British researchers have made a significant discovery in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists at Newcastle and Northumbria Universities made their discovery after reading four-century-old writings of the renowned herbalists John Gerard and Nicholas Culpeper. In 1597, John Gerard wrote that the herb sage “is singularly good for the head and brain and quickeneth the nerves and memory.” Then in 1652 Nicholas Culpepper, wrote that: “It [sage] also heals the memory, warming and quickening the senses.” On the basis of the writings Nicola Tildesley and colleagues decided to test the herb on a group of 44 adults aged between 18 and 37. The participants were given capsules containing sage oil or a placebo capsule of sunflower oil. Results showed that those who took the sage oil performed significantly bettering memory tests than those who had the placebo. Sage is already being investigated as a potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, following earlier work by the same team that showed that the herb inhibits acetylcholinesterase (AChE). AChE breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays an important role in memory and whose levels are depleted by Alzheimer’s disease.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Reported by www.independent.co.uk on the 29th August 2003.
