Ganoderma
Age-related memory improvement linked with consumption of apple products
Age-related memory improvement linked with consumption of apple
products
January 25, 2006
New study finds consuming apple juice associated with brain
health
"An apple a day" now has new meaning for those who want to
maintain mental dexterity as they age.
New research from the
University of Massachusetts Lowell suggests that consuming apple
juice may protect against cell damage that contributes to
age-related memory loss, even in test animals that were not prone
to developing Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.
"This new study suggests that eating and drinking apples and
apple juice, in conjunction with a balanced
diet, can protect the brain from
the effects of oxidative stress - and that we should eat such
antioxidant-rich foods," notes lead researcher Thomas B. Shea,
Ph.D.
, director of the University of Massachusetts Lowell's Center
for Cellular Neurobiology and Neurodegeneration Research, whose
study was just published in the latest issue of the Journal of
Alzheimer's Disease. Although more research is needed, Shea is
excited about these brain health findings, which are encouraging
for all individuals who are interested in staying mentally sharp as
they age.
Using a well-established animal protocol, Shea and his research
colleagues assessed whether consumption of apple juice was
protective against oxidative brain damage in aging mice, damage
that can lead to memory loss. "These newer findings show that there
is something in apples and apple juice that protects brain cells in
normal aging, much like the protection we previously saw against
Alzheimer-like symptoms," says Shea.
The researchers evaluated adult and aged mice using a standard
diet, a nutrient-deficient diet,
and a nutrient-deficient diet
supplemented with apple juice
concentrate in drinking water. Although the adult mice tested were
not affected negatively by the deficient diets, the aged mice were,
which is consistent with normal aging due to oxidative
neurodegeneration. The effect on cognition among the aged mice was
measured through well-established maze tests, followed by an
examination of brain tissue. However, the aged mice who consumed
the diets supplemented with apple juice
performed significantly better on the maze tests and all had less
oxidative brain damage than those on the standard diet.
Supplementation by apple juice fully protected the aged mice
from the oxidative stress caused by the nutrient-deficient diet. In
addition, stronger mental acuity resulted when the aged mice
consumed the human equivalent of 2-3 cups of apple juice or
approximately 2-4 apples per day. "We believe that this effect is
due to the apple's naturally high level of antioxidants," states
Shea. Previous research with his colleagues also determined that it
is not the sugar and energy content of the apple juice, but the
antioxidant attributes of apple juice that are responsible for the
positive effects.
U.S. Apple Association
.