Researchers may have moved closer to a cure for Alzheimer’s disease

Senior Woman with Walking Stick.Photo: Frank May / NTB scanpix

Healthy food combined with a tablet can slow down the development of Alzheimer’s disease believe an international research group in which Norway is also involved.

‘’But there is still some way to go before we have a cure’’ said Professor Hilde Loge Nilsen at the University of Oslo and Akershus University Hospital to NRK news.

Nilsen’s colleague, Evandro F. Fang, started in close collaboration with researchers from the USA, UK, Denmark and Greece. Through trials on roundworms and mice that they have followed throughout a lifetime, and on cells from humans afflicted with Alzheimer’s, they have managed to stop the development of brain disorders.

The researchers have found that the cells in Alzheimer’s patients are unable to get rid of enough waste products. It affects the metabolism and causes brain cells to die. However, by adding known substances, including from pomegranates, the cells begin to clean themselves again. In this way, the development of the disease can be stopped.

It has been researched on Alzheimer’s for 30 years. Loge Nilsen thinks they are now close to a breakthrough.

‘’We have managed to influence the development of Alzheimer’s.Much of the research done so far has probably attacked the disease too late in the process. When there are already plaques in the brain, it is probably too late to do anything. We enter much earlier by adjusting the biochemistry of the brain. Therefore, we believe that this is a breakthrough’’ she said.

Between 77,000 and 104,000 are affected by dementia in Norway according to an estimate from the National Competence Service for Aging and Health. 60–70% of these are Alzheimer’s patients.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today