An ingredient found in the natural supplement green tea may help treat brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s.

According to a study published in Natural Chemical Biology, mixing EGCG, a green tea ingredient, with the chemical DAPH-12 may help destroy amyloids—proteins that can lead to brain diseases.

Some feel this study is significant as no other research has found a chemical combination to destroy amyloids. Researchers found that while EGCG could destroy weaker amyloids on its own, it needed to be mixed with DAPH-12 to destroy the stronger proteins.

While the researchers said they were excited with the outcome of finding a potential way to treat the diseases, they are quick to point out there is still more research to be done to see if they could find other possible solutions.

“Our findings are certainly preliminary and we need further work to fully comprehend the effects of EGCG in combination with other chemicals on amyloids,” said co-author Dr. Martin Duennwald. “Yet, we see our study as a very exciting initial step toward combinatorial therapies for the treatment of amyloid-based diseases.”