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Benefits
of apple juice on neurotransmitter affecting
memory
Newswise — For those who think that apple
juice is a kid’s drink, think again. Apples
and apple juice may be among the best foods
that baby boomers and senior citizens could
add to their diet, according to new research
that demonstrates how apple products can
help boost brain function similar to
medication.
Animal research from the University of
Massachusetts Lowell (UML) indicates that
apple juice consumption may actually
increase the production in the brain of the
essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine,
resulting in improved memory.
Neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine are
chemicals released from nerve cells that
transmit messages to other nerve cells. Such
communication between nerve cells is vital
for good health, not just in the brain, but
throughout the body.
“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,”
says Thomas Shea, Ph.D., director of the UML
Center for Cellular Neurobiology and
Neurodegeneration Research.
The study will be published in the August
issue of the international Journal of
Alzheimer’s Disease. The abstract is now
available online at
http://www.j-alz.com/issues/9/vol9-3.html.
The role of acetylcholine in the brain is
not a new area of research. Alzheimer’s
medication studies start with the premise
that increasing the amount of acetylcholine
in the brain can help to slow mental decline
in people with Alzheimer's disease.
Testing a similar hypothesis, the UML
research team found that having animals
consume antioxidant-rich apple juice had a
comparable and beneficial effect.
In this novel animal study at UML, adult
(9-12 months) and old (2-2.5 years) mice,
some specially bred to develop
Alzheimer’s-like symptoms, were fed three
different diets (a standard diet, a
nutrient-deficient diet, and a
nutrient-deficient diet supplemented with
apple components (in this case, apple juice
concentrate was added to their drinking
water).
Among those fed the apple juice-supplemented
diet, the mice showed an increased
production of acetylcholine in their brains.
Also, after multiple assessments of memory
and learning using traditional Y maze tests,
researchers found that the mice who consumed
the apple juice-supplemented diets performed
significantly better on the maze tests.
“It was surprising how the animals on the
apple-enhanced diets actually did a superior
job on the maze tests than those not on the
supplemented diet,” remarks Dr. Shea.
Earlier studies by Shea’s research team had
strongly suggested apples must possess a
unique mix of antioxidants that improve
cognition and memory via inhibition of
oxidation in the brain.
Those results encouraged Shea to evaluate
the neurotransmitter effect, as is done in
the current study. Medications given to
humans with Alzheimer’s disease have been
shown to inhibit the production of specific
enyzmes (cholinesterase inhibitors) that
break down acetylcholine in the brain.
The end result in the animal study is
similar – there are more of these critical
messengers remaining in the brain to enhance
memory.
The results obtained were from the animals
consuming moderate amounts of apple juice
--comparable to drinking approximately two 8
oz. glasses of apple juice or eating 2-3
apples a day.
The findings also suggest that the
apple-supplemented diet was most helpful in
the framework of an overall healthy diet.
Shea concludes, “The findings of the present
study show that consumption of
antioxidant-rich foods such as apples and
apple juice can help reduce problems
associated with memory loss.”
Shea also notes that a human clinical study
evaluating consumption of apple products
will begin in the near future.
This study was sponsored through an
unrestricted grant by the U.S. Apple
Association and the Apple Products Research
and Education Council.
UMass Lowell, www.uml.edu, a comprehensive
university with a national reputation in
science, engineering and technology, is
committed to educating students for lifelong
success in a diverse world and conducting
research and outreach activities that
sustain the economic, environmental and
social health of the region.
UML offers its 11,000 students more than 120
degree choices, internships, five-year
combined bachelor’s to master’s programs and
doctoral studies in the colleges of Arts and
Sciences, Engineering and Management, the
School of Health and Environment, and the
Graduate School of Education.
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