Juice Up Your Memory

Ivanhoe Newswire
Monday, August 7, 2006; 12:00 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Want to stay sharp as a tack, even in your old age? Then add some apple juice to your diet. According to a new study, apples may boost production of an essential neurotransmitter that helps nerve cells communicate. This could ward off mind-robbing conditions like Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Lowell tested the ability of apple juice to improve brain functioning in both younger and older mice. The animals were divided into three groups. The first ate a standard diet, another ate a nutrient deficient diet, and the third also ate a nutrient deficient diet, but drank water laced with apple juice.

When the investigators ran the mice through a standard maze, those on the apple juice diet out-performed the other two groups. These mice also showed an increase in production of acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter, in their brains.

"We anticipate that the day may come when foods like apples, apple juice, and other apple products are recommended along with the most popular Alzheimer's medications," reports Thomas Shea, Ph.D., director of the UML Center for Cellular Neurobiology and Neurodegeneration Research. He notes many Alzheimer's drugs on the market today were developed with an eye toward increasing acetylcholine production in the brain.

Why does apple juice appear to have the same effect? The investigators believe apples must just have the right combination of antioxidants and other nutrients to get the job done.

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SOURCE: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, published online Aug. 2, 2006