A new study shows that when mice with Alzheimer's disease inhaled menthol, their cognitive abilities improved . The compound appears to prevent the onset of the disease and reduce some of the damage to the brain.
The researchers specifically noted a reduction in the interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β) protein, which helps regulate the body's inflammatory response, a response that can increase natural protection but can cause harm if not properly controlled.
In mice with Alzheimer's disease, a six-month course of menthol treatment was enough to prevent the mice's cognitive and memory abilities from deteriorating . In addition, drugs that specifically block this protein and are used to treat certain autoimmune diseases also improved cognition in both healthy mice and mice with Alzheimer's .
Scientists have established many connections between our sense of smell and our immune and nervous systems, and although it’s hard to fully understand these relationships, we know that our olfactory system strongly influences our brain. Certain smells may trigger certain reactions in the brain, leading to chemical reactions that affect memory, mood, and more.
In fact, diseases related to the central nervous system, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia , are often accompanied by loss of smell. These results suggest that odors and immune modulators may play an important role in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other diseases related to the central nervous system. The research has been published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.
There are also many products on the market that contain peppermint as an ingredient, such as the well-known German