Hi,

I'm sick to death of being on an agonist; the weight gain, the insomnia, the mania, all of it. Of course, my only other option being entacapone, which will bring with it a whole new list of obligatory unpleasant feelings, sigh, the yin with the yang.

I started researching alternatives to help optimize my levodopa dosages and ran across this freebie from August 2010 published in PLOS (Public Library of Science):

Dual beneficial effects of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate on levodopa methylation and hippocampal neurodegeneration: in vitro and in vivo studies. Kang, et al. 2010

We have already discussed that green tea polyphenols pack a lot of anti-oxidant wallop and they readily cross the BBB. Animal studies have shown it does work in Parkinson's models. However, I don't think we touched on the fact it may also help optimize levodopa therapy as it acts as COM inhibitor much like entapacone. This means it should help us better metabolize levodopa and extend our "on" time.

For rats, it not only protects dopamine neurons from oxidative destruction, it does show that it improves metabolism of levodopa. This means increased bioavailability of levodopa and less wearing off. The rats have to take it in megadoses because they are a wee bit resistant to phytochemicals. The authors point out that for therapeutic benefit in people the amount needed may be 800 mg daily - there are human trials showing this level is safe and more efficacious.

It also seems to inhibit something called 3-OMD that is produced as a levodopa metabolite. Apparently, this needs to be curbed because it feeds into the oxidative process and also inhibits our ability to absorb dopamine. So taking levodopa is like a serpent swallowing its tail.

Has anyone who does take Green Tea on a regular basis noted any differences in how long a dose of levodopa lasts? Or have you noted less of a wearing off?

I toyed with green tea but had to stop temporarily this summer. I think it's time to try it again.

Laura

We are off and on with green tea, it will make you pee more, just so you know, and that could be good or bad, depending on the person. We don't like the taste, which makes it hard to swig the stuff on a regular basis.

Here is an article, dated 2007 (again that lag in the research, ugh) which touts the benefits of green tea:

http://www.israel21c.org/health/isra...ed-brain-cells


I try to gag down some at least every day, hoping I will learn to like the stuff and acquire a taste for it! (not yet, in case you were wondering) I have read, FYI, that WHITE TEA actually has more of the good stuff than the green, but the white is not as plentiful to find and much more expensive, in my experience.

I also wonder if at least some of the benefits of the green tea come from relaxing as you drink it, since it's hard to gulp down a piping hot mug of tea, you have to sip it slowly, which automatically makes me relax.

i take a tea supplement 5:1 water extract by JARROW, but i drink a lot of coffee and take other supps so any affect would be hard for me to discern.

i think it would be very easy to test and if sig. would have been noticed long ago.

this came out today
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/...letter%2BDaily

http://www.green-tea-health-news.com...-dopamine.html

Hmmm. Looks like we could benefit from both EGCG and theanine...and I believe in going with green tea for the synergistic benefit but want some added theanine. According to a site (selling supplements), apparently is present mainly in the young buds, so we would need a high grade tea to get sufficient quantities- this would be expensive. Plus, I think we need at least 5 cups a day which for me is pushing it.

Here is a review of a few different brands.

Theanine facts here. It is interesting to note that theanine has been added as a nutritional supplement to commercially prepared foods in Japan since 1964! Wonder if they can measure whether that results in fewer cases of PD?

Well time to start experimenting again....

How on earth did this get by us?


1. Neurodegener Dis. 2010;7(4):219-31. Epub 2010 Feb 27.

Low dosage of Rasagiline and epigallocatechin gallate synergistically restored
the nigrostriatal axis in MPTP-induced parkinsonism.

Reznichenko L, Kalfon L, Amit T, Youdim MB, Mandel SA.

Eve Topf Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Research and Department of
Molecular Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel.

Background: The anti-Parkinson monoamine oxidase B inhibitor rasagiline appears
to be the first neuroprotective disease-modifying therapy in early-stage
Parkinson's disease (PD). Objective: Using a polypharmacy paradigm, we tested
whether the distinct neuroprotective pharmacological profile of rasagiline would
complement that of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the main
antioxidant/iron chelator polyphenol constituent of green tea, and restore the
neuronal loss and molecular targets damaged in animal parkinsonism.
Methods/Results: We show by high-performance liquid chromatography,
immunohistochemistry and Western blot analyses that the combination of rasagiline
and EGCG, at subliminal doses which have no profound protective effect, acts
synergistically to restore the nigrostriatal axis in
N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated mice. A detailed
analysis revealed a complementary action of these drugs, differentially acting at
MPTP-injured molecules/targets in the substantia nigra (SN): induction of
brain-derived neurotrophic factor by rasagiline, increased membranal levels of
the protein kinase C alpha-isoform by EGCG and a synergistic replenishment of
their downstream effector, the serine/threonine kinase Akt/protein kinase B,
suggesting that this kinase might represent one point of convergence of the
distinct mechanisms of action of the drug cocktail. Conclusion: These results
provide molecular evidence that activation of multiple brain targets by the
combination of rasagiline and EGCG may synergistically contribute to the rescue
of the dopamine neurons in the SN and replenishment of striatal dopamine. This
may have important implications for rasagiline-treated PD patients who could
further benefit from an adjunct administration of EGCG.


PMID: 20197647 [PubMed - in process]

Here is a recent review with full text for free.

Neuroprotective molecular mechanisms of ....

Inhibits microglia. Full text.

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1.

Dual beneficial effects of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate on levodopa methylation and hippocampal neurodegeneration: in vitro and in vivo studies.

Kang KS, Wen Y, Yamabe N, Fukui M, Bishop SC, Zhu BT.

PLoS One. 2010 Aug 5;5(8). pii: e11951.PMID: 20700524 [PubMed - in process]Free PMC ArticleFree textRelated citationsRemove from clipboard
2.

EGCG remodels mature alpha-synuclein and amyloid-beta fibrils and reduces cellular toxicity.

Bieschke J, Russ J, Friedrich RP, Ehrnhoefer DE, Wobst H, Neugebauer K, Wanker EE.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Apr 27;107(17):7710-5. Epub 2010 Apr 12.PMID: 20385841 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related citationsRemove from clipboard
3.

Low dosage of Rasagiline and epigallocatechin gallate synergistically restored the nigrostriatal axis in MPTP-induced parkinsonism.

Reznichenko L, Kalfon L, Amit T, Youdim MB, Mandel SA.

Neurodegener Dis. 2010;7(4):219-31. Epub 2010 Feb 27.PMID: 20197647 [PubMed - in process]Related citationsRemove from clipboard
4.

(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced microglial activation and protects against inflammation-mediated dopaminergic neuronal injury.

Li R, Huang YG, Fang D, Le WD.

J Neurosci Res. 2004 Dec 1;78(5):723-31.PMID: 15478178 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related citationsRemove from clipboard
5.

Cell signaling pathways in the neuroprotective actions of the green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate: implications for neurodegenerative diseases.

Mandel S, Weinreb O, Amit T, Youdim MB.

J Neurochem. 2004 Mar;88(6):1555-69. Review. Erratum in: J Neurochem. 2004 Apr;89(2):527. PMID: 15009657 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Related citationsRemove from clipboard
6.

Neuroprotection and neurorescue against Abeta toxicity and PKC-dependent release of nonamyloidogenic soluble precursor protein by green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate.

Levites Y, Amit T, Mandel S, Youdim MB.

FASEB J. 2003 May;17(8):952-4. Epub 2003 Mar 28.PMID: 12670874 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]Free ArticleRelated citationsRemove from clipboard