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Trehalose – a natural sugar that could possibly be consumed for health and longevity Posted on 18. June 2014 by Vince Giuliano By Vince Giuliano and James P Watson.
Main Points -
"1. Trehalose enhances longevity by inhibiting the Insulin/IGF axis in nematodes.
2. Trehalose induces autophagy independently of mTOR pathway inhibition and has been shown in experimental models to help in neurodegenerative diseases. Trehalose can clear alpha-synuclein, polyglutamate, amyloid beta 40, amyloid beta 42, and tau proteins such as this seen in Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
3. Trehalose has also been shown to be effective for treating prion disease.
4. Trehalose can regulate lipid metabolism (Macrolipophagy) via autophagy
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6. Trehalose penetrates the blood-brain barrier quite well.
7. While trehalose is a sugar, it does does not form Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs)
8. Trehalose may prevent the progression of insulin resistance
9. Trehalose treatment reverses autophagy impairment and prevents neural tube defects in diabetic pregnancies – in mice at least
10. Trehalose exercises an antidepressant affect, at least on mice
11. There is an issue of how much trehalose ingested by humans makes it into the bloodstream where it can induce the beneficial effects outlined above.
Like humans, mice have trehalase in their guts, developing its expression early in their lives (ref)(ref)(ref). The experiments described above based on adding trehalose to mouse drinking water suggest that significant benefits are nonetheless realized via upgrading autophagy and mitigating insulin resistance(ref)(ref)(ref). So, some trehalose must be getting into cells. I infer this is due to a certain portion of the trehhalose evading gut trehalase breakdown and passing into the bloodstream where it is later broken down by circulating trehalase or in kidneys. I further infer that that the same happens when humans consume trehalose. The percentage amount entering the bloodstream is unknown. However as identified above, it is thought that 5 gms per day is a safe amount for human consumption.
14. Supplementation with trehalose could lead to people with a rare disease, trehalase deficiency disorder, to have problems.
15. Scientific studies clearly establishing health benefits of trehalose supplementation in humans appear to be conspicuously missing"
Edited by Phoenicis, 21 June 2014 - 01:14 AM.