Rat brain cells exposed to the antioxidant -- in this case quercetin --
resisted damage much better than those not treated, the team at Cornell
University in New York found.
Antioxidants are compounds that counteract the damage done by chemicals known
as free radicals -- generated by sunlight, chemical reactions and the stress of
day-to-day living.
The researchers say their study adds strength to the theory that the risk of
developing Alzheimer's and similar brain diseases might be reduced by eating
plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Writing in the Dec. 1 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food
Chemistry, the Cornell team said they soaked rat brain cells in either quercetin
or vitamin C -- another potent antioxidant.
The cells were then exposed to hydrogen peroxide to mimic the type of
oxidative cell damage that is believed to occur with Alzheimer's disease.
Brain cells that were treated with quercetin had significantly less damage
than the cells treated with vitamin C and cells that were not treated with
antioxidants.
"On the basis of serving size, fresh apples have some of the highest levels
of quercetin when compared to other fruits and vegetables and may be among the
best food choices for fighting Alzheimer's," C.Y. Lee, a professor and chairman
of the Department of Food Science & Technology at Cornell University, who
led the study, said in a statement.
"People should eat more apples, especially fresh ones," he added.
Lee said the skins of apples contain the highest levels of quercetin so juice
is not necessarily the best source.
In general, red apples tend to have more of the antioxidant than green or
yellow ones, he said.
Other foods high in quercetin include onions, blueberries and cranberries.
