Health news: Green tea could aid dementia fight

Chemicals in green tea and red wine may block the brain damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease, an early study suggests.

Scientists targeted a process that allows harmful clumps of protein in the brain to kill off neurons.

Using purified extracts of the chemicals EGCG in green tea and resveratrol in red wine, they were able to stop nerve cells from being harmed.

The findings, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, could pave the way for new drugs to treat Alzheimer’s, say the researchers.

Lead scientist Professor Nigel Hooper, from the University of Leeds, said: “This is an important step in increasing our understanding of the cause and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.”

CANNABIS RISK

Smoking cannabis can double the risk of stroke in young and middle-aged adults, a study suggests.

In the first study of its kind, scientists looked at 160 stroke victims aged 18 to 55 who had been admitted to hospital and undergone urine tests. They were 2.3 times more likely to have traces of cannabis in their urine as other hospital patients who had not suffered strokes.

KYLE’S CANCER RAISES AWARENESS

CHARITIES are hoping the decision by TV star Jeremy Kyle to reveal his secret battle with testicular cancer will lead to more awareness.

The TV chat show host, 47, had surgery and chemotherapy shortly before Christmas.

Rebecca Porta, chief executive of the male cancers charity Orchid, said: “We find that the publicity about people like Jeremy Kyle having testicular cancer encourages men to self-check, and women to nag their partner or children to check themselves. We do find it makes a difference, and we’ve had more inquiries to our nursing service as a result of the publicity.”

Although testicular cancer is rare (accounting for less than one per cent of all cancers), it’s the most common cancer in men aged between 15 and 45, with around 2200 new cases diagnosed every year in the UK.