“US: Study says apple juice can prevent Alzheimer’s disease

Feb 2009

Apple Juice “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” is a very well-known quotable quote. The reason behind this quote is very apt. An apple is believed to have many positive health effects in an individual. Now a latest study has in fact stated that apple juice can possibly prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

This study was conducted by Thomas B. Shea, PhD, of the Center for Cellular Neurobiology; Neurodegeneration Research University of Massachusetts, Lowell and his team. A number of laboratory studies were conducted on old mice, in order to test the effect of apple juice on their performance in maze trials.

The results revealed that the mice that had had apple juice performed better than what they would have performed otherwise, in the maze trials. It was noticed that apple juice enhanced the performance of these aged mice.

Dr. Shea states that, “These findings provide further evidence linking nutritional and genetic risk factors for age-related neurodegeneration and suggest that regular consumption of apple juice can not only help to keep one’s mind functioning at its best, but may also be able to delay key aspects of Alzheimer’s disease and augment therapeutic approaches.”

The study investigators have revealed that the mice receiving approximately two glasses of apple juice everyday for a period of 1 month produced a lesser amount of the beta-amyloid protein. This protein is believed to be the culprit behind the formation of “senile plaques,” which are most commonly found in patients suffering from AD.

In order to avoid and prevent the development of various types of diseases, a balanced diet including a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables is recommended.”

http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=37391

****

Comments by others:

That is a lot of sugar a day! Wonder if anybody has done a review of eating an apple a day and beta-amyloid protein? hmmmm.

I agree. Two glasses of apple juice sounds like an invitation to Type 2 Diabetes. I think I’ll stick with apples.

****

Eating the whole fruit always provides far more nutrition advantages than juice. And also provides valuable fiber.

****

My mother in law loved apples and apple juice. She still got alzheimers. That said, lots of things are associated with lowering the risk. One is keeping mentally active. Yet I know a brilliant doctor, a really well read, mentally active man, who still got it. Another is exercise. My mother in law walked all over the city for years, going to work, to shop, to visit, wherever. She loved to walk. She still got it. There are exceptions to everything, and this is why the disease is so confounding.

Keeping your blood glucose low is another one. NOT getting a serious head injury in ones life is another. But the single most powerful one is picking parents that didn’t get alzheimers. If your parents died too young for it to develop, then you may not know if they passed that risk on to you.

I think ALL seniors should get paperwork in place, various wills, directives, choosing someone to make decisions for you if you do develop it, and get tested on a regular basis. There are medications available today that definitely slow the process and can give you a better quality of life if you do get it. Early detection is so important. Being prepared both legally and financially is every bit as important.

Stay active both physically and mentally. Take vitamins. Be watchful and be prepared just in case. There is nothing more horrible than an old person with alzheimers who is unprepared, unwilling to face it, unwilling to take meds, or unwilling to allow anyone else to think or make decisions for them.

Alzheimers actually physically shrinks the brain. The brain of a person with alzheimers actually weighs a great deal less than a normal brain. A cat scan can show spaces developing where there should be brain tissue, and reveal suspected alzheimers before it gets too debilitating.

This is a progressive, organic brain disease and you may not be able to prevent it. Denial is the biggest problem in getting it treated and providing a quality life for it’s sufferers.

****

And then there is this….

http://health.yahoo.com/news/reuters/us_coffee_drinkers.html

Coffee drinkers show lower dementia risk

By Amy Norton – Tue Feb 3, 7:37 AM PST

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – In more good news for coffee lovers, a new study suggests that middle-aged adults who regularly drink a cup of java may have a lower risk of developing dementia later in life.

Whether coffee itself deserves the credit is not yet clear, but researchers say the findings at least suggest that coffee drinkers can enjoy that morning cup “in good conscience.”

The study found that among 1,400 Finnish adults followed for 20 years, those who drank three to five cups of coffee per day in middle-age were two-thirds less likely than non-drinkers to develop dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

The findings, reported in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, add to a string of studies finding that coffee drinkers have lower risks of several diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, certain cancers and diabetes.

No one is recommending that people start drinking coffee to ward off any disease, however. Researchers do not know if it’s components of coffee itself — like caffeine or certain antioxidants — or something else about coffee drinkers that explains the recent study observations.

The current study was an epidemiological one, explained lead researcher Marjo H. Eskelinen, which means it can point to an association between coffee and dementia risk, but does not prove cause-and-effect.

Still, “the results open a possibility that dietary interventions could modify the risk of dementia,” Eskelinen, a doctoral candidate at the University of Kuopio in Finland, told Reuters Health.

There are a few potential reasons why coffee could help stave off dementia, researchers point out. One reason is related to the fact that coffee drinkers may have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and diabetes, in turn, is linked to a higher risk of dementia.

Coffee also contains plant chemicals, such as chlorogenic acid, that act as antioxidants and may help protect body cells from damage over time. For its part, caffeine may have a protective effect on brain cells because it blocks receptors for a chemical called adenosine, which has depressant effects in the central nervous system.

More research is needed to determine whether coffee is truly protective, but for now, Eskelinen said, “those people who have been drinking coffee can still do so in good conscience.”

SOURCE: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, January 2009.

****

Related Articles:

• Guy And A Bucket Of Shrimp
• Overcoming Depression
• The Different Elements of Forgiveness
• Government, Religion and Contraception
• Movie Review – The Descendants

This work, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Australia License.