Acetic acid or the acetate ion from vinegar may cause people to experience headaches by elevating adenosine. Adenosine activation also causes behavioral despair. High acetate levels from acetic acid for example cause adenosine to accumulate in many parts of the brain. Caffeine antagonizes adenosine and relieves headaches. Chronic use of caffeine upregulates adenosine receptors which is why caffeine is associated with tolerance and addiction. Green tea contains polyphenols that inhibit catechol-O-methyltransferase(COMT). Catechol-O-methyltransferase(COMT) like monoamine oxidase is involved in the oxidative deamination and degradation of catecholamines such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine via O-methylation and uses S-adenosyl-L-methionine(SAM) as a methyl donor. The O in catechol-O-methyltransferase and O-methylation stands for oxygen atoms. The N in N-methylation stands for nitrogen atoms. Increased N-methylation within the brain as a consequence of central COMT inhibition may result in increased occurrence of N-methylated substrates structurally related to MPP+ (1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium), which is proven to be toxic to nigrostriatal neurons. The neurotoxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+) is known to cause selective degeneration of this nigrostriatal pathway in higher species. Studies have shown taurine to protect dopaminergic neurons against the toxicity of MPP+ in rat brain coronal slices. Taurine is found in energy drinks like Red Bull.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:45:17 +0000
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