Your morning glass of orange juice can slash your risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 50% in less than 10 seconds a day.
A brand-new study published in the journal Neurology shows that drinking half a glass of orange juice a day protects your brain better than any Big Pharma pill.1
Researchers followed almost 28,000 middle-aged men for 20 years to see how eating fruits and veggies protected their cognitive function. Every four years, the men were given memory tests and surveyed about how often they ate certain fruits and vegetables.
They found that the volunteers who ate the most vegetables over the previous two decades were 17% less likely to have moderate memory loss. And 34% less likely to have extensive loss of brainpower.
But the men who drank a small glass of orange juice daily were half as likely to have difficulty remembering, following instructions or navigating familiar areas.
You see, oranges support a unique kind of brain cell called glial cells.
Scientists have known about glial cells for a long time. But they thought they were just support for the neurons that did the real work of “thinking.”
Research now shows that glial cells do a lot more. These brain cells stimulate and fine-tune the actions of your neurons. This gives you a faster, more accurate brain. You get less fogginess and better concentration.
For example, if you were missing a kind of glial cell called oligodendrocytes, messages would travel through your brain 30 times slower.
Other glial cells clear out toxic waste from your brain every night.2 While you sleep, neurons shrink by as much as 60%. The glial cells clear the area around the shrunken neurons and open up channels.
Think of it like a cleaning crew moving furniture out of the way before mopping the floors.
And you can protect your brain without any of Big Pharma’s useless drugs.
When it comes to diseases of the brain, Big Pharma has failed you — miserably. In fact, more than 99% of all Alzheimer’s drugs fail in development. They have no clue what to do about this devastating disease that affects more than 44 million people around the world.
A number that is expected to skyrocket to 135 million in the next 30 years.
Another reason oranges are so effective at protecting your brain is because they’re rich in a compound called flavonoids. These are a group of antioxidants that naturally occur in plants. They get rid of the free radicals that play the biggest role in memory decline and slow thinking.
Studies show that these antioxidants can do everything from increasing the number of connections between neurons to disrupting the development of amyloid plaques.
In 2012, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that it delayed their memory decline by more than two years compared to women who ate very few flavonoids.
Protect and Regenerate Glial Brain Cells
If drinking orange juice isn’t your favorite, here are three more flavonoids to boost your brainpower.
- Apigenin. Animal studies show apigenin protects against symptoms of Alzheimer’s. It also improves learning and memory abilities. And it maintains the integrity of brain cells, boosts brain blood flow, reduces free radical damage and improves brain chemical communication.3
The best sources of apigenin are parsley, tomatoes, celery, artichokes, peppermint and basil. Or supplement with 25 mg daily. - Morin. This little-known flavonoid can shield your neurons. It also protects those important glial cells I mentioned earlier called oligodendrocytes. A study in the journal Glia found that free radical damage from inflammation was much higher in glial cells not protected with morin.4
The most bioavailable source of morin is the Chinese White Mulberry — which is actually dark purple. The dried fruit is another good source. - Luteolin. In a Chinese study, luteolin almost completely protected glial cells from free radical damage and inflammation.5 It also improves memory and helps ease depression.
The best way to get luteolin is through your diet. My favorite luteolin-rich foods include celery, artichokes, beets and herbs like oregano, sage, parsley and basil. Aim to get at least one serving at each meal.If you choose to supplement, I recommend 100 mg a day.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References
1. American Academy of Neurology. “Orange juice, leafy greens and berries may be tied to decreased memory loss in men.” ScienceDaily. November 21, 2018.
2. Lliff JJ, et al. “A paravascular pathway facilitates csf flow through the brain parenchyma and the clearance of interstitial solutes, including amyloid β.” Sci Transl Med. 2012:4(147):147ra11.
3. Lui R, et al. “The flavonoid apigenin protects brain neurovascular coupling against amyloid-β- induced toxicity in mice.” J Alzheimers Dis. 2011;24(1):85-100.
4. Ibarretxe G, et al. “Differential oxidative stress in oligodendrocytes and neurons after excitotoxic insults and protection by natural polyphenols.” Glia. 2006;53(2):201-211.
5. Xhu L, et al. “Luteolin inhibits microglial inflammation and improves neuron survival against inflammation.” Int J Neurosci. 2011;121(6):329-336.