by Carmia Borek, PhD Neurodegenerative diseases are on the rise.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention now lists
Alzheimerís disease (AD) as the sixth-leading cause of death in
America. After Alzheimerís, Parkinsonís disease is the second
most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder and affects roughly
one million Americans. Any easy and natural measures we can take
to protect our brain health is certainly worth exploring.
Surprisingly, aged garlic extract (AGE) is showing promise as a
neuro-protective supplement whose protective properties are also
closely linked to heart health.The damaging molecules that play
a critical role in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and
neurodegenerative diseases are reactive oxygen species (ROS),
including free radicals. They are byproducts of normal
metabolism and increase during infection and inflammation, high
plasma homocysteine and during exposure to exogenous sources,
including pollutants, smoking, certain drugs (e.g.,
acetaminophen) and radiation, including UV radiat