ScienceDaily (Jan. 24, 2009) — A
growing body of evidence demonstrates that we can take steps to delay
age-related cognitive decline, including in some cases that which
accompanies Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in the
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
Thomas B. Shea, PhD, of the Center for Cellular Neurobiology;
Neurodegeneration Research University of Massachusetts, Lowell and his
research team have carried out a number of laboratory studies
demonstrating that drinking apple juice helped mice perform better than
normal in maze trials, and prevented the decline in performance that was
otherwise observed as these mice aged.
In the most recent study Shea and his team demonstrated that mice
receiving the human equivalent of 2 glasses of apple juice per day for 1
month produced less of a small protein fragment, called "beta-amyloid"
that is responsible for forming the "senile plaques" that are commonly
found in brains of individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Shea commented 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."
Journal reference:
- Amy Chan and Thomas B. Shea. Dietary Supplementation with
Apple Juice Decreases Endogenous Amyloid-%u03B2 Levels in Murine Brain.
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 16:1 (January 2009)