George Lewis
Biology 1610
March 6, 2017
An article
on Biology News Net stated that a study has found that shark fins and meat
contain high levels of neurotoxins linked the Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder that
attacks the brain's nerve cells, or neurons, which results in loss of memory,
thinking, language skills, and behavioral changes. This disease is irreversible with no known cure at the moment. This article caught my eye because I have
always feared sharks and never liked seafood.
Scientists from the University of Miami did a study that showed 10
species of sharks having high concentrations of the toxins linked to neurodegenerative diseases.
The scientists collected samples of
fin and muscle tissue from 10 species of sharks found in the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans. They found
concentrations of two toxins, mercury and β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA).
BMAA is a non-proteinogenic amino acid produced by
cyanobacteria. It comes from the amino
acid, Alanine, with a methylamino group on the side chain and is found marine,
freshwater, and terrestrial environments.
Deborah Mash, Professor
of Neurology and senior author of the study said, “Recent studies have linked
BMAA to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS).”
The researchers found from their
studies that fins and muscles of all shark species have concentrations of mercury
and BMAA at levels that could pose a threat to human health. Shark products are generally consumed in Asia
and globally in Asian communities as a delicacy. Also there are dietary supplements that
contain shark cartilage and are consumed globally.
I found it pretty interesting that
studies have shown that there could be a link to Alzheimer’s disease and
consuming shark meat. The studies never
made any firm conclusions that it really does cause Alzheimer’s disease but I
still really enjoyed reading about it and doing a little of my own research.
Article: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2016/08/29/study_finds_shark_fins_meat_contain_high_levels_of_neurotoxins_linked_to_alzheimers_disease.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+biologynews%2Fheadlines+%28Biology+News+Net%29
That's very interesting actually, although I have a question. Given that shark meat contains these neurotoxins, would introducing these toxins into our system really cause Alzheimer's? I could see high levels of it in our body causing similar effects as that of Alzheimer's, but would the presence of the toxins cause our body to develop whatever disorder causes Alzheimer's? I know that both of these things, shark meat and Alzheimer's, cause the toxins, however does shark meat cause Alzheimer's?
ReplyDeleteEM
Just to append to this, I'm just wanting to know exactly what causes Alzheimer's, is it the meat, or is it another problem in our body, and is the neurotoxin just the product of both?
DeleteGood question. Two of the main features of Alzheimer's are plaques and tangles. Plaque is the buildup of a protein called beta-amyloid. Tangles are twisted fibers of the protein tau. Most people develop some plaques and tangles as they age, but those who have Alzheimer's have a much larger amount. Experts believe they disrupt communication and stop nerve cells from doing their job, causing cell damage and death, which is what leads to the memory failure and cognitive problems associated with Alzheimer's. BMAA has been found in the brains of many Alzheimer's patients and there have been several studies that show that BMAA contributes to the buildup of proteins in the brain. However, many experts are skeptical that it causes diseases like Alzheimer's because extremely high amounts are required to do any significant damage. Ingesting large amounts of BMAA may cause Alzheimer's, but there are many other factors to consider, such as the level of lifetime exposure, and individual genetic differences. While there is a correlation between BMAA and Alzheimer's, there is no proof of causation. Here is the link to an article i read if you would like more detail. http://discovermagazine.com/2011/may/22-seafood-toxins-causing-als-alzheimers-parkinsons
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