A Compound In This Common Herb May Help To Fight Alzheimer’s

Recent dementia studies have suggested that eating well between the ages of 48 and 70 may be most beneficial for those seeking to improve their brain health, too ― though the longer your diet is healthy, the better. 

But what exactly counts as a brain-healthy food?

Alzheimer’s Society UK recommends a diet rich in whole grains, fruit, veg and fish as they advise a “lifelong approach to good health is the best way to lower your risk of dementia.”

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about how some research has linked eating an egg a day to a reduced risk of dementia, too. 

And now, a study has suggested that compounds found in a common herb might also be able to fight against existing dementia as well. 

Rosemary seemed to help those with the condition 

A paper published in the journal Antioxidants found an association between a derivative of carnosic acid, present in herbs like rosemary, and the removal of proteins linked to Alzheimer’s in mice. 

Carnosic acid has been linked to “neuroprotective” (brain-boosting and healing) properties in previous studies, and it’s also known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

But in its pure form, carnosic acid is unstable and hard to keep and dose out in predictable, unoxygenated concentrations.

So, the scientists behind this research created a synthetic version of the acid called diAcCA. This is much more stable, the scientists say. 

When scientists tested diAcCA on mice with amyloid plaques linked to Alzheimer’s, the harmful proteins were reduced with no observed negative side effects.

One of the study’s authors, neurologist Dr Stuart Lipton, said: “By combating inflammation and oxidative stress with this diAcCA compound, we actually increased the number of synapses in the brain.

The study’s lead author added: “We did multiple different tests of memory, and they were all improved with the drug. And it didn’t just slow down the decline; it improved virtually back to normal.” 

Does this mean eating rosemary will cure Alzheimer’s?

Absolutely not. Not only was this study done on mice, but it used a version of the acid present in herbs like rosemary and sage; it did not ever suggest eating rosemary alone will do anything. 

We also can’t check the dose of carnosic acid in rosemary, and even diAcCA, which is far more predictable, will need years of testing and trials before it’s even considered as a viable treatment. 

Still, Dr Lipton says he sees great potential for diAcCA alongside other Alzheimer’s medications.

Not only might it one day boost their effects, he shared, but “it could make existing amyloid antibody treatments work better by taking away or limiting their side effects” too.