A domestic research team says that taurine, an amino acid found abundantly in squid and octopus, is effective in treating Alzheimer’s disease.
 
The team led by Kim Young-soo at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) said Sunday that it fed mice with Alzheimer’s 30 milligrams of taurine in water for six weeks and cured mild symptoms of memory failure and cognitive decline.
 
The team said that taurine suppresses amyloid beta protein, which is known as the primary cause of Alzheimer’s, and stimulates nerve cells in brain regions in charge of cognitive function.
 
The team expects that it will be possible to develop taurine-based medicine for Alzheimer’s disease, which usually requires patients to take medicine over long periods of time.
 
The findings have appeared in the latest edition of Scientific Reports.