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.