Milk and dairy 'good for the brain' claim unproven

ConclusionThis small study found people with higher dairy, milk and calcium consumption had higher levels of glutathione in the frontal and parietal regions of the brain. Glutathione is an antioxidant that helps to "neutralise" potentially harmful chemicals in the brain. Research into glutathione and its role in neurodegenerative diseases is in the early stages. It is known that the levels reduce with age and in certain conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, but it is not known whether this is part of what leads to the disease or a consequence of the disease. This study does not show whether increasing the level of glutathione would protect against these types of conditions.This study was cross-sectional, so measured the level of glutathione at one time point in older adults who were healthy. It therefore does not answer the question of whether people with more glutathione in their brains are less likely to develop neurodegenerative disorders.In addition, previous research has found that in Parkinson’s disease, glutathione levels are only reduced in an area of the brain called the substantia nigra, which is located in the middle of the brain. This study did not look at levels in this part of the brain. This was a relatively small study, which found a relatively wide range of glutathione levels ranged in different areas of the brain. A much larger study would be required to understand what the normal range is in the population, and how ...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Neurology Food/diet Source Type: news