Brain In The News

BRAIN ON THE RADIO AND DRINK TEA

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November 08, 2004

By Daniel G. Amen M.D.      

The brain is everywhere there is news about people.

Starting November 13th I will be hosting a weekly talk show called Change Your Brain, Change Your Life. The show will air from 8 AM - 9 AM, PST every Saturday in San Diego and Orange County on KCBQ - AM 1170, but you can also listen to it on the web at http://www.kcbq.com/weekends.asp. The toll free number to call with questions or comments during the show time is (888)344-1170. You can also e-mail me questions at changeyourbrain@amenclinics.com and I will try to answer them on the show.

We are REALLY excited about the show! I encourage all of you to tune in as often as you can. Feel free to call in as well... there will be a friendly voice on the end of the line to take your call. :)

Spread the word!!!

Tea parties may actually become the health craze of the future. New research shows that green or black tea may be a potent weapon in fighting Alzheimer's disease. Tea is already thought to protect the body against heart disease and cancers, but research shows black and green tea inhibit the activity of enzymes associated with the development of Alzheimer's, a form of dementia that affects about 5 million people in the U.S. and is estimated to triple to 15 million people by 2030.

The new finding comes in the wake of research that suggest that flavanoids contained in tea, particularly green tea, protect against strokes, heart attacks and many different types of cancers, as well as other conditions such as tooth decay and dehydration. One study shows that drinking three cups a day is the equivalent of eating six apples.

Green and black tea come from the same plant. Black tea consists of fermented leaves. Green tea is less processed and is popular in China and Japan, where it has been linked to longevity and low rates of heart disease and cancer.

In a recent article published in the journal Phytotherapy Research, scientists found both teas inhibited the activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme which breaks down the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine. Alzheimer's is characterized by reduced acetylcholine. Green tea went one step further in obstructing the activity of beta-secretase, which helps produce protein deposits in the brain linked to Alzheimer's. These findings could help in developing treatments for Alzheimer's.

A cup or two of green tea a day may help you remember the rest of your life.

As a neuropsychiatrist for the past 20 years my clinics have amassed the world's largest database of brain scans related to behavior, more than 21,000. The brain is involved in everything we do and must be considered whenever we look at the motivation or reason behind human behavior.

"Brain In The News" is offered as a free service to people in the media to help them educate the public on how the brain relates to our behavior. You can see over 300 color 3D brain SPECT images at www.brainplace.com.

Daniel Amen, M.D.
Amen Clinics, Inc.
Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior
UC, Irvine School of Medicine

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