Iron reduction for cognition

Food chemical 'may boost memory'

Epicatechin is found in grapes
A chemical found in chocolate, tea, grapes and blueberries can improve
the memory of mice, research suggests.
The Salk Institute study could lead to further tests to see if
epicatechin also works on humans.

The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, suggests it
improves blood flow in the brain - especially in combination with
extra exercise.

However, nutritionists warn chocolate is high in fat and sugar, which
may undo any potential benefits.

We'd obviously recommend a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, with
perhaps a small amount of chocolate - but eating five bars a day is
likely to just make you fatter, without any noticeable improvement in
memory

Spokesman, British Nutrition Foundation

This is not the first study to find a link between 'flavanol'
chemicals in certain foods and health benefits - other studies claim
that cardiovascular health can be improved by including them in the
diet.

The researchers, led by Dr Henriette van Praag, working with chocolate
firm Mars, compared mice fed a typical diet with those fed a diet
supplemented with epicatechin.

Half the mice in each group were allowed to run on a wheel for two
hours each day and then, a month later, were trained to find a
platform hidden in a pool of water.

Those that both exercised and ate the epicatechin diet remembered the
location of the platform longer than the other mice.

The epicatechin-fed mice who did not exercise also showed enhanced
memory, but to a lesser degree.

Human studies

The mice on the special diet appeared to have greater blood vessel
growth in certain parts of their brain, alongside more mature brain
nerve cells.

Chocolate is another source

Dr van Praag said: "A logical next step will be to study the effects
of epicatechin on memory and brain blood flow in aged animals - and
then humans, combined with mild exercise."

Dr Mark Mattson, from the US National Institute on Ageing, said: "This
is an important advance because it identifies a single natural
chemical with memory-enhancing effects, suggesting it may be possible
to optimise brain function by combining exercise and dietary
supplementation."

However, a spokesman for the British Nutrition Foundation said that
while there was some evidence that diets rich in flavanols could be
beneficial in humans, often when flavanols such as epicatechin were
given on their own, no benefits could be spotted.

She added: "We'd obviously recommend a diet rich in fruit and
vegetables, with perhaps a small amount of chocolate - but eating five
bars a day is likely to just make you fatter, without any noticeable
improvement in memory."

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Epigallocatechin-3-gallate and Epicatechin-3-gallate from Green Tea
Decrease Plasma Non-Transferrin Bound Iron and Erythrocyte Oxidative
Stress
Authors: Thephinlap, C.1; Ounjaijean, S.1; Khansuwan, U.1; Fucharoen,
S.1; Porter, J. B.1; Srichairatanakool, S.1

Source: Medicinal Chemistry, Volume 3, Number 3, May 2007, pp.
289-296(8)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers
Abstract:

Î²-Thalassemia patients suffer from secondary iron overload caused by
increased iron absorption and multiple blood transfusions. Excessive
iron catalyzes free-radical formation, causing oxidative tissue
damage. Non-transferrin bound iron (NTBI) detected in thalassemic
plasma is highly toxic and chelatable. Desferrioxamine and
deferiprone
are used to treat the iron overload, but many side effects are found.
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and epicatechin gallate (ECG) in
green
tea (GT) show strong antioxidant properties. We separated the EGCG
and
ECG from GT extract using an HPLC, and examined their iron-binding
and
free-radical scavenging activities. They bound Fe3+ rapidly to form a
complex with a predominant absorption at 560 nm. EGCG and ECG bound
chemical Fe3+ and chelated the NTBI in a time- and dose dependent
manner. They also decreased oxidative stress in iron-treated
erythrocytes. In conclusion, EGCG and ECG could be natural iron
chelators that efficiently decrease the levels of NTBI and free
radicals in iron overload.