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Juice May Cut Risk of Alzheimer's
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A cure for Alzheimer's, a degenerative brain disease, has continued to elude
scientists despite the huge advances made by medical science in recent
years and the millions upon millions of dollars spent on research.
But a new study offers a ray of hope. American scientists say drinking fruit
and vegetable juices frequently may significantly reduce the risk of
developing the disease.
The researchers followed nearly 2,000 people for up to 10 years and found
that the risk was cut by 76% among those who drank juice more than three
times a week, compared with those who drank less than one serving a week.
The study, which appears in the American Journal of Medicine, focused on
1,836 dementia-free people whose lifestyle and eating habits were closely
monitored and given cognitive function tests every two years.
The benefit appeared particularly enhanced in subjects who carry a certain
genetic marker linked to late-onset Alzheimer’s disease – the most common
form of the disease, which typically occurs after the age of 65.
Originally, researchers had suspected that high intakes of antioxidant
vitamins (vitamins C, E and carotene) might provide some protection against
Alzheimer's disease. But this hypothesis was not borne out by recent clinical
studies.
"We thought that the underlying component may not be vitamins, that there
was maybe something else," said. Dr. Qi Dai, assistant professor of
medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and lead author of the
report.
Dai began to suspect that another class of antioxidant chemicals, known as
polyphenols, could be responsible. Polyphenols are non-vitamin
antioxidants which are particularly abundant in teas, juices and wines. They
are found mostly in the outer sections of fruits and vegetables, in the peel or
skin.
Previous studies have suggested that polyphenols disrupt biological
processes in the brain that lead to Alzheimer's and neutralize the effect of
damaging compounds called free radicals. Recent studies havealso shown
that polyphenols extend lifespan by nearly 60 percent and delay the age-
related decline of cognitive performance in animals.
Apple, grape, and citrus fruit juices are among those found to be high in
polyphenols. However, the study did not indicate whether some types of
juice were more beneficial than others.
The latest study supports what medical experts have been advocating
recently, that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables will prevent a host of diseases
like Alzheimer's and some cancers (see Eat These Foods for Cancer
Protection).
They also recommend exercise, both mental and physical, to keep one
sharp and alert well into old age.
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia that afflicts people
usually in their late middle age or old age. Patients experience progressive
memory loss, impaired thinking, disorientation and changes in personality
and mood. Early diagnosis is difficult, but it usually begins with periodic
forgetfullness that may not be noticeable.
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