News

Chemicals and Pesticides - Impact on Brain Aging & Neurodegeneration

Aging and degeneration of the brain is affected by both internal and environmental factors. This includes the pesticide residue found on foods. Disruption of brain homeostasis, associated with aging,  results in amyloid plaques and neuro fibrillary tangles. However, the wide pervasiveness of chemicals, including pesticides, in our modern age are now suspected of playing a major role in neurodegenerative diseases. An important source of chemicals are the pesticides which are pervasive in our environment and food.

Chemicals have been associated with Parkinson's Disease, autism, Alzheimer's Disease and Huntington's Disease. In fact, environmental chemicals affect the brain in a similar manner as aging. Chemicals act by disrupting the microtubules in the neurons through an increase in free radical generation.(1)

Microtubules play a significant role in brain plasticity and neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers suggest that microtubules may be an effective target for neurodegenerative diseases. (2) Microtubules form a structural scaffolding in a healthy brain and are essential for brain function.

Studies indicate that the impact of chemicals on microtubules in the neurons can be reduced, and microtubules stabilized, by pretreatment with sulforaphane.(1)

 

XGEVITY  (with Sulforaphane precursor Glucoraphanin)

 

REFERENCES:

(1) Pearson BL, et al. Identification of chemicals that mimic transcriptional changes associated with autism, brain aging and neurodegeneration. Nat. Commun. 2016 Mar 31;

(2) Penazzi L, et al. Microtubule Dynamics in Neuronal Development, Plasticity, and Neurodegeneration. Int Rev Cell Mol Biol. 2016