Utah People's Post

The Latest News from the Beehive State

Sunday, June 26, 2022
Log in
  • National News
    • Female Caseworker Killed & Doctor Shot in Philadelphia
  • State News
    • Car Chase Leads to Drug Arrest
  • Tech & Science
  • Health
    • How to Prepare For Ticks Season
    • Magical Weight Loss Bean Scam
  • Sports
  • Business
You are here: Home / Health / Cases of Dementia in the UK and a Toxic Chemical May Be Linked

Cases of Dementia in the UK and a Toxic Chemical May Be Linked

January 25, 2016 Posted by Amelia Donovan

senile plaques

Senile plaques particular to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease

According to a new study, scientists have reason to be concerned that there is a connection between the increasing cases of dementia in the UK and a toxic chemical produced by algae.

The first direct signs of the chemical named BMAA (or beta-Methylamino-L-alanine) were recently discovered by researchers, as well as the possibility that this chemical is linked to various types of cognitive conditions, such as Alzheimer’s and Motor Neuron Disease (MND).

Commonly produced by blue-green algal blooms, the BMAA has also been found in plants and seafood, ending up in the human organism through the food we eat.

As explained by lead researcher Paul Cox, there are plenty of risk factors that contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. The biggest one of them all is age, which means that the older the population gets, the more cases of Alzheimer’s are diagnosed.

At the same time, scientists are working on better diagnosing methods so as to detect the harmful onset at the earliest stage possible. Thirdly, researchers are now adding the possibility that exposure to an environmental toxin could also be a risk factor.

Featured in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the study involved testing the hypothesis on vervet monkeys fed with BMAA-laced bananas. Conducting a follow-up 140 days later, the researchers found that the little animals had developed plaques in their brains.

Moreover, they also noticed the accumulation of tangles comparable to Guam residents who had died of ALS/PDC, an illness similar to dementia in some respects. This study seems to build on the findings of a previous research that found BMAA is indeed present in the brains of Alzheimer’s and MND patients.

This past weekend, Cox gave a separate interview about the study’s results, talking about the “growing evidence that BMAA may indeed be a driver of Alzheimer’s and MND.”

He explained that very worrying signs showed the monkey’s brains were altered that suggested early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Cox concluded the chemical might be a risk factor by the parts of the vervets’ brains where plaques were formed and by the density of the tangles.

However, he also added that feeding the monkeys with toxic bananas did not necessarily create Alzheimer’s because the location and type of the plaques particular for ALS/PDC is notably different from where they are found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
Image Source: Neuropathology

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Filed Under: Health

mm

About Amelia Donovan

Amelia got her feet wet in the captivating world of journalism while still in college, working as the editor of the university’s newspaper. She minored in Journalism and Mass Communication before receiving a scholarship at a prestigious German university. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, Amelia went on to pursue her biggest passions: journalism and science. She enjoys being up to date with any cutting-edge scientific advancements and her minor in biology allowed Amelia to accurately cover particularly interesting medical topics.

Woman working out at the gym

Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time

June 29, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)

June 29, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

United Airlines airplane

Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston

June 28, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Breakfast sandwich

Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat

June 27, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Poppy flower

UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply

June 27, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

U.S.-Canada border

French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border

June 26, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Plus size model

Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

June 25, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Giant manta ray

Unique Manta Ray Nursery Spotted off Texas Coast

June 23, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

The rainbow flag

WHO Scraps Transgenderism from List of Mental Illnesses

June 22, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

456 People Dead at U.K. Hospital after Taking too Many Painkillers

June 21, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Kenyan girls dancing

Kenyans Facing Poor Nutrition as Supermarket Shopping Is on the Rise

June 20, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Pages

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy GDPR
  • Staff
  • Terms and Conditions

Recent Posts

  • Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time
  • Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)
  • Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston
  • Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat
  • UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply
  • French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border
  • Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

Related Articles

  • Woman working out at the gym

    Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time

    Jun 29, 2018
  • Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)

    Jun 29, 2018
  • Breakfast sandwich

    Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat

    Jun 27, 2018
  • Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

    Jun 25, 2018
  • The rainbow flag

    WHO Scraps Transgenderism from List of Mental Illnesses

    Jun 22, 2018
  • 456 People Dead at U.K. Hospital after Taking too Many Painkillers

    Jun 21, 2018
  • Young woman affected by depression

    If You Have PTSD You Were Likely Abused as a Child

    Jun 19, 2018
  • Obese dog on a leash

    Obese Dogs Can Help Us Better Understand How Obesity Works

    Jun 18, 2018
  • Our Brains Are Craving Combinations of Fats and Carbs (Study)

    Jun 15, 2018
  • Hungry bird with beck open

    Scientists Explain Why We Get ‘Hangry’

    Jun 13, 2018

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • National News
  • Nature
  • Provo
  • Salt Lake News
  • Science
  • Sports
  • State News
  • Tech & Science
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • West Jordan
  • West Valley City
  • World

Copyright © 2022 utahpeoplespost.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Site Map · Contact