Pomegranates Lower The Risk of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia in people over the age of 65, affecting an estimated 290,000 Canadians in this age category.

It's a progressive, degenerative disease and while the cause is unknown, researchers are investigating a number of different possibilities such as family history, dietary or metabolic acids or elements in the environment.

There are many studies looking at the role of diet in lowering the risk of Alzheimer's. While there's still a lot that we don't know about this dis-ease, there is some research suggesting a role for fruits, vegetables and juices in reducing risk.

A study published in last month's American Journal of Medicine said that drinking fruit or vegetable juice could significantly lower the risk. This was observed when American researchers followed a group of about 1, 800 people over a 10-year period. Those who drank juice three or more time a week were 76% less likely to develop signs of the dis-ease than those who typically had one serving or less every week.

There is some thought that polyphenols, naturally occurring plant chemicals with powerful antioxidant capacity, which are abundant in these foods may provide this protection. These antioxidants have a number of important functions, one being their ability to deactivate harmful free radicals. Some scientists think that there is a link between these free radicals in the body and early changes in the brain cells in people who later develop the disease. When it comes to different fruits and vegetables that may provide protection, new research has looked at components in pomegranates that may also play a role.

A recent animal study suggests that pomegranate juice could lower the build-up of harmful proteins that are linked to Alzheimer's disease. It's probable that this juice alone is not the total answer, but the combination of elements found in a variety of fruits and vegetables may help. If you've never eaten a pomegranate or had a drink of its juice, there are lots of reasons to give this a try.

Open up a pomegranate and you'll find hundreds of tiny red seeds, juicy pulp and a good amount of fibre, vitamin C and more potassium than a medium-sized orange.

Pomegranates and their juice are rich in phytochemicals including anthocyanins and ellagic acid.

Antioxidants

These powerful antioxidants help add pomegranate juice to the growing list of foods that are dis-ease fighters.

There is also some research suggesting that fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids may lower risk. These omega-3 fats are an important part of nerve and brain cells membranes, make up part of the communication network in the brain and are a key component in brain development.

You'll get your omega-3 fats by eating fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, trout or from foods such as omega-3 hemp seed and flax seed.