How eating herbs could boost your brain

Written by Honor Whitman Fri 11 December 2015

Adding a sprig of thyme or a pinch of parsley to your next home-cooked meal may do more than boost its flavor - it could boost your brain, too. New research reveals how a substance present in such herbs - apigenin - triggers formation of human brain cells and boosts connections between them.

Researchers found the flavonoid apigenin - found in parsley, thyme and other plants and herbs - triggered the formation of human brain cells and strengthened their connections.

Lead author Stevens Rehen, of the D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR) and the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ),and colleagues publish their findings in the journal Advances in Regenerative Biology.

The team says their findings suggest apigenin - also found in red pepper, chamomile and many other plants and herbs - shows promise as a treatment for numerous neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia.

Previous animal studies have shown that substances from the same flavonoid group as apigenin may benefit memory and learning, and other research has demonstrated that flavonoids have the potential to preserve and boost brain function.

For this latest study, Rehen and colleagues set out to gain a better understanding of how apigenin affects human brain cells, or neurons.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/303977.php?tw