Fruit juice may reduce Alzheimer’s risk
People who drank three or more servings of fruit and vegetable juices per week had a 76% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s than those who drank juice less often than once per week, according to an international cross-cultural study of dementia, called the Ni-Hon-Sea Project, which investigated Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia in older Japanese populations living in Japan, Hawaii and Seattle.
Researchers identified 1,836 dementia-free subjects in the Seattle population and collected information on their dietary consumption of fruit and vegetable juices. They then assessed cognitive function every two years for up to 10 years.
After controlling for possible confounding factors like smoking, education, physical activity and fat intake, the researchers found that those who reported drinking juices three or more times per week were 76% less likely to develop signs of Alzheimer’s disease than those who drank less than one serving per week.
The benefit appeared particularly enhanced in subjects who carry a genetic marker linked to late-onset Alzheimer’s disease – the most common form of the disease, which typically occurs after the age of 65.
Polyphenols which exist primarily in the skins and peels of fruits and vegetables are believed to be the key as they have been shown in animal studies to extend maximum lifespan by 59% and delay age-dependent decay of cognitive performance.
