Peptide Sequence in Pig’s Brains Could Hold a Cure For Alzheimer’s Disease
Members of older generations can often be heard discussing the benefits of eating pig’s livers and kidneys. Elders often recommend that young people eat the pig’s brain as well for its purported brain-boosting properties, but young people often dismiss these claims. However, scientists have recently discovered that eating the pig’s brain may not only nourish the brain and promote brain health, but also hold a potential cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
The concept of eating the brain to support brain health has been popular in China since ancient times, but no one knew whether these properties were based on actual positive effects. Researchers in the Department of Animal Science at National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan are studying whether eating pig’s brain may actually be beneficial to the human brain by refining specific peptide sequences in the pig’s brain which may also be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers note that “Currently, for humans and mice, abnormal proteins can accumulate in the hippocampus, the region associated with long-term memory. The impact of particular peptide sequences within the pig’s brain fatty acid components on this accumulation of abnormal proteins is the main focus of our research.”
However, isolating specific peptide sequences can be challenging, and first the researchers must filter the pig’s brain proteins, and then vacuum freeze-dry the active ingredient to isolate the active ingredient in crystal form.
The researchers believe that this extract from the peptide sequence in the pig’s brain can slow the accumulation of abnormal proteins in human brains, possibly avoiding neuronal damage. The research indicates that when mice consume the extract of the pig’s brain, there is a reduction in the accumulation of abnormal proteins which is expected to reduce the chances of Alzheimer’s disease.
Additional health information: Pork is a high-cholesterol food, containing approximately 2074 mg cholesterol per 100 grams. Health professionals recommend moderate pork intake, particularly for those at risk for cardiovascular disease.