Written by Jane Jansen Holistic Practitioner, Tree of Life Wellness Center
Persistent memory and cognitive decline are becoming an ever-growing problem.
In 2022 the Alzheimer’s Association estimated 6.5 million Americans ages 65 and older were living with Alzheimer’s and by 2050 that number will double to 13 million. According to Dementia Care Central, “When a person has Alzheimer’s disease or another related dementia, there are noted changes that occur within the brain. These changes are both structural and chemical, and they impact one another to reinforce the damage to the brain.” As the disease progresses, many changes will impair the person’s ability to function, including speech, memory, reasoning and potentially mood/personality.
Alzheimer’s disease is caused by amyloid plaques, tangled bundles of fibers called neurofibrillary, or tau, and tangles, which cause a loss of connections between neurons in the brain. Inflammation in the Alzheimer’s brain is excessive, counter-productive and causes increased tangles and cell death. When the neurons, (think of as electrical wiring) which carry signals to the brain, are destroyed, signals transmitted between brain cells are disrupted and connections between nerve cells of the brain become interrupted (somewhat like short circuiting the system).
As the neuron’s function is reduced, less of the neurotransmitters are produced and communication between neurons is decreased. Tau tangles found inside the neurons block cells from receiving needed nutrients. Eventually, brain cells die due to the damage caused by beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles. The greater the inflammation, the greater the negative impact.
Amyloid also builds up inside the walls of brain blood vessels. Research shows Amyloid damages blood vessels endothelium and may interfere with blood flow in the brain.
Published in the November 2022 Annals of Clinical and Translation Neurology, Dr. Rawan Tarawneh, M.D, director of the Cognitive Neurology Section and of the Memory & Aging Clinic at the University of Mexico identified a new protein in the cerebrospinal fluid that can reliably detect endothelial injury (damage to the lining of tiny blood vessels in the brain) in Alzheimer’s disease. Using this biomarker, the researchers found that endothelial injury is an important contributor to cognitive impairment in even the earliest pre-symptomatic stages of the disease.
Aged Garlic Extract has been shown to prevent and reverse damage of the endothelial lining of blood vessels and reduce Amyloid Beta. A study published in Phytotherapy Research, 2009 discussed the anti-amyloid activity of aged garlic (AGE), “It was seen that not only could the compound prevent amyloid aggregation, but it could also defibrilize previously formed fibrils.”
Published October 18, 2013, another study states “Ethyl acetate fractions from aged garlic extracts showed protection against (Aβ) Amyloid Beta-induced neurotoxicity. Pre-administration with aged garlic extracts attenuated Aβ-induced learning and memory deficits in both in vivo tests. Our findings suggest that aged garlic extracts with antioxidant activities may improve cognitive impairment against Aβ-induced neuronal deficit and possess a wide range of beneficial activities for neurodegenerative disorders, notably Alzheimer’s disease (AD).” A study published in the January 2017 journal, Nutrition, shows Aged Garlic Extract (AGE) is protective of brain neurons by reducing neuro-inflammation. Also published in Current Medicinal Chemistry researchers found “S-allyl-L-cysteine, an active compound in AGE, can prevent the neuroinflammation that leads to the death of synapses. Keeping synapses healthy is essential to preventing memory loss and cognitive decline. Moreover, treatment with AGE or S-allyl cysteine has been shown to prevent the degeneration of the brain’s frontal lobe, improve learning and memory retention and extend lifespan.”
In the January 2013 issue of Journal Ethnopharmacology research suggested supplementation with aged garlic extract (AGE) has been shown to restore impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilator response in subjects and in patients with chronic coronary artery disease.
February 19, 2020, a study in Experimental Therapeutic Medicine concluded, “On the whole, this study demonstrates that AGE has a positive impact on endothelial function in patients withT2DM (type 2 diabetes) and may play a role in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Over 900 published scientific papers have shown that Aged Garlic Extract (AGE) is safe and effective in providing health benefits in humans. Its neuroprotective effect has also been evaluated in an animal model. AGE has the potential to protect the brain against neurodegenerative conditions by preventing brain injury following ischemia, protecting neuronal cells against apoptosis, and preventing Beta-amyloid-induced oxidative death.