An apple (or more) a day keeps Alzheimer's at bay

WASHINGTON - An apple a day really does keep the doctor away, thanks to strong antioxidants that fight cell damage, US researchers reported this week.

Rat brain cells exposed to the antioxidant - in this case a substance called 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 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.

- REUTERS