09-01-2006, 06:39 AM
I recall hearing a year ago that a study showed that coffee has one of the highest levels of antioxidants. This kind of turned the "coffee is bad for you" opinion on end. What was concluded was that one or two cups of coffee a day was not bad for people, and it might be beneficial.
There is a doctor affiliated with Stanford Univ. or its hospital who has been doing presentations about the possibility that Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE), or the bovine form (BSE), aka Mad Cow Disease, could be involved with Alzheimer's Disease. The human manifestation of BSE is called New Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). In cases where CJD has been identified and autopsied, the victim's brain exhibits numerous pinholes in the brain matter, the same as what is found in cattle with BSE. I think that there may be a lack of research in examining the brain matter of Alzheimer's victims to see if the same holes are present. I don't know if this theory has been researched further since I heard about it a couple of years ago. Here's a link about the connection between free radicals and prions, the active agent in TSE,
http://www.pasteur.fr/actu/presse/press/03Prion_E.htm
If you don't know about this, the thing about TSE/BSE is that it is a disease that can be transmitted between or within species. It was discovered that cattle fed offal (sheep brain and spine matter and entrails) led to the transmission of scrapie, a wasting disease in sheep, to the cattle. In the cattle, it was called Mad Cow Disease. It wasn't until the connection between New Variant CJD in humans and BSE in cattle was made that Mad Cow Disease started making headlines.
It has been suggested that in the US, BSE doesn't manifest as a "madly, dancing cow", but possibly something that is seen at auction yards, downer syndrome, in which the animal cannot stand and just lays down. The USDA doesn't want it known, but TSE does exist in the US. Experiments at the Univ. of Wisconsin, I believe, were successful in transferring TSEs found in the wild from wild mink to cattle and back again. It may be significant to note that part of the USDAs charter is to promote the beef industry. So, they are going to be naysayers regarding TSE/BSE in the US.
Les
There is a doctor affiliated with Stanford Univ. or its hospital who has been doing presentations about the possibility that Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE), or the bovine form (BSE), aka Mad Cow Disease, could be involved with Alzheimer's Disease. The human manifestation of BSE is called New Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). In cases where CJD has been identified and autopsied, the victim's brain exhibits numerous pinholes in the brain matter, the same as what is found in cattle with BSE. I think that there may be a lack of research in examining the brain matter of Alzheimer's victims to see if the same holes are present. I don't know if this theory has been researched further since I heard about it a couple of years ago. Here's a link about the connection between free radicals and prions, the active agent in TSE,
http://www.pasteur.fr/actu/presse/press/03Prion_E.htm
If you don't know about this, the thing about TSE/BSE is that it is a disease that can be transmitted between or within species. It was discovered that cattle fed offal (sheep brain and spine matter and entrails) led to the transmission of scrapie, a wasting disease in sheep, to the cattle. In the cattle, it was called Mad Cow Disease. It wasn't until the connection between New Variant CJD in humans and BSE in cattle was made that Mad Cow Disease started making headlines.
It has been suggested that in the US, BSE doesn't manifest as a "madly, dancing cow", but possibly something that is seen at auction yards, downer syndrome, in which the animal cannot stand and just lays down. The USDA doesn't want it known, but TSE does exist in the US. Experiments at the Univ. of Wisconsin, I believe, were successful in transferring TSEs found in the wild from wild mink to cattle and back again. It may be significant to note that part of the USDAs charter is to promote the beef industry. So, they are going to be naysayers regarding TSE/BSE in the US.
Les