A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease has found that drinking just two glasses of antioxidant-rich apple juice a day can delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s affects around 700,000 older people in Britain and is the most common form of dementia. Many people fear Alzheimer’s may impact them in old age, but this study shows how crucial it is for people to lead a healthy lifestyle – with a diet rich in antioxidants – to reduce their risk. Apple juice appears to reduce the amount of protein created in the brain, which can impair memory function. In the study mice fed on apple juice performed better and found their way through a maze, and the decline in performance usually associated with age was also prevented.

 

Researchers from the Centre for Cellular Neurobiology (at Massachusetts in the USA) chose apple juice for the study rather than apples because apple juice contains more vitamin C, as well as polyphenols, which are antioxidants that can help clear away toxins known to damage cells in the body. Polyphenols can also help to relax arteries and increase blood flow. The mice who received the equivalent of two glasses of apple juice a day for a month produced less beta-amyloid protein, a substance that is responsible for forming the sticky plagues in the brain that are typically found in people with Alzheimer’s.

 

More research is needed, but the findings of this study indicate that drinking two glasses of apple juice a day can not only keep the brain healthy but may also delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The findings certainly add to the increasing body of evidence that a healthy diet is vital for protection against diseases like Alzheimer’s.

 

Fruit juices certainly appear to be an important part of a healthy diet. In addition to keeping the brain healthy, apple juice has also been linked to a reduction in asthma. A glass of cherry juice a day has been found to offer the same health benefits as eating over 20 portions of fruit and vegetables. Purple grape juice has been found to be effective against a number of diseases and pomegranate juice is said to help fight prostate cancer. Drinking cranberry juice (with no added sugar of course) is said to ease cystitis. All this adds to previous research, which has shown that drinking fruit and vegetable juices more than three times a week can dramatically reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.

Further studies are needed to confirm how much is needed for full benefit, but a red grape seed extract could be the latest weapon in the fight against Alzheimer’s. A study from Mount Sinai School of Medicine (USA) found that antioxidant substances, called polyphenols, could protect against memory loss caused by the disease.

Research at the University of California at Stanford, as reported in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, compared members of a running club with healthy non-running individuals, all of whom were over the age of 50 at the start of the study. Twice as many non runners had died than runners after 19 years. The researchers believe that running may not just boost health and improve immunity, but also increase cognitive performance. This is supported by a study undertaken at the University of Kansas school of Medicine (reported in the journal Neurology). The study concluded that by exercising individuals with early Alzheimer’s may have better cognitive performance due to increasing blood flow to the head. Poor blood flow to the head can result in loss of memory.

Another study from Scientists at the University of Calgary, in Canada, also proves that regular physical activity benefits blood flow to the brain, which in turn helps mental agility. The researchers compared two groups of women with an average age of 65. One group took part in regular exercise, while the other was inactive. Their blood flow, heart health and brain power were then tested. Not only did the active group have lower blood pressure and better blood flow, they also scored higher in mental agility tests, proving that basic fitness – something as simple as walking every day – is critical to staying mentally sharp as we age.