I don't really think this is surprising or new to us, but it's certainly
more appealing the the thought of CJD...
Antioxidants in fruit, veg slow brain aging
NEW YORK, Oct 02, 1998 (Reuters) -- A diet rich in fruit and vegetables
may help prevent age-related mental decline,
according to a US study published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Rats fed antioxidant-rich strawberries and spinach had better memories
and slower declines in nerve cell functions important
in movement than rats fed standard diets, according to the report.
``Our results show that these foods, particularly spinach, may be
beneficial in retarding age-related central nervous system
and cognitive behavioral deficits,'' said lead author Dr. James Joseph
of the US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition
Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts.
``Nutritional intervention with fruits and vegetables may play an
important role in protecting against and possibly reversing
the cognitive declines seen from aging,'' Joseph added in a statement
released by the publisher of the journal, the Society for
Neuroscience.
Fruit and vegetables are key sources of antioxidants, nutrients that
disarm harmful molecules called free radicals. Free
radicals -- the undesirable byproducts of various metabolic functions --
damage cells. Over time, this damage, called
oxidative damage or oxidative stress, is believed to play a leading role
in certain diseases and age-related changes. Although
the body also produces antioxidants, over time, production declines.
``The brain may be particularly vulnerable to the damaging effects of
free radicals because it is relatively deficient in
antioxidants to begin with,'' Joseph said in the press statement. ``Free
radical destruction is thought to be a contributing
factor to the decline in memory and motor performance seen in aging.''
To determine whether an increase in antioxidant rich fruit and vegetable
consumption might offset these age-related declines
in antioxidant production, and their consequences, Joseph and colleagues
fed rats four different diets. For 6 months, rats
were fed either a standard diet or a standard diet supplemented with one
of three factors: vitamin E, a known antioxidant;
strawberry extract; or spinach. Strawberries and spinach are high in
antioxidants, and also contain an array of
''phytochemicals,'' or plant chemicals, that appear to have antioxidant
properties.
Various tests designed to measure the animals' brain and mental
functioning showed that the rats fed diets supplemented with
spinach saw the fewest age-related declines, followed by those fed the
strawberry extract. Vitamin E also helped slow
mental declines over time, but not to the same extent, Joseph and
colleagues report.
It may be that foods containing a variety of phytochemicals, including
phytochemicals with antioxidant properties, may offer
greater protection than individual nutrients, the researchers suggest.
``Thus, phytochemicals present in antioxidant rich foods, such as
spinach, may be beneficial in retarding functional
age-related central nervous system and cognitive behavioral deficits
and, perhaps, may have some benefit in
neurodegenerative disease,'' they conclude.
In subsequent studies, the researchers plan to test other phytochemical-
and antioxidant-rich foods, such as blueberries.
They also plan to investigate whether these foods can protect against or
reverse mental declines associated with age-related
disorders, such as Alzheimer's and PARKINSON'S disease. Oxidative stress
may be key factor in both, recent findings suggest.
Some research also suggests that supplemental doses of vitamin E, and
ginkgo biloba, a source of phytochemicals, might
lessen the effects of Alzheimer's.
SOURCE: The Journal of Neuroscience 1998;18.
--
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
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