Science and Research Questions

While some studies suggest that the left hemisphere of the brain is affected more by Alzheimer's disease pathology, there are just as many other studies claiming the opposite (that the right side of the brain suffers greater damage due to Alzheimer's pathology). In this respect, Alzheimer's is an equal opportunity disease – it does not seem to prefer damaging a particular brain hemisphere and in fact causes global brain atrophy (shrinkage). As for particular brain structures impacted, however, Alzheimer's disease most notably affects the hippocampus, which is involved in memory, and the frontal cortex – both of which are bilateral (i.e., located on both sides) brain regions.

A study conducted several years ago suggested that there was no overall significant gender difference in terms of developing Alzheimer's disease, but at the same time, that there is a higher prevalence of women having Alzheimer's disease than men. How can this apparent discrepancy be explained? One possible explanation (though not proven) is that men do not survive as long as women following Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. It is also possible (though again, not proven) that women are diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease more often than men. Therefore, at any given time it would appear that more women have the disease than men.

It is difficult to say whether your mother’s memory disturbances are a result of the stroke she suffered or if they are early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. The brain damage caused by a stroke can sometimes result in symptoms similar to those of dementia. Only a thorough medical evaluation by her doctor or a neurologist, including psychological tests for memory and cognition, will be able to determine the cause of her memory problems and whether or not she has Alzheimer's disease.

Turmeric, the traditional curry spice that gives curry its characteristic yellow color, is most often used in south-eastern Asian cuisines. The active ingredient in turmeric is called curcumin. Scientists investigating curcumin for its purported anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties found it to also have beneficial effects in transgenic mice predisposed to developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). The researchers found that when these mice were given curcumin (either in their food or by injection), they had reduced amyloid pathology in their brains, indicating that curcumin also has anti-amyloid properties. What is more, other studies have found that curcumin treatment significantly improved the memory and cognition of these AD mice. The exact mechanism by which curcumin exerts its beneficial effects is still under investigation, as are other studies looking into the safety and tolerability of using larger concentrations of curcumin as an therapy for Alzheimer's disease. Coincidentally, it has been noted that the incidence of Alzheimer's disease appears to be lower in cultures where turmeric is frequently used in cooking, such as in India where tumeric is regularly used in curries. These observations have not been rigorously validated by the scientific community, and there certainly may be other social factors at play, but no one can argue that this occurrence is definitely interesting and deserving of further investigation.

Assuming that no grandparents on your father’s side of your family had familial Alzheimer’s disease, then you have about a twenty-five percent risk of developing this neurological disease.

Both Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson’s disease are neurodegenerative disorders that typically affect people later in life. Both diseases are sometimes referred to as “conformational disorders” because of the irregular conformation of misfolded proteins associated with each of the diseases—amyloid-beta in Alzheimer's disease and alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease. One study looking at genetic similarities between Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson’s disease noted that the apoplipoprotein-E4 gene may influence both diseases. The apoE4 gene is most commonly associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. However, the study reported that Parkinson’s patients having inherited at least one copy of the ApoE-epsilon4 (apoE4) allele were more likely to develop dementia and were noted to develop the disease at a much earlier age. So it is possible that a common genetic influence, such as the ApoE4 gene, may have played a role in the early development of both your mother’s and sister’s diseases. As scientists unravel more about the genetics underlying neurodegenerative diseases, there are bound to be instances of other genes leading to different neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson’s disease.

Using animal models of Alzheimer's disease, several research groups have found that chronic stress can accelerate Alzheimer's disease pathology. For example, transgenic mice designed to over-express the human amyloid precursor protein (APP) gene that were subjected to conditions of chronic stress (such as social isolation or immobilization stress) were found to have increased amyloid-beta extracellular deposits in the brain, increased tau phosphorylation and intraneuronal accumulations of tau and amyloid-beta proteins, as well as significant deficits in memory and cognition. In these animal models, researchers note, it is clear that the accelerated onset and severity of cognitive impairments resulting from chronic stress was highly correlated with increased disease pathology.

In humans it is noted that lowering overall stress is beneficial for both the mind and body. A calm, non-chronically stressed person will typically have lower stress hormone levels and lower blood pressure, which is good for the cardiovascular system, the immune system, and the brain. For example, lowering high blood pressure and maintaining a healthy blood pressure can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, both of which have been implicated as potential contributing factors for the development of dementia. Human studies have also indicated that reducing stress not only acts to aid short-term memory, but can also improve a person’s general emotional well-being, which is good for long-term cognitive health. Based on both human and animal studies, therefore, it is likely that reducing or eliminating chronic stress can aid in slowing the progress of the disease in Alzheimer's disease patients, or else possibly help to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in persons who do not yet have the disease.

While there have been several studies that have examined the benefits of apple juice concentrate on aging and memory (including the one you mentioned wherein mice given apple juice daily for a month had lower levels of amyloid beta, the protein deposited in the neuritic plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease), none have yet determined the active ingredient(s) within apple juice that is/are responsible for these effects. In general, adults are advised to consume about eight 8-oz glasses of liquid per day, in any combination of water or other non-alcoholic (preferably non-caffeinated) beverages. The overall amount your body needs varies depending on your activity level, health status, and climate, so some days you may need more fluid than others. But within these guidelines, it should be possible to add at least one glass of apple juice a day. Whatever the beneficial active ingredient in apple juice is, it would be found in apple juice concentrate because this is what the mice in the above studies were given. Apple juice concentrate is often added to other fruit juices and beverages as a filler juice, so it might be possible to obtain the benefits of apple juice from other juice blends as well.