Juices 'may cut Alzheimer's risk'
The way to ward off Alzheimer's?
Drinking fruit and vegetable juices frequently may significantly cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, a study suggests.
US researchers followed almost 2,000 people for up to 10 years - providing a powerful set of results.
They found the risk was 76% lower for those who drank juice more than three times a week, compared to those who drank it less than once a week.
The study appears in the American Journal of Medicine.
Alzheimer's is linked to the accumulation of clumps of beta-amyloid protein in the brain.
There is some evidence to suggest that this process may be controlled by the chemical hydrogen peroxide.
Various studies have suggested that polyphenols - chemicals available in many foods - might disrupt these processes and provide some protection against Alzheimer's disease by neutralising the effect of damaging compounds called free radicals.
Fruit and vegetable juices are particularly rich in polyphenols.
Lead researcher Dr Qi Dai, of Vanderbilt University, said: "We found that frequent drinking of fruit and vegetable juices was associated with a substantially decreased risk of Alzheimer's disease.
"These findings are new and suggest that fruit and vegetable juices may play an important role in delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease."
Harriet Millward, of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said: "Many scientists believe there is a link between the release of free radicals within the body and early changes to brain cells in people who ultimately go on to develop Alzheimer's disease.
"Since fruit and vegetable juices are rich in antioxidants which 'mop up' free radicals, this interesting piece of research adds weight to this theory."
Dr Millward said previous studies had produced mixed results, and some had suggested the benefits of fruit and vegetables were short lived.
But she said the results of the latest study were significant because it was long-term, and had followed a relatively large group of people.
"Diet almost certainly plays a part in every person's Alzheimer's risk - and diet is a magnet for research because it could offer a relatively inexpensive way to fight a disease that ruins countless lives and costs the NHS more than cancer, stroke and heart disease put together."
Clive Ballard, director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said fruit and vegetables might also help cut the risk by helping to lower blood pressure, and keep the blood vessels in good order.
Alzheimer's has been linked to poor blood supply to the brain.
Juices may cut Alzheimer's risk
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arjay
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Juices may cut Alzheimer's risk
A quote from BBC Medical News:
wow,now if I can just remember where I put the-
JimboPSM
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Re: Juices may cut Alzheimer's risk
Hmm... wonder how much lower it might be for drinking old grape juice every dayarjay wrote:A quote from BBC Medical News:Juices 'may cut Alzheimer's risk'
The way to ward off Alzheimer's?
Drinking fruit and vegetable juices frequently may significantly cut the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, a study suggests.
US researchers followed almost 2,000 people for up to 10 years - providing a powerful set of results.
They found the risk was 76% lower for those who drank juice more than three times a week, compared to those who drank it less than once a week.
Last year or so I was getting concerned about cognitive problems such as forgetfulness. The problem was caused by my taking too many medications - I then changed doctors and discontinued most medications. My cognitive problems are now mostly gone except during cold weather. When the temp drops below 50 I start developing them again. I've been assured that this strange malady will not get worse and I should move to a warm climate such as Florida or Thailand. In Udorn the food is better and the girls are prettier than in Miami.
By the way, I did have a friend who died of Alzheimer's at 55..
However, there are some plus sides to Alzheimer's:
You can play hide and seek by your self;
and you can hide your own Easter eggs at Christmas.
My doctor told me to keep my mind active. He also recommended for people my age do puzzles such as crossword puzzles and sudoku. Another activity highly recommended was to learn and speak a foreign language. He also strongly recommended ballroom dancing. I'll pass on the last recommendation.
From what I learned in these postings, I'm going to add curry to my diet. Haven't had that in ages.
By the way, I did have a friend who died of Alzheimer's at 55..
However, there are some plus sides to Alzheimer's:
You can play hide and seek by your self;
and you can hide your own Easter eggs at Christmas.
My doctor told me to keep my mind active. He also recommended for people my age do puzzles such as crossword puzzles and sudoku. Another activity highly recommended was to learn and speak a foreign language. He also strongly recommended ballroom dancing. I'll pass on the last recommendation.
From what I learned in these postings, I'm going to add curry to my diet. Haven't had that in ages.
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izzix
- udonmap.com
- Posts: 2562
- Joined: November 30, 2005, 7:59 pm
- Location: where can i find a GOOD brass
[quote]
Curry may fight Alzheimer's
Last updated: Monday, October 30, 2006
Curcumin, a component of curry and turmeric, seems to help the immune system get rid of amyloid beta - the protein that builds up to form damaging plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
The findings build on previous research linking curry consumption to reduced Alzheimer's risk, including one study that found that only 1 percent of elderly Indians developed the disease - a quarter of the rate seen in the United States.
Curry aids immune system
Now, preliminary findings from the University of California, Los Angeles, suggest that curcumin comes to the aid of immune system cells called macrophages to clear away amyloid beta.
"We know that macrophages aren't working properly in Alzheimer's patients, since they seem to be defective in cleaning amyloid-beta from brain slices", explained lead researcher Dr Milan Fiala, a researcher with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System.
"We have found that curcumin can help some macrophages to function properly in a test tube," Fiala said. He said more work is needed to see if the spice works similarly in the human brain, however.
Curcumin is already known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Earlier research by another UCLA team found that curcumin-fed mice with Alzheimer's plaques experienced a decrease in inflammation and reduced plaque formation.
The new findings are in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
How the study was conducted
In the study, the UCLA researchers obtained blood samples from six Alzheimer's patients and three healthy controls. They next isolated macrophages and treated them with a curcumin solution for 24 hours, then added amyloid beta.
Macrophages from three of the Alzheimer's patients were observed to start ingesting the plaque-forming proteins.
Over the past five years, Fiala's team has studied the immune function of over 100 Alzheimer's patients. Last June, the team helped establish the immune system's key role in Alzheimer's disease.
"Our research has helped to identify why the brain isn't being cleared of amyloid beta in Alzheimer's disease patients," Fiala said. "The immune system can attack and remove amyloid-beta from the brain, but the job is not done properly in Alzheimer's patients."
Helping the body fight plaques
Fiala said macrophages may be as important for Alzheimer's disease as insulin is for diabetes. "If we can improve the immune system, we can help the body's natural ability to clear damaging plaques," he said.
"In terms of treatment implications, it's very interesting that curcumin seems to help the brain clear away beta amyloid," noted Dr Sam Gandy, chair of the medical and scientific advisory council at the Alzheimer's Association.
"The study also shows an additional mechanism [besides curcumin's anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties] that looks at the actual clean up of plaques," said Gandy, who is also director of the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
May lead to treatments
Fiala believes his team's research into the role of macrophages in Alzheimer's disease patients may one day point to new approaches for diagnosing - and even treating - the illness.
Testing immune-cell response may also offer other researchers a novel way to assess the effectiveness of drugs in clearing amyloid beta from the brain. It might also help doctors individualise treatment, Fiala said.
Curcumin appears to have few side effects, if any, he added. "We can only say what we see in test tubes, but we don't see any toxic effects with curcumin, even administered in high doses," Fiala said.
Curcumin's health benefits may extend beyond Alzheimer's disease. One recent six-month study, carried out by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, found that daily doses of the spice were associated with a nearly 60 percent lower risk for colon polyps, a known precursor to colon cancer.
So, experts say, while it may be too early to recommend a dish of curry to help stave off cancer or Alzheimer's, it nonetheless appears healthy - and tasty - to add curry powder to your spice rack.
Curry may fight Alzheimer's
Last updated: Monday, October 30, 2006
Curcumin, a component of curry and turmeric, seems to help the immune system get rid of amyloid beta - the protein that builds up to form damaging plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.
The findings build on previous research linking curry consumption to reduced Alzheimer's risk, including one study that found that only 1 percent of elderly Indians developed the disease - a quarter of the rate seen in the United States.
Curry aids immune system
Now, preliminary findings from the University of California, Los Angeles, suggest that curcumin comes to the aid of immune system cells called macrophages to clear away amyloid beta.
"We know that macrophages aren't working properly in Alzheimer's patients, since they seem to be defective in cleaning amyloid-beta from brain slices", explained lead researcher Dr Milan Fiala, a researcher with the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System.
"We have found that curcumin can help some macrophages to function properly in a test tube," Fiala said. He said more work is needed to see if the spice works similarly in the human brain, however.
Curcumin is already known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Earlier research by another UCLA team found that curcumin-fed mice with Alzheimer's plaques experienced a decrease in inflammation and reduced plaque formation.
The new findings are in the current issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.
How the study was conducted
In the study, the UCLA researchers obtained blood samples from six Alzheimer's patients and three healthy controls. They next isolated macrophages and treated them with a curcumin solution for 24 hours, then added amyloid beta.
Macrophages from three of the Alzheimer's patients were observed to start ingesting the plaque-forming proteins.
Over the past five years, Fiala's team has studied the immune function of over 100 Alzheimer's patients. Last June, the team helped establish the immune system's key role in Alzheimer's disease.
"Our research has helped to identify why the brain isn't being cleared of amyloid beta in Alzheimer's disease patients," Fiala said. "The immune system can attack and remove amyloid-beta from the brain, but the job is not done properly in Alzheimer's patients."
Helping the body fight plaques
Fiala said macrophages may be as important for Alzheimer's disease as insulin is for diabetes. "If we can improve the immune system, we can help the body's natural ability to clear damaging plaques," he said.
"In terms of treatment implications, it's very interesting that curcumin seems to help the brain clear away beta amyloid," noted Dr Sam Gandy, chair of the medical and scientific advisory council at the Alzheimer's Association.
"The study also shows an additional mechanism [besides curcumin's anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties] that looks at the actual clean up of plaques," said Gandy, who is also director of the Farber Institute for Neurosciences at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
May lead to treatments
Fiala believes his team's research into the role of macrophages in Alzheimer's disease patients may one day point to new approaches for diagnosing - and even treating - the illness.
Testing immune-cell response may also offer other researchers a novel way to assess the effectiveness of drugs in clearing amyloid beta from the brain. It might also help doctors individualise treatment, Fiala said.
Curcumin appears to have few side effects, if any, he added. "We can only say what we see in test tubes, but we don't see any toxic effects with curcumin, even administered in high doses," Fiala said.
Curcumin's health benefits may extend beyond Alzheimer's disease. One recent six-month study, carried out by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, found that daily doses of the spice were associated with a nearly 60 percent lower risk for colon polyps, a known precursor to colon cancer.
So, experts say, while it may be too early to recommend a dish of curry to help stave off cancer or Alzheimer's, it nonetheless appears healthy - and tasty - to add curry powder to your spice rack.