Pomegranate Juice Could Fight Alzheimer's

Science News Online ^ | 12-6-2005 | Christen Brownlee

[blam]

Week of Dec. 3, 2005
Vol. 168, No. 23 , p. 366

Pomegranate juice could fight Alzheimer's

Christen Brownlee

From Washington, D.C., at a meeting of the Society for Neuroscience

Drinking pomegranate juice has been linked to a host of positive health effects, such as reduced risks of heart disease and cancer. Researchers may soon add another benefit to drinking the deep-red drink: slowing progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Richard Hartman of Loma Linda (Calif.) University and his colleagues worked with mice that were genetically predisposed to develop Alzheimer's-like symptoms, including buildups in the brain of a protein called beta-amyloid.
The researchers separated the animals into two groups. Starting at 6 months of age, which is young adulthood in mice, one group had pomegranate-juice concentrate added to its drinking water in amounts that approximated a glass or two of the juice per day for a person. The second group received water without the concentrate but with as much sugar as the juice mix had.

As the mice aged, those receiving pomegranate juice did better in mazes and other tests of learning than did animals that drank the sugar water.
When the researchers examined the animals' brains, the pomegranate-juice group had only about 50 percent as many beta-amyloid deposits, or plaques, as the sugar-water group had.

Hartman credits the results to the high concentration of antioxidants in pomegranates. Such substances neutralize damaging molecules called free radicals. Further research will explore whether the juice has a similar effect against Alzheimer's disease in people, he says.

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[dr_who_2]

Who comes up with these dumbass studies? Is this supposed to be science?

[manwiththehands]

I've seen it in the store, but it's so expensive. Is it any good? If a few FReepers say it's OK I'll try it.

[caveat emptor]

You got it! Wifey and I wanted to try some, but a quart was like the price of Jim Beam, so I settled on the swill.

Back in my yoot, I used it to make Singapore Slings. You should be able to find some recipes to mix it with your Jim Beam here .

[Capriole]

If the study is correctly designed and controlled and the results analyzed properly, yes, it's science. Hey, what's wrong with finding out how to prevent Alzheimer's? It's a horrible disease.

[dr_who_2]

Great, I'll conduct a correctly designed and controlled study (with all the proper analysis) to determine if york peppermint patties prevent alzheimers. Next, I'll try carrot juice with and without a twist of lemon. If 1.5 lab rats show an improvement, I'm going to the press!

As for Alzheimers, I'm all for it. Don't ever imply that I'm not. The disease that is, not the cure. That and pomegranate juice.

[Plutarch]

Sometimes I am given a box of pomegranates by grateful clients with pomegranate orchards. I have never had the slightest idea what to do with these unlikely looking fruits.

[ErnBatavia]

That looks like a nice place...

over there

[spectre]

How long till GNC sells a Pomegranate supplement? I'll buy it :)

sw