The Neuro-Protective Lifestyle

photo credit: Francesca:Nocella

If you think that’s hard, try the original title from the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences:
“Luteolin reduces IL-6 production in microglia by inhibiting JNK phosphorylation and activation of AP-1″

*Division of Nutritional Sciences, Integrative Immunology and Behavior Program, Department of Animal Sciences, and Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, 1207 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801

Regardless of how you say it, foods full of flavonoids (such as the luteolin in celery), fight neuroinflammation faster than aspirin. No, I just made that up about the aspirin, but the science is still very, very convincing.

In this study, brave mice were given an intraperitoneal (inside the abdomen) injection of lipopolysachharide (LPS) to stimulate the production of brain damaging inflammatory mediators.

Three weeks earlier researchers had replaced the study animals regular water with water “spiked” with luteolin, a protective flavonoid found in especially high concentrations in celery. At different time intervals they evaluated blood samples to precisely measure the amount of proinflammatory cytokines - chemicals responsible for neuroinflammation.

You’ll remember that neuroinflammation is the hallmark of common neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and others.

Chronic inflammation anywhere in the body can contribute to disease and the brain is no exception.

Three weeks worth of luteolin spiked water, dramatically reduced the amount of inflammation present in hippocampus of the study animals, confirming the neuroprotective properties of simple celery.

Practically speaking, a human would have to consume 47 servings of celery per day to replicate the concentration of luteolin found in the animals drinking water.

Do not despair however, since flavonoids are found in abundance in many many foods. There are in fact over 4,000 aromatic compounds found in tea, honey, wine, fruits, vegetables, nuts, olive oil, cocoa and others.

For a more complete list see “Eat Your Antioxidants - Or Else”.

A daily intake of a gram or more of a variety of bioflavonoids is a reasonable dietary goal.

Soooooo when you’re out grocery shopping be courteous and save some celery for the next person.

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