Thomas B Shea PhD of the University of Massachusetts carried out a number of laboratory studies demonstrating that drinking apple juice helped mice perform better than normal in maze trials, and prevented the decline in performance that was otherwise observed as these mice aged.
In the most recent study, Shea and his team demonstrated that mice receiving the human equivalent of two glasses of apple juice per day for one month produced less of a small protein fragment, called ‘beta-amyloid’, that’s responsible for forming the ‘senile plaques’ that are commonly found in brains of individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
“These findings provide further evidence linking nutritional and genetic risk factors for age-related neurodegeneration,” said Dr Shea, “and suggest that regular consumption of apple juice can not only help to keep one’s mind functioning at its best, but may also be able to delay key aspects of Alzheimer’s disease, and augment therapeutic approaches.”
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