Research Reveals Superfoods That May Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk, Promote Longevity

In a new study, scientists discovered the hidden properties of a compound called phytoene, which is commonly found in tomatoes, carrots, apricots, red peppers, oranges, mandarins and passion fruit – and found in some types of algae – can exceed one. life and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Phytoene is a plant chemical—called a phytonutrient—that, up to this point, has not been studied much, and many believe that it has no benefit when eaten, even though it is present in many tissues of the body, including the skin.

But scientists at the University of Seville, Spain, and the University of Kent, England, found that it could reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and improve longevity after testing the compound on tiny worms they called. Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegant).

These studies show phytoene can prolong life and prevent Alzheimer’s—but further research is needed to confirm if it will have the same effect in humans.

Alzheimer’s disease is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It killed 6.9 million Americans in 2020 – a figure expected to rise to 14 million by 2060.

The most common form of dementia, characterized by memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, loss of belongings and mood changes, and currently has no cure.

“Historically, there was a lot of focus on the health benefits of fiber and vitamins produced by plants, but now we are beginning to understand that plants produce thousands of molecules that affect our health, and there are many more to plants that are just fiber and vitamins,” co-author author Marina Ezcurra, a biologist at the University of Kent, told Newsweek.

He continued: “With a growing human population and a changing climate, it is becoming more and more difficult to produce enough plant food. Algae is possible, which grows naturally in seas, rivers and lakes. In particular, microalgae can be grown sustainably. and there is evidence that many for health effects in this study, we want to better understand the health effects of compounds from microalgae.

This team of scientists, led by Professor Antonio Jesús Meléndez Martínez from the University of Seville, tested phytoene and extracts from two types of microalgae that contain very high levels of phytoene, in C. elegant: Small worms that live in soil and compost, and do not grow larger than a grain of salt, but still have muscles, nerves, genitals and a digestive system.

“By using C. elegantwe can avoid the cost, time and complexity of conducting human trials, and the ethical and regulatory implications of using mice,” explained Ezcurra. “Working with C. elegans is cheap and fast, as well as more ethical and sustainable. Also many genes are similar to human genes, so C. elegant is a great tool for studying health and aging.”

Scientists have discovered that phytoene increases lifespan C. elegant between 10 and 18.6 percent, and reduced the damage caused by amyloid plaques between 30 and 40 percent.

Amyloid plaques are believed to be the main feature of Alzheimer’s disease, a substance that builds up in the brain, sometimes decades before the disease can be detected.

So, the fact that phytoene can reduce the damage associated with plaque C. elegant may present phytoene as a good strategy to prevent Alzheimer’s in the future.

Scientists have also found that phytoene is effective against oxidative stress, wear and tear that occurs as a byproduct of chemical reactions in the body, which can lead to inflammation, disease risk, and aging.

They suggest that supplements could be developed, perhaps using the phytoene-rich microalgae used in the study, to promote longevity and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.

“To our surprise, we found that the microalgae extract improved all aspects of health tested,” Ezcurra said. “Animals fed microalgae extracts lived longer, were more resistant to physiological (oxidative) stress and were protected against a humanized model of Alzheimer’s disease.”

He added: “This shows that compounds from microalgae can have a great effect on health. What is even more surprising is that we can show that a single molecule, phytoene, which is present in high levels in microalgae and plants, has all these health effects.”

Microalgae, he says, have many nutritional benefits beyond phytoene, which could make them an important nutrient source in the future as food systems adapt to a changing climate.

Rich in healthy fats and proteins, microalgae grow quickly and easily, without the need for agricultural land when growing in water, making it an environmentally friendly, ultra-nutritious plant, scientists write—not to mention its beneficial phytoene content. .

“Many algae in general, and microalgae in particular, are a sustainable source of many beneficial compounds for humans,” says Meléndez Martínez. Newsweek. “Consumption, and the development of algae-based products is expected to continue to grow as the food industry must tend to produce more sustainable health-promoting foods.”

Phytoene is a type of carotenoid, which is a useful nutrient found in many foods-mostly orange-colored-which can be converted into vitamin A in the body and has been linked to a list of many health benefits, including reducing the risk of cancer, heart. diseases, skin conditions, eye disorders, metabolic disorders, and more.

But phytoene is not usually presented as part of nutritional research, assuming that phytoene is not a beneficial carotenoid.

Studies on tomatoes, for example, have found an association with a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer, but this is due to a carotenoid called lycopene, ignoring the possibility of phytoene – which tomatoes contain in large quantities.

“There is broad agreement in the scientific community that the consumption of plant foods should be increased to improve health and sustainability,” said Meléndez Martínez. “Carotenoids such as phytoene and other bioactive compounds are present in high concentrations in plant foods. In particular, tomatoes and their derivatives are one of the best sources of phytoene, although there are others, such as carrots, apricots, watermelons, certain oranges, etc.”

The study was published Thursday in a scientific journal Antioxidants and is part of the doctoral thesis of first author Ángeles Morón Ortiz.

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Reference

Morón-Ortiz, Á., Karamalegkos, AA, Mapelli-Brahm, P., Ezcurra, M., Meléndez-Martínez, AJ (2024). Phytoene- and Phytoene-Rich Microalgal Extracts Extend Lifespan in C. elegans and Protect Against Amyloid-β Toxicity in Alzheimer’s Disease Models, Antioxidants 13(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox13080931

Sun, J., Aballay, A., Singh, V. (2016). Cellular Responses to Infections in Caenorhabditis elegans, Encyclopedia of Cell Biology 2. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-394447-4.20074-6

Hampel, H., Hardy, J., Blennow, K., Chen, C., Perry, G., Kim, SH, Villemagne, VL, Aisen, P., Vendruscolo, M., Iwatsubo, T., Master, CL, Cho, M., Lannfelt, L., Cummings, JL, Vergallo, A. (2021). The Amyloid-β Pathway in Alzheimer’s Disease, Molecular Psychiatry 265481-5503. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01249-0