Toronto: A dietary supplement containing a blend of 30 vitamins and minerals may be able to "dramatically" slow the progress of catastrophic neurological
diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, a new study has claimed.
The supplement contains all natural ingredients widely available in health food stores and has shown remarkable anti-ageing properties that can prevent and even reverse massive brain cell loss, researchers said. "The findings are dramatic. Our hope is that this supplement could offset some very serious illnesses and ultimately improve quality of life," said Jennifer Lemon from McMaster University in Canada.
The formula, which contains common ingredients such as vitamins B, C and D, folic acid, green tea extract, cod liver oil and other nutraceuticals, was first designed by scientists in McMaster in 2000. A series of studies published over the 15 years have shown its benefits in mice, in both normal mice and those
specifically bred for such research because they age rapidly, experiencing dramatic declines in cognitive and motor function in a matter of months, researchers said.
The mice used in this study had widespread loss of more than half of their brain cells, severely impacting multiple regions of the brain by one year of age, the human equivalent of severe Alzheimer's disease, they said. The mice were fed the supplement on small pieces of bagel each day over the course of several months. Over time, researchers found that it completely eliminated the severe
brain cell loss and abolished cognitive decline. It is a mixture scientists believe could someday slow the progress of catastrophic neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson's.
"The research suggests that there is tremendous potential with this supplement to help people who are suffering from some catastrophic neurological diseases," said Lemon. "We know this because mice experience the same basic cell mechanisms that contribute to neurodegeneration that humans do. All species, in fact. There is a commonality among us al," she said.
In addition to looking at the major markers of ageing, researchers also discovered that the mice on the supplements experienced enhancement in vision and most remarkably in the sense of smell - the loss of which is often associated with neurological disease - improved balance and motor activity. The findings were published in the journal Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis.
