Antioxidants from Food Sources May Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease
Arlington VA, 26 June 2002

Eating foods with vitamin E, like whole grains, peanuts, nuts, peanut butter, vegetable oils, and seeds, can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer's, according to two break-through studies just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The same benefits did not hold true for vitamin E from supplements, making the case for getting antioxidants from a healthy diet, instead of a bottle of pills.

The first study comes from the Netherlands and looked at the diets of over 5,000 adults. The researchers saw an association between consumption of whole foods containing the antioxidants vitamin E and vitamin C and decreased risk of Alzheimer's. This was especially true for current smokers, who are at increased risk of developing the disease.

The second study, from the United States, was smaller (815 participants) and found an association only between decreased risk of Alzheimer disease and diets higher in vitamin E. In this study, the group with the highest dietary intake of vitamin E had a 67% decreased risk of developing Alzheimer's compared to the group with the lowest intake of vitamin E.

These findings add to the evidence for consuming antioxidant-rich foods to ward off chronic diseases, like cancer and heart disease, based on the theory that antioxidants protect against free radicals that can damage cells.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means that some fat is needed to maximize absorption of this important nutrient. Look for vitamin E in foods that contain healthy unsaturated fat, like peanuts and peanut butter -- some of America's favorite foods.

The Peanut Institute is a non-profit organization that supports nutrition research and develops educational programs to encourage healthful lifestyles.

Source

The Peanut Institute, via PR Newswire, 26 June 2002.