Alzheimer’s Prevention: Fruit and vegetable juice
October 10, 2007
Remember being told that an apple a day keeps the doctor away?
Drinking juice every other day appears to keep Alzheimer’s away, according to recent research. As part of the Ni-Hon-Sea Project, which followed the progress of older Japanese populations living in Japan, Hawaii and Seattle, Washington, the Kame Project focused on the fruit and vegetable consumption of study participants in the Seattle, Washington area. They found those who consumed fruit and vegetable juices three or more days a week were 76 percent less likely to show signs of Alzheimer’s disease.
For the Japanese who live in Japan, Alzheimer’s disease is uncommon. For Japanese who live in the US, the rates of Alzheimer’s disease go up. Diet and exercise habits differ depending on where you live, and as a result, the different rates of the disease suggest that diet and exercise may play a role in the development of the dementia.
As a result of the Kame Project study findings, researchers believe that polyphenols, antioxidant chemicals not found in antioxidant vitamins, provide the protective benefits. Polyphenols are found in the skin and peels of fruits and vegetables; and in teas, juices and wines. So eat an apple a day, but make sure you are drinking your juice too.