Cocktails are adorned with everything from chunks of fruit and tropical umbrellas to chocolate swirls and sugared rims. The sweet libations are notorious for tasting delicious, for going down smooth and for frankly killing brain cells. While most of us enjoy a bartender’s concoction every now and then, scientist have found, in preliminary research, a different kind of cocktail that may restore brain function.
A carefully proportioned cocktail of three components that naturally occur in the body—uridine, choline, and omega-3 fatty acid DHA—may help restore brain synapses for people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Low synapses are associated with memory loss and language deterioration which are common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
The new nutritional drink, called Souvenaid, could be available in pharmacies as early as next year. It will be labeled a “medical food” which requires it is consumed with the guidance of a physician. Co-author of the study Dr. Richard Wurtman, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says the drink’s components “are already found in the body and have been shown to be safe. But taking a supplement of any one of them will not have the same beneficial effect. Together in the right proportions, the cocktail increases the production of fatty constituents and proteins needed for synapses. Drinking the combination of these nutrients is akin to pregnant women taking folic acid supplements. It’s not that they are deficient in these nutrients, but the addition of more of them carries benefits.”
We should all hope that this research proves to be a helpful aid to those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. As they say at the end of a toast, bottoms up!
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