A new study report published in the journal European Neuropsychopharmacology has revealed that spinach is one of the most effective medicines to treat alcohol abuse, mood disorders and chronic pain.
The research conducted by scientists at the Purdue University discovered that spinach contains two peptides which are the natural metabolic products of Rubisco, the most abundant protein on earth, and these peptides are capable of treating multifarious disorders like alcohol abuse.
"These disorders are currently not adequately managed. Better medications that take a more holistic approach and produce fewer side effects will be beneficial. We discovered that these peptides selectively activate the known beneficial pathways without activating the 'side-effect pathways' of the receptor," said Richard Van Rijn, a top scientist at the Purdue University in a recently issued statement.
Researchers believe that this new discovery will pave the way for advancing medications targeted to treat various disorders associated with the central nervous system (CNS). Experts now aim to develop exclusive molecules that solely activate the cellular signalling pathways associated with their therapeutic effect. Researchers are also apparently busy embracing various synthetic and computational strategies to improve these peptides so that these conditions could be treated effectively.
It should be noted that peptides should be orally bioavailable and able to penetrate the brain barrier to treat CNS conditions effectively.
A few days back, another study report published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research revealed that reducing alcohol intake should be the first step to quit smoking. During the study, researchers found that nicotine metabolism rate will be high among alcoholics, and as a result, their urge to have extra smoke will be high. The researchers also noted that cut off in alcohol intake will result in reduced nicotine metabolism rate, and thus, the number of cigarettes a person smokes can be reduced considerably.
