Drinking fruit and vegetable juices cuts chances of developing Alzheimer’s
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.
The researchers found the risk of Alzheimer’s was 76% 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.
