Apple juice improves Alzheimers disease

Posted on Thu, 17 Jun 10

More than 35 million people worldwide have Alzheimer’s disease and although current therapies can improve symptoms they do not slow progression of the disease, are costly and fraught with side effects. A new study suggests that apple juice may improve even the advanced stages of the disease.

In a small pilot study a group of investigators from the University of Massachusetts found that moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s disease patients who consumed two 4-ounce glasses of apple juice daily (240 ml per day) for one month had a 27% improvement in behavioural and psychological symptoms particularly anxiety, agitation, and delusion. There were however no noticeable changes in cognitive performance.

Commenting on thier findings the investigators wrote that “the modest, but statistically significant, impact of apple juice on behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia in this short-term pilot study add to the body of evidence supporting the usefulness of nutritional approaches, including fruit and vegetable juices, in delaying the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease even in the face of known genetic risk.”

Look after your grey matter, one day it may matter

The biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease is increasing age however there is evidence to suggest that Alzheimer’s disease is not an inevitable consequence of aging and may be prevented by healthy lifestyle behaviours such as regular physical activity, stress mangement, social integration, a traditional Mediterranean style diet and emphasising particular foods such as oily fish, green tea, turmeric, berries and apples.

Reference

Remington R, et al. Apple juice improved behavioral but not cognitive symptoms in moderate-to-late stage Alzheimer's disease in an open-label pilot study. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2010 Jun;25(4):367-71.