Could smelling or inhaling menthol be the answer to alleviating the worst symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease? Well, that appears to be the case, according to the findings of a new research study that found that inhaling menthol has the potential to boost people’s cognitive abilities. While Alzheimer’s has no known cure there, various solutions have been proposed as one of the ways of improving brain health, therefore averting its worst symptoms.
Alzheimer Symptoms
Alzheimer’s is a common neurodegenerative disorder common with aging people, synonymous with memory problems. Significant changes to the brain characterize the condition due to the loss of neurons and connections. While it affects people differently, some of the common symptoms include memory loss, a decline in thinking and social skills, and constant mood changes.
The conditions affect more than 50 million people worldwide and are expected to increase significantly as the aging population in most countries increases. Every year, over 10 million new cases of dementia are identified, translating to a case every three seconds. With over 150 million people expected to have the disease by 2050, scientists are racing against time to come up with drugs and treatment options that can slow or ultimately cure Alzheimer’s.
Menthol for Alzheimer
A recent study has shown that whenever mice with Alzheimer’s inhaled menthol, their cognitive abilities improved significantly. In their study, the researchers found that continued menthol exposure could enhance mice’s immune response.
During the study, the researchers exposed mice that were genetically modified to exhibit Alzheimer’s conditions to Menthol daily for six months. Ultimately, they compared their immune response and cognitive capacity with healthy mice.
Surprisingly, it was discovered that the genetically modified mice showed significant improvement following their exposure to menthol. Researchers found that menthol helped lower interleukin 1 beta, a protein linked to memory problems in Alzheimer’s disease. It was also found that menthol mimicked the effects of T regulatory cells, helping control inflammation and keeping the immune system intact.
It was concluded that the menthol helped regulate the mice’s immune system, consequently helping to avert cognitive deterioration and improving memory and learning capacity.
