Article: Pomegranate Juice May Thwart Onset of Alzheimer's

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December 19, 2006 Loma Linda, California, United States .... [Elizabeth

Lechleitner/LLU/ANN]

 

You may want to swap your morning swig of orange juice for a tall glass

of pomegranate juice, new research from Loma Linda University

suggests.

 

Before you gulp down that eggnog or spicy apple cider this holiday

season, take a moment to consider what your drink can do for your

brain. If you opt for a glass of pomegranate juice, you may be staving off

Alzheimer's disease, says Dr. Richard Harman, lead researcher and

author of a study released last month by Seventh-day Adventist-owned

Loma Linda University in collaboration with Washington University

researchers.

 

The study reveals that pomegranates, when compared to other fruits

and vegetables, pack notably high levels of polyphenols. Polyphenols,

according to researchers, are one of many antioxidants known to

neutralize the harmful effects of free radicals, which attack healthy

human cells and cause them to mutate into cancer cells. Free radicals

have also been linked to triggering arthritis, atherosclerosis, diabetes,

premature aging, and Alzheimer's disease.

 

For years, pomegranates have been linked to curbing certain types of

cancer and clearing arteries. Hartman's study indicates they're as good

for your brain as they are for your heart.

 

At Loma Linda University, Hartman and other researchers used mice

with genetic tendencies to develop Alzheimer's-like diseases.

Researchers divided the mice into two groups. The first drank water with

added pomegranate juice concentrate, while the remainder drank water

with added sugar equal to the natural sweetness of the juice.

 

Six months later, the study mice that consumed pomegranate juice

learned more quickly and swam measurably faster during underwater

maze tests of their learning and memory abilities than the mice that

drank sugar water. They also had 50 percent less plaque in their brains.

 

Hartman explains that brain plaques are " toxic clumps of protein "

accumulated in the brain. These accumulations, he says, damage and

disrupt communication between brain cells. Compromised brain cells

trigger memory loss and cognitive decline--both characteristic signs of

Alzheimer's disease.

 

Each of the mice in the study drank an average of 5 milliliters of

pomegranate juice a day. To reap similar benefits, researchers project,

humans should aim for 1-2 glasses per day.

 

" There's no evidence that it's an 'all or none' situation, " says Hartman,

so even a glass of pomegranate juice every now and then may prove

beneficial. However, he encourages everyone to drink the recommended

amount.

 

Dr. Allan Handysides, director of health ministries at world church

headquarters, adds that research involving laboratory animals does not

always translate directly to humans. " I don't decry the study, " he

says. " It's very exciting, but it has to be taken, as do all studies in

laboratories, as a preliminary opening to continued research, rather than

conclusive proof in itself. "

 

While pomegranate juice is a bit pricy when compared to, say, orange

or grape juice, Hartman believes it's well worth the price. " Medications

for Alzheimer's disease, cancer and heart disease are significantly more

expensive, and as they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of

cure. " He adds that some groceries offer the juice in an affordable

organic concentrate form.

 

Look for the December 2006 journal of Neurobiology of Disease at your

local library to read the full study, which is the first of its

kind: " Pomegranate juice decreases amyloid load and improves

behavior in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. "

--

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Posted by Ron