Our brains had it all along and we never knew until now! American researchers have recently discovered that the brain actually has a natural anti-oxidant defense system built in, plus the same researchers have also found what triggers this system.

Oxidants, otherwise known as toxic free radicals, are the by-product of regular cell metabolism, and can be compared to, you know, urine and fecal matter in humans. Being toxic, they are suspected of causing cancer, as well as strokes and other heart diseases.

Researchers suspect that most brain diseases are linked to a failure of sorts in this defense system, and that the ability to switch it back on could prevent or retard the development of those diseases. The Boston-based researchers found in experiments with lab mice that a protein called PGC-1a switches this defense system on when free radicals begin to accumulate. Both mice and human brain cells were protected from nerve toxins when PGC-1a levels in them were very high.

These scientists hope that this could be developed into treatment regimens for brain cancer, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and Huntington's Disease. They are currently working to find what compounds could trigger PGC-1a expression in brain cells.