Alzheimer's Prevention

"Apple Juice Alzheimer's Miracle Cure?..."

...I lift my glass in a toast to a breakthrough in Alzheimer's prevention, but only if the glass contains fruit juice.

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine reports that the odds of developing Alzheimer's are substantially reduced when older people drank fruit or vegetable juices daily.

Dr. Qi Dai lead the Alzheimer's disease research and observed that the disease was 76% lower in those who drank fruit or vegetable juice at lease 3 times per week than the subjects who consumed juice less than once per week.

Skins and Peels

At first look you may think it is the general type of antioxidants in fruit juices that worked the magic.  Not so, it seems it was a very strong antioxidant called polyphenols that does the trick.  Polyphenols are found in the skin and peel of fruits and veggies.

Dr. Qi Dai explains that the research project followed more than 1,800 participants in Hiroshima, Japan; Oahu, Hawaii; and Seattle. The subjects began their consumption of the fruit and vegetable juices in 1992 and they were given mental tests every two years.

American Journal of Medicine

The results of the study were published in a recent issue of the American Journal of Medicine.

More research needs to be done to determine whether specific juices or specific polyphenols produce the most benefit, Dai said. Further study will be needed to see which juices and polyphenols have the greatest beneficial effect.

Bill Thies, vice president for medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer's Association points to a possible weak point in the study. "There were only a little more than 80 cases of dementia, so how precise the relationship is may be adjusted over time."

This is exciting news even if it is not an Alzheimer's cure.  Just think, Alzheimer's prevention may be as close as a glass of apple juice.  I'll drink to that!

Speaking of exciting news, you must know about Symptom Guide!

Alzheimer's Prevention