Apple juice may help Alzheimer's patients

Drinking apple juice may help people with moderate-to-late stage Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study published in June 2010 issue of American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias.

The trial results showed institutionalized Alzheimer's patients drinking apple juice improved their behavioral and psychotic symptoms associated with dementia, which were measured by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory.

The biggest changes were found in anxiety, agitation and delusion, according to the study report.

Previous studies have suggested that apple juice may offer Alzheimer's patients a range of  health benefits including reduction of central nervous system oxidative damage, suppression of Alzheimer's symptoms, improvement of cognitive performance and organization of synaptic signaling among other things, according to the background information of the trial report.

For the open label trial, Remington R and colleagues from the University of Massachusetts in Lowell, Massachusetts assigned 21 individuals with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease a 4-oz glass of apple juice twice a day for one month.

The researchers found drinking apple juice did not change the Dementia Rating Scale and Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living.  But caregivers did report that it improved behavioral and psychotic symptoms linked with dementia.

Reminton et al. write in their trial report that the results suggest that apple juice may be a useful supplement for individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

David Liu

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