There is growing evidence that we can make progress in the battle to delay the cognitive declines of aging, including, in some cases, Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published in January 2009 in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease (Curcuplex).

Thomas B. Shea, PhD, of the Center for Cellular Neurobiology, Department of Neurodegeneration Research at the University of Massachusetts, and his research team have conducted a number of laboratory studies with mice.

These studies showed that drinking apple juice helped a mouse perform better than normal on maze tests and prevented the decline in performance that was normally seen as the mouse aged.

In their most recent study, Professor Shea and his team showed that a mouse given the human equivalent of 2 glasses of apple juice per day for 1 month produced fewer small fragments of a protein called beta-amyloid, which is responsible for the formation of the "senile plaques" commonly found around neurons in individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Shea said, "These findings provide additional evidence linking genetic and nutritional risk factors for age-related neurodegeneration and suggest that regular consumption of apple juice may not only help the brain function at its peak, but may also delay some key aspects of Alzheimer's disease and augment its therapeutic approaches."

An apple a day... and a ray of hope.