Alzheimer's Reading Room
I was pumping apple juice into my mother after I first read about apple juice research in 2008. At that time researchers were investigating if drinking apple juice could delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
Drinking fruit or vegetable juice may be better for you than you think. A research study shows that drinking fruit or vegetable juice may delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease.Believe it or not, the researchers followed 2,000 adults over a ten year period.
I like this new research described below.
I am going to get back to giving my mother a "large" dose of apple juice each day. This will also include" prune juice daily, orange juice three times a week, V-3 times a week, milk and the list goes on.
If anyone decides to try this with apple juice please keep a log and let us know your observations after 6 weeks.
Drinking Apple Juice Improves Mood in Alzheimer's Patients
A new clinical trial shows that drinking apple juice significantly improved mood and behavior among a group of patients diagnosed with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease (AD). This latest research supports a growing body of evidence exploring the role of apples and apple products (like 100% apple juice) in delaying the onset and progression of AD.
The research, published in the June 2010 issue of the American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, studied 21 patients between the ages of 72 to 93, residing in two Massachusetts nursing homes. Subjects received two, 4-ounce servings of apple juice daily for one month.
Dr. Thomas Shea and colleagues from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell report that patients receiving the apple juice showed significant changes in mood and behavior. This was assessed by a 12-item questionnaire measuring the effect that abnormal behavior has on a patients' well-being. Improvements in anxiety, apathy, agitation, depression and delusion were most notable. Caregivers did not report changes in the patients' cognitive performance or ability to perform day-to-day functions.
"In addition to changes in memory, there's a distinct change in mood that often accompanies Alzheimer's disease," explains Dr. Shea. "We found that people receiving apple juice displayed fewer of the associated behavioral symptoms. They were calmer, less agitated, and at the end of the day, they had a better quality of life."
Dr. Shea and his research team have been studying the beneficial effects of apple products on improving brain health for over a decade. Their research suggests that good nutrition can help support an aging brain by protecting brain tissue from detrimental oxidative damage.
Although it remains unclear which components of apples are responsible for the observed benefits, the researchers believe supplementation with as little as one, 8-ounce glass of apple juice per day may indicate a simple and cost-effective strategy to help maintain mood in Alzheimer's patients.
- 60 Good Reasons to Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room
- Alzheimer's CareGiving -- Insight and Advice
- Test Your Memory for Alzheimer's (5 Best Self Assessment Tests)
- Communicating in Alzheimer's World
- Worried About Alzheimer's Disease -- You Should Be
- What is Alzheimer's? What are the Eight Types of Dementia?
- Does the Combination of Aricept and Namenda Help Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
- Alzheimer's Disease Statistics
- Is it Really Alzheimer's or Something Else?
- Ten Symptoms of Early Stage Alzheimer's
- Ten Tips for Communicating with an Alzheimer’s Patient
The Alzheimer's Action Plan
300 Tips for Making Life Easier
Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. Bob has written more than 1,610 articles with more than 8,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.
Original content Bob DeMarco, the Alzheimer's Reading Room