Can Parsley help prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease?

Are you experiencing short term memory loss and worried that this is an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease? Do you know that the current Alzheimer’s drug treatment protocol focuses on treating the symptoms rather than addressing the root cause? That is, the drugs that your doctors prescribe to treat Alzheimer’s disease do not help repair or regenerate the brain cells to reverse the disease progression.

Scientists once believed that the brain stopped developing after the first few years of life. They also believed that once damaged, the brain’s nerve cells could not form new connections or regenerate, and the functions controlled by that area of the brain would be lost indefinitely. However, new research on animals and humans has invalidated this mistaken old view[1].

So, if I tell you that a flavone rich herb can help regenerate brain cells, protect the brain from neuro-toxin damage and may even prevent senile plaque formation in the brain, would you eat this herb more often?[2] In this article, you will find some interesting health facts about parsley and what it can do to help you feel more at ease about Alzheimer’s.

Have some Parsley Soup today; make Alzheimer’s senile plaque go away?!

Have some Parsley Soup today; make Alzheimer’s senile plaque go away?!

Garden parsley (Petroselinum crispum), is native to the central Mediterranean region. It is a widely cultivated herb or spice. For many decades, parsley has been used as a garnish in butchers shops and restaurants as the presence of parsley is often a sign that the food has been prepared with care and feeling. Today, many people continue to use parsley only to decorate their main meal and leave this garnish un-eaten.

Flat parsley[3] contains 2 times as much iron as spinach. Not only is it a good source of vitamin A, C, K and folate acid, parsley also contains a very high level of apigenin[4]. Per 100g weight, parsley contains 215 mg of apigenin, making it a great source of flavones for brain cell regeneration[5][6]. Studies claim that apigenin may be useful for the treatment of neurological diseases, disorders and injuries, by stimulating the generation of neuronal cells in the adult brain.

Apigenin readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and has not demonstrated toxicity at high doses. It could thus prevent amyloid beta deposition and tau phosphorylation due to neuro-inflammation, which can lead to Alzheimer’s disease. Apigenin is also very resistant to heat and cooking parsley does not degrade the quantity of apigenin.[7]

BTW, I should also mention that apigenin has been recently been the subject of many cancer research studies. It is a potent cancer killer. Studies have showed that apigenin can either kill cancers by itself or create a synergistic action with certain chemotherapeutic drugs. The most current cancer research on the use of apigenin includes: brain tumor, breast cancer, colon cancer, cervical cancer, leukemia, liver cancer, lung cancer, osteosarcoma, prostate cancer and skin cancer.

As parsley is super friendly to our health, you may ask how you can use this wonderful herb more often., You can easily add some parsley to your favorite green juice; chop and add to an omelet, quiche or frittata; top your pizza with parsley; or add parsley to a bean soup or salad. Parsley combines very well with balsamic vinegar for a refreshing salad dressing.

When parsley is stored in highly acidic vinegar, the apigenin in parsley will convert into a more bio-available form for our absorption and use. Dried parsley blends very well with Salsa. It is commonly used to marinate meat. Of course you can also sprinkle some parsley over baked potatoes, yams or roasted taro etc.

I’ve collected many great recipes, but one of the best is this Cream of Parsley Soup recipe below. It’s flavorful, refreshing and requires very minimal cooking time. It’s a quick and health-giving soup for those who have a busy life and who struggle to make a nutrient dense meal. Other than using high amounts of parsley, this soup also requires the use of cashew nuts which contain higher amounts of monounsaturated fat which is good for your cardiovascular health. The greens in the soup supply you with many vitamins and minerals. The combination of all ingredients has a unique aromatic flavour which is very refreshing.

A note of caution to those who are taking blood thinners such as Coumadin (warfarin); parsley contains very high levels of vitamin K which is a blood clotting factor. If you are taking blood thinners, you may not wish to consume a large amount of parsley in a single meal. For good health, we need to balance our diet by eating variety rather than focusing on individual foods. Therefore I strongly suggest moderation instead of quantity.

Anyway, let’s dive in and create this flavourful and refreshing soup!! Whether you suffer from short term memory loss or not, I hope you will enjoy this recipe!! xoxoxo

Vegan Cream of Parsley Soup

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 cups vegetable broth
¾ cup cashew nuts
1 cup water
½ tsp sea salt
Ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Soak cashew nuts over night in the fridge. Alternatively, you can pour boiling water on them and soak for 20 minutes prior to making the soup.
Drain cashews. In a blender, blend cashews with 1 cup of water until the texture becomes very creamy and smooth. Set the cream aside.
In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onions until slightly brown, Add celery, carrot and vegetable broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
Scoop out 2/3 of the soup with all the celery and carrots and puree in a blender.
Return the puree soup to the pot. Bring it to a boil. Add basil, parsley and sea salt. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmer for 1 minute.
Pour in cashew cream. Add additional water if necessary. Stir and serve immediately with parsley garnish.

[1] Neuroplasticity

[2] Diet and Neurogenesis

[3] Parsley, raw Nutrition Facts & Calories

[4] Parsley: a review of ethnopharmacology, phytochemistry and biological activities

[5] Neurogenic drugs and compounds

[6] Prenatal treatment of Down syndrome: a reality?

[7] Effects of blanching on polyphenol stability of innovative paste-like parsley (Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nym ex A. W. Hill) and marjoram (Origanum majorana L.) products.