It has been just revealed the fact that there’s an unexpected weapon against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Check out the mind-blowing reports below.
New cures for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s?
Did you know that the coffee grounds you throw away every morning could hold some quantum secrets that might help protect against dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases?
Recent research in the journal Environmental Research has found that caffeic-acid-based carbon quantum dots (CACQDs) can be made from coffee grounds and may protect neurons in the brain from damage caused by several neurodegenerative diseases.
However, these CACQDs have only shown to be protective of the neurons against neurodegenerative conditions if they are triggered by factors such as obesity, age, and exposure to pesticides and other toxic environmental chemicals.
“Caffeic-acid based Carbon Quantum Dots have the potential to be transformative in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders,” paper co-author Jyotish Kumar, a doctoral student in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at The University of Texas at El Paso, said in a statement.
“This is because none of the current treatments resolve the diseases; they only help manage the symptoms. Our aim is to find a cure by addressing the atomic and molecular underpinnings that drive these conditions.”
Neurodegenerative diseases are a group of conditions that include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Huntington’s disease. These conditions are characterized by the loss of neurons or brain cells, resulting in a decline in brain function.
Millions of people in the United States are affected by these conditions, with the cost of caring for them amounting to billions of dollars each year.
These conditions can be caused by genetic factors or triggered by lifestyle and environmental factors. Neurodegenerative conditions caused by environmental factors often share certain traits in their early stages, such as increased levels of free radicals in the brain.
These harmful molecules are linked to cancer and other conditions. Additionally, amyloid-forming proteins may start to aggregate, leading to the formation of plaques of amyloid in the brain. Amyloid plaques are one of the hallmarks of dementia.
According to researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso, the CACQDs have shown neuroprotective properties in various models of Parkinson’s disease.
These models include test tube experiments, cell lines, and other scenarios where the disease was caused by the pesticide paraquat. The CACQD works by removing free radicals and preventing them from causing damage, as well as inhibiting the aggregation of amyloid protein fragments.