Hopefully, my introduction to this paper is enough for readers to understand the benefits of acupuncture for our brain health.
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body. It is responsible for the pathogeneses of various diseases. Oxidative stress causes poor DNA repair, and cellular damage, which contributes to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Many studies have contributed to the body of knowledge that has demonstrated that acupuncture has notable antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic (anti-cell death) effects. The above paper concluded that acupuncture could be a therapeutic option for Alzheimer’s; and Parkinson’s disease.
The above paper was able to show that acupuncture:
- Is neuroprotective
- Improves cognitive function by increasing the connectivity between cognition-related brain regions
- Upregulates Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a key molecule involved in plastic changes related to learning and memory
- Enhances brain cell proliferation
- Ameliorates cognitive impairment
- Can significantly improve learning and memory functions
- Enhances the endogenous antioxidant defense system
- Enhances cell survival and prevents cellular apoptosis(death)
- Protects neuronal loss and promotes neurogenesis
- Attenuates oxidative stress-induced-tissue injury
- Reduces oxidative protein damage and promotes Hsp expression, which may delay brain aging and prevent neurodegeneration
- Reduces the production and deposition of amyloid beta