Drinking three glasses of fruit or vegetable juice a week could cut the risk of Alzheimer's disease by a whopping 75%, according to a population-based study from the US, reports FoodNavigatorUSA.com.

The results suggest it is not the antioxidant vitamins (vitamins C, E and beta-carotene) but the antioxidant polyphenols, which are also present in plenty in red wine, that are behind the effects. "These findings are new and suggest that fruit and vegetable juices may play an important role in delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease," wrote lead author Qi Dai in The American Journal of Medicine (Vol. 119, pp. 751-759). "These results may lead to a new avenue of inquiry in the prevention of Alzheimer's."

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and currently affects over 13 million people worldwide. The direct and indirect cost of Alzheimer care is over US$100 billion in the US alone.

Although the mechanism of Alzheimer's is not clear, more support is gathering for the build up of plaque from beta-amyloid deposits. The deposits are associated with an increase in brain cell damage and death from oxidative stress.

It is against the oxidative stress that the polyphenols appear to offer protection.

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