humans over short or long periods of time, and are encouraged by the findings. These studies show us that the higher the concentration of cacao, the more positive the impact on cognition, memory, mood, immunity and other beneficial effects.” 

The flavonoids found in cacao are extremely potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents, with known mechanisms beneficial for brain and cardiovascular health. The following resultswere presented in live poster sessions during the Experimental Biology 2018 meeting.

Two Studies on Dark Chocolate with 70% Cacao

These results were based on two important studies:

• Dark Chocolate (70% Cacao) Effects Human Gene Expression: Cacao Regulates Cellular Immune Response, Neural Signaling, and Sensory Perception
  
  · This pilot feasibility experimental trial examined the impact of 70 percent cacao chocolate consumption on human immune and dendritic cell gene expression, with focus on pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. Study findings show cacao consumption up-regulates multiple intracellular signaling pathways involved in T-cell activation, cellular immune response and genes involved in neural signaling and sensory perception - the latter potentially associated with the phenomena of brain hyperplasticity.

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• Dark Chocolate (70% Organic Cacao) Increases Acute and Chronic EEG Power Spectral Density (μv2) Response of Gamma Frequency (25-40Hz) for Brain Health: Enhancement of Neuroplasticity, Neural Synchrony, Cognitive Processing, Learning, Memory, Recall, and Mindfulness Meditation
  
  · This study assessed the electroencephalography (EEG) response to consuming 48 g of dark chocolate (70% cacao) after an acute period of time (30 mins) and after a chronic period of time (120 mins), on modulating brain frequencies 0-40Hz, specifically beneficial gamma frequency (25-40Hz). Findings show that this superfood of 70 percent cacao enhances neuroplasticity for behavioral and brain health benefits.

Berk said the studies require further investigation, specifically to determine the significance of these effects for immune cells and the brain in larger study populations. Further research is in progress to elaborate on the mechanisms that may be involved in the cause-and-effect brain-behavior relationship with cacao at this high concentration.

SOURCE:

• Loma Linda University Health
  Loma Linda University Health includes Loma Linda University's eight professional schools, Loma Linda University Medical Center's six hospitals and more than 900 faculty physicians located in the Inland Empire of Southern California. Established in 1905, Loma Linda University Health is a global leader in education, research and clinical care. It offers over 100 academic programs and provides quality health care to over 40,000 inpatients and 1.5 million outpatients each year.

Reason why a dementia drug also is a blood pressure blood drug

Caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Follow alzheimersideas on twitter
The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two


Georgetown University Medical Center

Top researchers show the generic drug candesartan (brand name: ATACAND^®) may not only slow progression of Alzheimer’s, but also prevent or delay its development. See how. 

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WASHINGTON  — In laboratory neuronal cultures, an FDA-approved drug used to treat high blood pressure reduced cell damage often linked to Alzheimer’s disease, say researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) and the National Institutes of Health.

They say their work, published online in the journal Alzheimer's Research and Therapy, provides information supporting the potential effect of the generic drug candesartan (brand name: ATACAND^®) — as well as other Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) for the early treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Our findings make sense in many ways,” says the study’s senior author Juan M. Saavedra, MD, from GUMC’s Department of Pharmacology and Physiology.  “Hypertension reduces blood flow throughout the body and brain and is a risk factor of Alzheimer’s disease. Previous epidemiological studies found that Alzheimer’s progression is delayed in hypertensive patients treated with ARBs.”

Using neuronal cultures, the researchers explored the action of candesartan on the neurotoxic effects of exposure to excessive glutamate, a demonstrated injury factor in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

The scientists found that candesartan prevented glutamate-induced neuronal death. They conducted in-depth gene analyses of the laboratory results, demonstrating that candesartan prevented neuronal inflammation and many other pathological processes, including alterations in amyloid metabolism, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

The study’s first author, Abdel G. Elkahloun, PhD, from the Comparative Genomics and Cancer Genetics Branch of the National Human Genome Research Institute, then compared gene expression in the neuronal cultures with published gene databases of autopsy samples from Alzheimer’s disease patients. “The correlations were impressive — the expression of 471 genes that were altered by excess glutamate in our cultures were also altered in brain autopsy samples from patients who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. Candesartan normalized expression of these genes in our cultures,” Elkahloun says.

“We hypothesize that candesartan, or other members of the ARB group, may not only slow progression of Alzheimer’s but also prevent or delay its development,” Saavedra says.

The researchers say this work has immediate translational value, supporting testing candesartan, or other ARBs, in controlled clinical studies on patients at early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. 

MORE INFORMATION:Roman Hafko, PhD, formerly of the National Institute of Mental Health, also contributed to this work and is an author of the paper.
The work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health including the National Human Genome Research Institute (MD 20892) and the National Institute of Mental Health (MH 002762-16). The authors report having no personal financial interests related to the study.
SOURCE:
Georgetown University Medical Center
Georgetown University Medical Center is an internationally recognized academic medical center with a three-part mission of research, teaching and patient care (through MedStar Health). GUMC’s mission is carried out with a strong emphasis on public service and a dedication to the Catholic, Jesuit principle of cura personalis -- or "care of the whole person." The Medical Center includes the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing & Health Studies, both nationally ranked; Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute; and the Biomedical Graduate Research Organization (BGRO), which accounts for the majority of externally funded research at GUMC including a Clinical Translation and Science Award from the National Institutes of Health. 

Does sleeping on your back cause memory loss?

Caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Follow alzheimersideas on twitter
The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

• The Effect of Body Posture on Brain lymphatic Transport Hedok Lee, et.al. The Journal of Neuroscience

Could sleeping on your back hurt memory and increase your brain's risk of developing neurodegenerative disease? 

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CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Could sleeping on your back increase your brain's risk of developing neurodegenerative disease? That possibility is revealed in a new study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 

"We compared the in-home sleep patterns of patients with memory impairment resulting from neurodegenerative diseases to a large group of elderly with normal cognition," stated Daniel J. Levendowski, the study's first author and President of Advanced Brain Monitoring. "Sleeping more than 2 hours with one's head lying face upward (i.e., supine) was a significant nocturnal marker that characterized those with memory impairment, after controlling for factors such as age, sex, snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, and movements during the night."

Supine Sleep + Natural Aging

These results corroborate in humans a finding observed in rats by researchers at Stony Brook University and published in the Journal of Neuroscience. Using dynamic contrast MRI, they found that the clearance of neurotoxic proteins from the brain by glymphatic transport was less efficient when the rats' heads were in the supine sleep position. "Our results clearly support their conclusions," added Dr. Philip Westbrook, Chief Medical Officer of Advanced Brain Monitoring. "We also suggest how the interaction between supine sleep and the natural changes that come with age could impact the clearance of β-amyloid, tau, alpha-synuclein, and other neurotoxins from the brain during sleep."

Strong Association, Potentially Modifiable

Because imaging of the lymphatic system in humans is not yet possible, additional research is needed to establish a causal relationship between neurodegenerative disease and supine sleep.

"The strength of the association, however, points to a potentially modifiable risk factor for neurodegenerative disease, similar to diet and exercise,"

suggested Dr. Charlene Gamaldo, a co-author and Associate Professor of Neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 

The study results were obtained as part of a $2.5 million multi-site longitudinal study funded by the National Institute of Aging and awarded to Advanced Brain Monitoring. The aim of this ongoing research is to characterize the brain's function during wake and sleep to provide early identification and differentiation between mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s, and other dementias. 

"This is one of many neurodegenerative disease markers we've identified to predict the likelihood of a dementia subtype, quantifying the progression of the disease, and evaluating efficacy of new treatments,” said Chris Berka, principal investigator for the project and CEO of Advanced Brain Monitoring. 

REFERENCE:

• The Effect of Body Posture on Brain Glymphatic Transport Hedok Lee, et.al. The Journal of Neuroscience

SOURCE:

• Advanced Brain Monitoring, Inc. is a privately-held neuro-diagnostics device company, specializing in the acquisition and analysis of EEG during wake and sleep. The Company's products are used in clinical trials and in clinical practice to interpret brain function as it relates to early stage neurodegeneration and chronic diseases, and to improve sleep quality and enhance performance. Since 2013, the Company has been awarded 15 patents, which includes seven FDA-cleared and CE-marked products. From its inception in 1999, the Company has been awarded over $35 million in government R&D funding.

How to keep those with dementia physically active

Caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Follow alzheimersideas on twitter
The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

SOURCE:
National Institute on Aging
National Institutes of Health
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Go4Life is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTIVITIES FOR ANY DAY - 6 HEALTHY TIPS to help you stay active with Alzheimer's, along with physical activities to do. 

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Caregivers can help people with dementia be more active and stay safe:

1. Be realistic about how much activity can be done at one time. Several 10-minute "mini-workouts" may be best.
2. Help get the activity started or join in to make the activity more fun.
3. Find time in the morning for exercise.
4. Break exercises into simple, easy-to-follow steps.
5. Choose comfortable clothes that are suitable for the weather and appropriate shoes that fit well.
6. Make sure both you and the person with dementia drink plenty of water when exercising.

Some physical activities to try:

• Take a walk together.
• Do simple tasks around the house, such as sweeping and raking.
• Work in the garden.
• Play music and dance.
• Exercise with videos made for older people. Try the sample workout on NIA's free Go4Life DVD.
• Throw a soft rubber exercise ball back and forth.
• Lift weights or household items such as soup cans.
• Use resistance bands, which you can buy in sporting goods stores. Be sure to follow the instructions.

Quick Tip

Try being active together. Physical activity and exercise are good for caregivers, too!

Visit:

www.nia.nih.gov/Go4Life

• Read more tips for adding physical activity to your day.
• Print useful tools.
• Order a free exercise DVD.
• Share your exercise story.

Go4Life: 
Everyday Fitness Ideas from the National Institute on Aging at NIH
Helping People with Dementia Disease Stay Physically Active

SOURCE:
National Institute on Aging
National Institutes of Health
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Go4Life is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.