Green Tea, and especially the component epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), provide potent neuroprotective effects to the brain as well as improved learning abilities.
Improved memory learning ability. In laboratory animals, administration of green tea catechins (including EGCG) showed improved spatial memory and learning ability of the animals in maze navigation studies. The animals receiving the green tea had much less oxidative stress activity in the hippocampus (memory) area of the brain. According to the researchers, the improved memory is most likely due to significant antioxidant protection provided by the green tea.
Neuroprotective for neurogenerative diseases. EGCG has a protective effect on neurons. One study showed the ability of EGCG to protect dopaminergic neurons against a herbicide known to be toxic to these cells. Further studies have shown that EGCG is protective to neurons injured due to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Neuro Rescue role as an iron-chelator and antioxdant. Neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease are characterized by the accumulation of iron at the location where neuron cell death occurs. Iron increases levels of oxidative stress at the site, and is believed to be a major factor in the neurodegenerative process. EGCG is an iron chelator, and can remove the iron, thereby eliminating a significant source of oxidative stress. In addition, EGCG is an potent antioxidant, which further mitigates the oxidative stress of the neuron.
Greatly improves levels of antioxidant enzymes and antioxidants in the brain. The brain is very susceptible to oxdiative stress related damage because of its high content of polyunsaturated acids. EGCG has been shown, in lab animals, to improve the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, as well as support increased levels of the antioxidants tocopherol, ascorbic acid and glutathione. EGCG is therefore a good neuroprotective agent (from oxidative stress) for the aging brain.
Source: http://www.memoryaction.com/content/Ingredient_Research.htm
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There's a lot of information about EGCG on the Changing Minds blog. www.changingmindsaboutdownsyndrome.blogspot.com Start at the beginning DYRK1A and DSCR posts.
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There is a possible clinical trial underway concerning EGCG and Down syndrome.
http://www.
Green Tea May Cut Alzheimer’s Risk...
Green tea, the popular beverage drunk by millions in Asia and, increasingly, by many in the U.S. as well, may have benefits against Alzheimer’s disease, researchers report. The beverage contains a compound called EGCG that appears to reduce the formation of beta-amyloid, a toxic protein that builds up in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease. Although the studies were carried out in mice and may not apply to humans, scientists are motivated to continue research into the possible benefits of green tea for people suffering from memory loss and dementia.
The researchers, from the University of South Florida, gave high doses of the green tea compound EGCG (for epigallocatechin-gallate) to mice that had been genetically altered to produce beta-amyloid. After several months of daily EGCG injections, brain cells in treated mice contained 54 percent less beta-amyloid. The buildup of beta-amyloid is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, resulting in the death of healthy cells vital for memory and the formation of abnormal structures called plaquesin the brain. Many researchers believe that by blocking formation of beta-amyloid, memory loss and other troubling symptoms may be slowed or halted.
“The findings suggest that a concentrated component of green tea can decrease brain beta-amyloid plaque formation,” says researcher Jun Tan, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Neuroimmunology Laboratory at the University of South Florida. “If beta-amyloid pathology in this Alzheimer’s mouse model is representative of Alzheimer’s disease pathology in humans, EGCG dietary supplementation may be effective in preventing and treating the disease.”
Sipping Tea Not Enough
Green tea contains many different compounds called flavonoids that have powerful antioxidant activities. Antioxidants act to mop up free radicals, natural oxygen compounds that, in excess, can damage cells. EGCG is the main antioxidant in green tea. It is thought to have benefits for heart and blood vessel health, and scientists are studying it for its possible benefits in protecting against cancer as well.
But drinking green tea or taking green tea supplements rich in antioxidants may not be enough to cut Alzheimer’s risk. The researchers showed that other flavonoids in green tea actually block EGCG’s ability to prevent the harmful buildup of beta-amyloid. “This finding suggests that a green tea extract selectively concentrating EGCG would be needed to override the counteractive effect of other flavonoids found in green tea,” says Doug Shytle, Ph.D., of the University of South Florida. In addition, the scientists note that further research is needed to determine whether EGCG actually reduces memory loss and reduces plaque formation in mice. The next step would be to test EGCG extracts in people.
In the meantime, taking a tea break won’t hurt and may help. Earlier research suggests that green tea as well as other types of tea may have benefits for brain health. At the least, a cup of tea can provide a pleasant stress-reducing break during the day.
By www.ALZinfo.org, The Alzheimer’s Information Site. Reviewed by William J. Netzer, Ph.D., Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation at The Rockefeller University.
Source
Rezai-Zadeh K, et al: “Green Tea Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG) Modulates Amyloid Precursor Protein.” Journal of Neuroscience, Volume 25. September 21, 2005, pages 8807-8814.Source: http://www.memoryaction.com/content/Ingredient_Research.htm
References
- Chen LW, et al. Chinese herbs and herbal extracts for neuroprotection of dopaminergic neurons and potential therapeutic treatment of Parkinson's disease. CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2007 Aug;6(4):273-81.
- Tohda C, et al. Search for natural products related to regeneration of the neuronal network. Neurosignals. 2005;14(1-2):34-45.
- Haque AM, et al. Long-term administration of green tea catechins improves spatial cognition learning ability in rats. J Nutr. 2006 Apr;136(4):1043-7.
- Hou RR, et al. Neuroprotective effects of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on paraquat-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. Cell Biol Int. 2007 Sep 1
- Avramovich-Tirosh Y, et al. Neurorescue activity, APP regulation and amyloid-beta peptide reduction by novel multi-functional brain permeable iron- chelating- antioxidants, M-30 and green tea polyphenol, EGCG. Curr Alzheimer Res. 2007 Sep;4(4):403-11
- Weinreb O, et al. The application of proteomics for studying neurorescue activity of the polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate. Arch Biochem Biophys. 2008 Jan 13
- Srividhya R, et al. Attenuation of senescense-induced oxidative exacerbations in aged rat brain by (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2008 Apr;26(2):217-23
Products
Decaffeinated and fluoride-free liquid: bodyecology.com $20, or 3 for $16.96 each or 4 for $15.96 each. This is the product I will be buying next.
It contains 80 mg of polyphenols per 20 drops, 100 mg of polyphenols per 30 drops.
I use decaffeinated because I have a severe reaction to caffeine myself. I use: http://www.vitacost.com/
Other moms recommend: http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-
http://www.vitacost.com/NSI-
Dosage
EGCG should be given every 4-6 hours.
As for dosage, an adult should take no more than 500 mcg in a 24 hour period. So I'd say once our kids weigh 100 lbs, 500 mcgs is safe.
To break that down, 50 mcgs per 10lbs a day. Jett weighs 16 lbs, so about 80 a day for him. (I will split the 383mcg capsule into 1/4s and give him a little bit every 6 hours until it's gone. I'm just easing him into it now.) Other moms make it easier and just take the 150 mg capsule and give 1/3 at a time.
Here is a website that a dad started about giving EGCG to his DS son it has dosage info:
http://dstoner.net/Math_Science/Downs.html
Side Effects
EGCG is an iron chelator, which is great for most of our kids. But if your child's iron is low, make sure you are giving him plenty of sources of iron. Jett's iron (at last blood test) was on the low side of normal. So I have added unsulphered, organic, blackstrap molasses to his diet and will soon introduce organic liver from grass fed cows.
EGCG decreases the absorption of folate and our children need it, so you have to supplement with folate. (See results of folinic acid deficiencies below.)
To address this, I doubled Jett's folinic intake to 400 mcgs (200 mcg twice a day) and always give it with B12. I also give EGCG an hour after I give Jett the other supplements to give the folate some time to absorb.
From Don Stoner (the father who has the web page on EGCG, where I first heard about its use with children with DS):
Hi All, I won't be able to give you any unbiased confirmation (since I'm Josh's dad, and I wrote
that web page) but I'll be happy to answer any specific questions. The original research that got me started with EGCG can be found
by following this link. (I hope I typed that correctly.) It's pretty technical, but I think I can answer most questions about that article. My experience with Josh is that as long as he is taking EGCG, he seems to remember stuff pretty much like a normal kid; but when he stops taking it, he doesn't remember stuff (just like a normal DS kid). The change only takes a day or two (either direction), and it's pretty obvious.
I wasn't able to find a study that did a G.B. / EGCG comparison. This source here claims that EGCG is roughly comparable to Aspirin (in that they have roughly the same anticoagulant properties). The same source comments that they are not aware of any studies comparing G.B. with Aspirin. (G.B., EGCG, and Aspirin can all inhibit blood coagulation, even alone but especially in combinations.) Oddly, this source here says that the small amount of vitamin K in EGCG can make anticoagulant drugs, such as warfarin, less effective. Vitamin K (spinach is a good source) is generally good as a relatively quick fix for bleeding problems ... but it can be a disaster for problems involving excessive clotting.
From Christy:
I'm passing along a link to an article posted on another listserv about "too much of a good thing can be harmful" referring to nine case reports of liver toxicity caused by ingesting too much EGCG.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1964900/
Here are some excerpts from the article:
- laboratory research with both rodents and dogs has shown that high doses of the most heavily studied green tea polyphenol, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), cause liver, kidney, and
gastrointestinal toxicities. - “To date, there have been nine anecdotal case reports of liver toxicity in humans associated with consumption of high doses [700–2,000 mg/day] of green tea from dietary supplements,” says lead author Joshua Lambert,
an assistant research professor in the Department of Chemical Biology
at Rutgers University. - “In some cases, the subject stopped taking the supplement and the symptoms resolved, and then the subject started taking the supplement again and liver toxicity returned.” Such observations, albeit anecdotal,
suggest that green tea supplements are not without risk. - “People who take less than 500 mg [of green tea concentrate or preparation] per day and spread the dose out over the course of the day are unlikely to have toxic side effects,” says Yang.
- Yang adds that some Japanese publications report beneficial effects for the consumption of 10 cups of green tea a day with no apparent harmful effects.
- Yang and Lambert hypothesize that people with oxidative stress–related liver diseases such as hepatitis or cirrhosis may be at greater risk of toxic side effects from ingesting high doses of green tea polyphenols.
“When a person’s liver is already under stress, toxic effects tend to
become amplified,” Yang says. - Conversely, he notes there are data showing that low or moderate amounts of green tea have a protective effect against both toxicity and carcinogenesis in target organs—once again supporting the adage
“everything in moderation, nothing to excess.”
One thing I would take from this article if I were giving EGCG to my child is to spread the dose out throughout the day (like your body would get it if you were drinking green tea throughout the day). You wouldn't sit down and drink 10 cups of green tea at once - thus your body wouldn't get 10 cups worth of EGCG at once. Also, the statement about "those taking less than 500 mg EGCG at once are less likely to have toxic side effects" - I assume they are referring to adults, so keep that in mind when trying to convert the dose to a safe level for children.
Watch out for these:Folic Acid Deficiency Symptoms
Folic acid deficiency causes very general symptoms such as:
- Fatigue and weakness
- Headaches and difficulty concentrating
- Palpitations
- Diarrhea
- In the early stages, the tongue may be red and painful leading to a smooth shiny surface in the chronic stages of deficiency.
The Three Stages of Folic Acid Deficiency
At the first stage of deficiency the plasma folate levels fall. If the diet does not contain adequate folate, the red blood cell (RBC) folate levels drop after three to four months. With continuing deficiency, the bone marrow cells and other cells become affected. This is stage three, the clinical stage of folic acid anemia. It occurs after approximately four to five months of deficiency. Folic acid anemia is called megaloblastic anemia.
Folic acid functions in DNA synthesis and therefore cell division. Without this important vitamin, cells such as red blood cells produced in the bone marrow, fail to divide properly. RNA continues to form and build up producing excess haemoglobin. The RBC becomes an immature enlarged non-functioning cell often containing excess haemoglobin. This is megaloblastic anemia.
Certain factors confuse the diagnosis of folic acid deficiency anemia. The folic acid anemia is identical to the anemia of vitamin B12 deficiency. Therefore, it is very important to rule out vitamin B12 deficiency before taking folic acid supplements for anemia; otherwise, the megaloblastic anemia of vitamin B12 may go on unnoticed. In addition, the factors that lead to folate deficiency, such as poor diet, malabsorption and alcoholism, affect other nutrients as well, so singling out folic acid as the cause is often difficult.
Testing for Folic Acid Deficiency
Serum folate levels reflect recent changes in folate intake whereas RBC folate measures the folate stored in the body. RBC folate is a more reliable test. These tests are available through a standard blood test from the doctor.
High homocysteine levels may also reflect low folate status but it may also be indicative of vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 deficiency.
Resources
Shils ME, Shike M, Ross AC, Caballero B, Cousins RJ. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 10 ed. Maryland: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006.
Gropper S, Smith JL, Groff JL. Advanced nutrition and human metabolism. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth; 2005.
Johnson LE. Folate [monograph on online] 2007 April [cited 2008 November]
Gentili A. Folic Acid Deficiency. [monograph online] 2007 19 September [cited 2008 November]
Read more at Suite101: Folic Acid Deficiency: The Causes, Symptoms, and Stages of Folate Deficiency and Anemia http://www.suite101.com/
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