Can fruits and vegetables stave off dementia?

German researchers have found significant evidence that fruits and vegetables, especially those rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene may prove to be a potent weapon against dementia and Alzheimer’s, degenerative diseases which affect the working of a person’s nervous system adversely.

Citrus fruits, like oranges and grapefruits are packed with vitamin C while food such as carrots, spinach and apricots have an abundance of beta-carotene.

Serum concentrations of the vitamin C and beta-carotene was lacking in the blood of patients suffering from mild dementia compared to those without the brain disease.

According to experts, this discovery can be used to delay the onset and progression of the highly debilitating ailment.

Study details
In order to evaluate the impact of vitamin C solution against the Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers conducted a study.

They recruited 74 patients with mild dementia and 158 healthy people in the age bracket of 65 to 90 years for the study.

For the purpose of the research, the patients underwent procedures like neuropsychological testing and furnished information pertaining to their lifestyle, education, social status and consumption of alcohol and tobacco.

In addition, their blood samples were examined and body mass index (BMI) calculated.

The investigators found concentration of vitamin C and beta-carotene in the serum of patients displaying signs of dementia was significantly lower. However, no such difference was perceived in other antioxidants — vitamin E, lycopene, or coenzyme Q10, in the two groups.

Need for more research
Although the recent study supports that an intake of antioxidants rich foods plays a vital role in reducing the risk of developing dementia, researchers feel more studies are required to make any sort of nutritional recommendation.

Authors of the study, Gabriele Nagel and Christine von Arnim, professors of epidemiology and neurology from the University of Ulm, Germany stated, “Longitudinal studies with more participants are necessary to confirm the result that vitamin C and beta-carotene might prevent the onset and development of Alzheimer’s disease.”

The new study is published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.