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Apple juice can delay onset of Alzheimer’s disease

January 28, 2009 — A growing body of evidence demonstrates that people
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.

January 28, 2009 — A growing body of evidence demonstrates that people 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.

Dr. Thomas B. Shea of the Center for Cellular Neurobiology and Neurodegeneration Research, University of Massachusetts, Lowell and his research team 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, Dr. Shea and his team demonstrated that mice receiving the human equivalent of two glasses of apple juice per day for one month produced less of a small protein fragment, called beta-amyloid, that is responsible for forming the senile plaques that are commonly found in the brains of individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

“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,” said Dr. Shea.