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US THC study cannabis prevents Alzheimer's outbreak
Around 1.5 million people in Germany suffer from dementia, most of whom have Alzheimer's disease. The neurodegenerative disease is not curable so far, but can be delayed in the initial stage with drugs. Now, study results show that cannabis can also help fight Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's is not curable
In Germany alone, about 1.5 million people suffer from dementia, the majority of them from Alzheimer's. There are around 47 million dementia patients worldwide. And there are more and more: According to the World Alzheimer's Report is every 3.2 seconds another dementia diagnosis. The disease is not curable so far, but can be delayed in the initial stage with drugs. There is also evidence that brain jogging can help prevent Alzheimer's. And now researchers are reporting on a study that suggests that cannabis may also help prevent Alzheimer's disease.
The fact that marijuana has a positive effect on health has already been scientifically proven. A new study now suggests that cannabis can also help fight Alzheimer's. (Image: openrangestock / fotolia.com) Marijuana helps with various diseases
The fact that cannabis has a positive effect on health has often been scientifically proven. Marijuana has long been used in medicine for the treatment of, for example, chronic pain or against spastic paralysis and convulsions in multiple sclerosis (MS). In addition, there were reports years ago that marijuana can relieve Alzheimer's. A new study by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California now also points out that cannabis can at least delay the development of Alzheimer's disease.
THC can affect harmful deposits
The researchers led by Professor David Schubert have found evidence in their study that the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) of the hemp plant can affect harmful protein deposits on nerve cells. The scientists recently published their findings in the journal "Aging and Mechanisms of Disease". Thus, THC appeared to prevent the formation of beta-amyloid and even destroy existing beta-amyloid cells. According to experts, the occurrence of beta-amyloid plaques in the brain is the first sign of Alzheimer's disease.
Marijuana works against Alzheimer's
To get their results, the scientists used modified nerve cells that produce high levels of beta-amyloid. They found that THC lowered inflammatory responses as well as beta-amyloid plaques, surviving more neurons. Researchers from the University of South Florida, Tampa, USA, reported years ago that THC prevented the production of the amyloid beta protein and its accumulation in the brain. Study author Chuanhai Cao then said, "THC is known to be an effective antioxidant with neuroprotective properties, but our study is the first indication that it is directly effective against Alzheimer's disease."
Older investigations confirmed
Although the findings of the current study are not entirely new, they are still important because they confirm on the one hand older studies and on the other hand make a significant contribution to the understanding of Alzheimer's and the connection with beta-amyloid cells. Whether there will be drugs with THC for the treatment of Alzheimer's in the future, is still unclear. It would require further reviews, including clinical trials, before the findings could lead to actual treatment. (Ad)