Resveratrol Blocks Infection-Induced Nerve Damage

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Resveratrol Blocks Infection-Induced Nerve Damage

Thursday, January 14, 2010 - Byron J. s, CCN

http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/resveratrol_blocks_infection-in\

duced_nerve_damage/

The neurotoxicity of infections is a major problem facing anyone, especially

the very young and the elderly. In the very young these toxins can disturb

brain structure and function resulting in a variety of problems ranging from

ADHD to Autism-related disorders. In the elderly these toxins can cause

significant memory loss and cognitive decline. A new study shows that

resveratrol can significantly protect nerves from the toxicity of infection.

In this animal study the researchers showed that resveratrol significantly

reduced the inflammation associated with infection, thereby preventing the

damage these toxins cause. The researchers also showed that pretreatment of

brain cells (glial cells) with resveratrol made them much more resistant to

toxic insult.

Resveratrol has gained widespread international attention for its ability to

improve anti-aging genes. This study shows another angle in which

resveratrol works - directly protecting your brain from toxicity. In this

study the researchers concluded that " resveratrol may be useful for

attenuating acute cognitive disorders in elderly individuals with an

infection. "