Ginger Reverses the Cognitive Impairment Caused by Oxidative Stress

By Kyle J. Norton

Scientists may have found  a pungent spice which processes a potential to inhibit the early onset of cognitive impairment, a major cause of neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly, according to studies.

Cognitive impairment is a medical condition characterized by a noticeable loss of cognitive abilities, involved memory and thinking skill. Cognitive impairment in the elderly is an early sign that can lead to the progression of dementia, including Alzheimer's.

The neuro impairment can be caused by brain damage due to physical impact, a medical condition such as mild stroke. In the elderly, the syndrome was associated with the build-up of plagues or tangles in the neurons that affect the cells in transmitting information to the others.

Some researchers suggested that enlargement of the brain's fluid-filled spaces and shrinkage of the hippocampus may also cause the onset of cognitive impairment.

Dr. Terry L. Davidson PhD and colleagues in examing the risk of cognitive impairment of people who follow the Western diet suggested that the Western diet may play a critic role in facilitating the widespread of cognitive impairment in the elderly in the Western world compared to the people who follow the traditional diet with a high amount of fruits and vegetables.

The doctoral team wrote, "Epidemiological studies indicate that Western diet intake, and the weight gain and obesity that it promotes, are associated not only with late-life dementia but also with poorer cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control across the lifespan".

And, " In addition, rodents maintained on a Western diet are impaired on hippocampal-dependent inhibitory learning and memory tasks and exhibit increased blood-brain barrier permeability, hippocampal inflammation, and decreased hippocampal neurogenesis and plasticity. Interference with neuroendocrine signaling may also contribute to hippocampal dysfunction".

The results strongly suggested the negative impacts of the Western diet in the initiation of a vicious cycle of progressive weight gain and cognitive decline.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) or ginger root, the second superfood used for thousands of years by mankind, is the genus Zingiber, belonging to the family Zingiberaceae, native to Tamil.

The root has been used in traditional and Chinese medicine for the treatment of dyspepsia, gastroparesis, constipation, edema, difficult urination, colic, etc.

Researchers on finding a natural compound for the treatment of cognitive impairment examined the ginger effect on oxidative stress in the induction of cognitive impairment.

The study included 60 participants randomly assigned to receive a placebo or standardized plant extract at doses of 400 and 800 mg once daily for 2 months.

Ginger-treated groups had significantly decreased P300 latencies, increased N100 and P300 amplitudes, and exhibited enhanced working memory. 

After one month of treatment, Zingiber officinale treated group at a dose of 800 mg showed a significant increase in N100 amplitude. After two months, Zingiber officinale treated group at doses of 400 and 800 mg showed a significant increase in P300 amplitude.
Furthermore, Zinigber officinale treated group at a dose of 800 mg showed a significant increase in N100 amplitude and decreased P300 latency.

Therefore, ginger is a potential cognitive enhancer for middle-aged women.

The P300 wave is a measurable direct reaction of the brain to a certain sensory, cognitive or mechanical stimulus against cognitive dysfunction. P300 latency is found to increase in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

The increase of N100 and N300 auditory sensory gating could reflect mechanisms involved in protecting higher-order cognitive functions. P300 measurements are used to measure the increasing sensitivity to early cognitive decline or disease progression in AD patients.

In order to reveal more information about the ginger activity against cognitive impairment, researchers examined the ginger effects on healthy brains in mice.

GE administration significantly improved the ability of mice to recognize novel objects, indicating improvements in learning and memory.

GE administration led to elevated NGF levels in both the mouse hippocampus and rat glioma C6 cells.

Where nerve growth factor (NGF) is involved primarily in the growth, and maintenance, proliferation, and survival of neurons, thus improving the cognitive function.

Moreover, GE administration also resulted in phosphorylation of extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB),  linking to the regulation of synaptic plasticity and memory formation revealed by Western blotting analysis.

Additionally, GE treatment significantly increased pre- and post-synaptic markers that pass nerve impulse from an axon terminal to a neuron, muscle cell, or gland cell, and synaptophysin, and PSD-95, which are related to synapse formation in the brain.

Dr. Lim S, the lead scientist in the final report wrote, "GE has a synaptogenic effect via NGF-induced ERK/CREB activation, resulting in memory enhancement".

Where The MAPK/ERK pathway is a chain of proteins in the cell that transmits information from a receptor on the surface of the cell to the DNA in the nucleus of the cell.

Taken altogether, ginger processed a high amount antioxidant bioactive compounds may be considered a functional remedy for the prevention and combined with the primary therapy for the treatment of cognitive impairment, pending to the confirmation of large sample and multicenter human study.


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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) Zingiber officinale Improves Cognitive Function of the Middle-Aged Healthy Women by Naritsara Saenghong, 1 Jintanaporn Wattanathorn, 2 ,* Supaporn Muchimapura, 2Terdthai Tongun, 2 Nawanant Piyavhatkul, 3 Chuleratana Banchonglikitkul, 4 andTanwarat Kajsongkram. (PubMed)
(2) Ginger improves cognitive function via NGF-induced ERK/CREB activation in the hippocampus of the mouse by Lim S1, Moon M2, Oh H1, Kim HG1, Kim SY3, Oh MS. (PubMed)
(3) Chapter 27 - Western Diet and Cognitive Impairment by Terry L.Davidson Ph.D., Camille H.Sample Ph.D., Scott E.Kanoski Ph.D. (Science Direct)