Green tea helps people with Down syndrome

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One in every 1100 newborn babies in Switzerland has trisomy 21. However, many fetuses with this altered genetic makeup are never born. 94 percent of pregnancies are terminated when parents find out after prenatal testing that their growing child has Down syndrome.

What is Down Syndrome?

In Down syndrome, the 21st chromosome in the human cell occurs not twice, as usual, but three times. Those affected usually have mild to moderate intellectual disability. Thanks to medicine, health restrictions are now well treated. Down syndrome is named after British doctor JL Down. He was the first to describe the features in 1866.

It has taken almost a hundred years since then, when French pediatrician Jérôme Lejeune learned in 1959 that “Downies” had 47 chromosomes instead of 46. In most cases, this is due to the irregularity in cell division. The risk increases with increasing maternal age.

The syndrome can be associated with weakness of connective tissue and muscles, a vulnerable immune system, heart defects, changes in the gastrointestinal tract. Life expectancy today is 60 years.

Green tea can help

After a year of clinical testing, patients showed significantly improved perception and memory, the scientists write: “For the first time, a treatment has shown an effect on the cognitive abilities of people with this syndrome.” Independent experts rated the findings as promising.

The study authors attributed the effect to the substance epigallocatechin gallate found in green tea. It improves the interaction of neurons in the brain. 84 young adults with Down syndrome participated in the clinical trial. Half were treated with the active substance, the other half received a preparation without the substance.

“Improving the quality of life of those affected”

The first group performed significantly better after one year in remembering words and phrases and in adapting their behavior to the environment. The longer they took the supplement, the better the benefits. Positive effects were still noticeable six months after the end of the test.

The study’s lead author, Mara Diersson, stressed that the preparation in no way promises to cure the syndrome. “But it can be a tool to improve the quality of life of those affected.”

Down syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, affects approximately one in every thousand people. It is a genetic defect that significantly limits the patient’s cognitive abilities and causes other health problems. (sda)

Source : Blick