2023-05-14 01:35:02
A new study has found a strange relationship between the chemical compound menthol, improving cognitive abilities and stopping damage to the brain caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
In the study published in the journalbiologyThe researchers observed that mice with Alzheimer’s disease improved their cognitive abilities when they inhaled menthol, an oil with a distinctive aromatic odor found in some herbal plants and often extracted from mint.
The researchers noted that the compound leads to a decrease in the protein interleukin-1 beta, which helps regulate the body’s inflammatory response, a response that can provide natural protection but leads to harm when not properly controlled.
The team behind the study says the trial shows potential for using certain scents as treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
Immunologist Juan José Lasarte, from the Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA) in Spain, notes that the experiment focused on the role of smell in the immune system and the central nervous system, and found that menthol is an “immunostimulating” odor in animal models.
Lasarte added that it was surprising how sniffing the substance for as short as six months prevented cognitive decline in mice with Alzheimer’s disease.
In mice with Alzheimer’s disease, inhaling menthol for six months was enough to halt the decline in their cognitive abilities and bring interleukin-1 beta to a safe level in the brain.
Scientists say that diseases associated with the central nervous system such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia often come with a loss of the sense of smell, so the study represents an important step towards understanding the relationship between the immune system, the central nervous system, and smell, says immunologist Noelia Casares.
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