Apple Juice Appears to Delay Onset of Alzheimer's Disease

A new study is part of a growing body of evidence that demonstrates how we can take steps to delay age-related cognitive decline -- including, in some cases, that which accompanies Alzheimer’s disease. This claim was made in a study published in the January 2009 issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Thomas B. Shea, PhD, of the Center for Cellular Neurobiology; Neurodegeneration Research University of Massachusetts (Lowell, MA) 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.

Shea and his team demonstrated recently that mice receiving the human equivalent of 2 glasses of apple juice per day for 1 month produced less of the protein known as “beta-amyloid” (which 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.”

Dave