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Health June 2015

Dear Pharmacist

Green Apples and Your Brain

By Suzy Cohen

So even though it was just rodents, I feel like my chicken salad with green apples gives me an advantage in my quest for better brain health.

When I was chopping up green apples to put into my chicken salad I wondered two things: 

  1. Does anyone else realize that apples are brain food?
  2. Do all of you see your food as "medicine" or am I just slightly neurotic? 

When I eat avocados all I can think of is glutathione! 

Tomatoes, lycopene. 

Almonds, aspirin.

Ok, I think it's just me, let's move on.

Green apples are rich in a bioflavonoid called quercetin which is a natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory. A study published in the journal Neurochemical Research in 2014 evaluated mitochondrial health in the brain as well as mechanisms that might prevent plaques from developing which are associated with Alzheimer's disease. 

We know that in Alzheimer's patients, beta amyloid plaques in the brain cause mitochondrial stress and affect functioning of your ATP generators. The amyloid plaques gum up ATP machinery as if you were putting Elmer's in your gas tank! Long story short, memory is dampened, learning is stunted and you develop poor concentration, reduced comprehension and brain fog.

Your mitochondria or "mito" are tiny organelles inside your cells that produce energy molecules for you that we term ATP.  The body gets fat and sugar from meals but then it needs to be broken down into teeny weeny parts so you have energy or "ATP" to function in your life.

This reaction is dependent on an enzyme called AMPK and this AMPK is the gas pedal in terms of how fast you turn that cheesecake into energy.

In the study, a group of animals received natural quercetin each day while others were given a dose of the famous Alzheimer's medication called Aricept. The animals treated with the most quercetin had the most positive benefits. These mice had fewer problems learning tasks and they had a better memory. There was significant reduction in the amyloid plaque build-up too!

Finally, their mitochondrial function was evaluated and it had improved. There was improved health and function of the mitochondria deep inside the hippocampus which is the memory center in the brain.

The study showed that AMPK enzyme activity was markedly increased in the mice given quercetin (not Aricept) which is really good. When the AMPK activity was increased with quercetin treatment, it slowed plaque build-up and even better, those poor little mito didn't suffer as much. There was less mitochondrial dysfunction. Scientists know that when this master switch of AMPK is flipped, your mitochondria respond. Additionally, microglial cell activity improves, inflammation goes down, and blood sugar balance improves.

So even though it was just rodents, I feel like my chicken salad with green apples gives me an advantage in my quest for better brain health. Quercetin is a wonderful antioxidant sold at health food stores as a dietary supplement. You don't need a prescription. It naturally occurs in apples, red onions, black and green tea, raspberries, cranberries, citrus, and green leafy veggies. There's a longer version of this article at my website in case you're really interested. Suzycohen.com.

 

A licensed pharmacist for over 22 years, Suzy Cohen shares the pros and cons of medication use as well as natural substitutions for most any of your health concerns. Visit Suzy’s website at www.dearpharmacist.com.

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