2:00 AM
Monday 22nd February 2021
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Agencies
A team of German scientists has concluded that the natural compounds found in apples can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.
According to what was published by the British newspaper “Daily Mail”, high concentrations of compounds found in apples and some other plants, namely what are known as phytonutrients, stimulate the formation of neurons, which transmit information from the brain to parts of the body through electrical signals, which enhance Human abilities of learning and memory, according to Al-Arabiya
‘Peel and flesh’
Two compounds, quercetin, which is found in apple peel, and a type of aromatic acid compound, DHBA, which is found in apple flesh, generated neurons in the brains of mice in laboratory tests.
Interestingly, apple juice did not contribute significantly to neurogenesis, indicating that the benefits apply to eating apples rather than just a cup of juice.
In addition, the team of scientists, from the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases DZNE in Bonn, Germany, said, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away, perhaps there is some truth in this saying.”
The scientists added, with their research paper published in the journal Stem Cell Reports, that “the results of the study show that apples contain compounds that support nerves in both their peel and flesh.”
Stem cell proliferation
The results of the study showed that stem cells grown in the laboratory from the brains of adult mice generate more neurons and are protected from cell death when quercetin or DHBA is added to the cultured samples.
Subsequent tests in mice also demonstrated that stem cells in the characteristic structures of the adult brain associated with learning and memory, proliferate and produce more neurons when mice were given high doses of quercetin or DHBA.
The effects on neurogenesis were similar to the effects observed after exercise and physical activity, a known stimulus for neurogenesis.
Apple components as a whole
The study results suggest that the natural compounds in apple fruit, not just quercetin and DHBA, work in synergy to enhance neurogenesis and brain function when consumed in high concentrations.
The scientists also noted that apple juice supplementation has no effect on neurogenesis in adults or enhancing learning, noting that “given that the concentration of quercetin in apple juice is very low (less than 2 mg / liter) … it can be concluded that Most likely an insufficient concentration of active phytochemicals to modify neurogenesis. “
Thus, the results of the new study confirmed the findings of a scientific study dating back to 2010 that consuming apple juice improves behavioral symptoms in human Alzheimer’s patients.
Cognitive abilities
In addition, the German researchers said that future studies are needed to determine whether quercetin, DHBA and other phytonutrients can enhance learning and cognitive function in humans.
Flavonoids, the abundant phytonutrients found in fruits and vegetables, can modulate molecular signaling pathways that affect cognitive abilities. Dietary flavonoids are found naturally in fruits, vegetables, chocolate and tea.
Two apples a day
It is reported that experts found in 2019 that although it is known that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, two apples a day may be a better option in order to reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke.
When 40 people suffering from mildly high blood cholesterol ate two large apples daily for 8 weeks, this reduced the levels of “bad” cholesterol by about 4%. Two apples a day can also help reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack, which can result from hardening of the arteries with cholesterol.
To this, researcher Julie Lovegrove, from the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition at the University of Reading, said at the time: “It seems that the old adage of eating an apple a day was almost correct, as apples contain fiber and polyphenols, which are important to human health in general.”
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