Beetroot and Alzheimer’s

Previous studies have shown the benefits of beetroot, including lowering blood pressure, helping to prevent heart disease and boosting exercise performance.  Now researchers from the University of South Florida, USA have found that a compound in beetroot called betanin (betanin gives beetroot it’s dark red colour) interacts with amyloid beta helping prevent them forming into clusters that can impact communication between brain cells. 

The study authors state “We can’t say that betanin stops the misfolding of amyloid beta completely but we can say that it reduces oxidation, less oxidation could prevent misfolding to a certain degree, perhaps even to the point that it slows the aggregation of beta amyloid peptides, which is believed to be the ultimate cause of Alzheimer’s.”