Are you itching to enjoy a glass of red wine but need more reason why? Then this study may be what you've been waiting for.
A team of researchers from Texas reveals that a component found in this delicious smooth wine can actually help prevent memory loss. In fact, they go on to say that it may be used to reverse the effects of degenerative diseases such as the Alzheimer's disease.
The researchers from Texas's Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine has just examined the extent of the positive benefits of resveratrol, an antioxidant that is said to improve cardiovascular health by reducing the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood. The red wines have it since the antioxidant is significantly present in red grapes.
According to Ashok K. Shetty, a professor and the lead author of the study, resveratrol may have another purpose for the body, and that is to decrease the risk of memory loss, especially when a person has already passed middle age.
To test, the researchers employed lab mice, a group of which were given with resveratrol. They then determined that while rats that didn't receive the antioxidants didn't suffer from reduced learning ability, their capability to create new spatial memories was also significantly decreased over a period of around 22 to 25 months. On the other hand, those with resveratrol experienced improvement in both memory and spatial learning.
The researchers then hypothesized that the antioxidant has positive benefits on the hippocampus, a region of the brain that is responsible for learning, mood, and, most of all, memory.
New researches on neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia suggest that there's a link between a decrease in hippocampus and the development of the disorder.
But what if you don't like red wine? You can try peanuts and berries or red grapes.
