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Week of April 27 - May 3, 2008

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Fruit Lowers Alzheimers Risk

TRANSCRIPT:

A study published in the American Journal of Medicine has found that drinking fruit and vegetable juices more than three times a week can dramatically cut the chances of developing Alzheimer's disease.

To perform their study, researchers followed almost 2,000 dementia-free Japanese Americans living in the Seattle area for 10 years. Alzheimer’s disease, which robs sufferers of their memory, is relatively uncommon in Japan, but is rising in Japanese-Americans, suggesting a lifestyle or environmental cause.

Study participants completed a food frequency questionnaire at the start of the study and underwent a clinical examination every 2 years for a 10-year period to look for signs of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers found the risk of Alzheimer's was 76 per cent lower for those who drank juices more than three times a week, as compared to those who drank juices less often than once a week.

It is believed that certain “bad” proteins can cause the damage seen in Alzheimer’s disease. Polyphenols, chemicals found in many foods, have strong antioxidant properties and might “mop up” free radicals that can damage brain cells. Skins of fruits and vegetables are known to be high in phenols, especially those of apples, grapes, citrus fruits and berries.

These findings are new and suggest that fruit and vegetable juices may play an important role in delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

BY:

Susan Sharma, MD, Insidermedicine

Reviewed for medical accuracy by
Dr. Boaz Ancselovic, MD, Geriatrician, Alzheimer's Weekly

SOURCE:

Insidermedicine LP

COPYRIGHT:

Copyright © 2008. Insidermedicine LP. All rights reserved.