Pass the Grapes Agnes!

It's grape season In Australia right now and I love 'em.

However there may be an even better reason for me to gorge on the fruit of the vine. It appears that consuming grapes and berries may actually reverse aging!

Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service a been studying the effects on rats of a diet high in berries and grapes. They found that Pterostilbene, an ingredient common to both fruits, reversed measurable negative effects of aging on brain function and behavioral performance.

Learn more and pass the strawberries, Agnes! I've finished the grapes.

..and while we are on the subject, an apple to please Agnes, because now apple juice has been identified as a possible anti-Alzheimers' strategy.

Thomas B. Shea, PhD, of the Center for Cellular Neurobiology; Neurodegeneration Research University of Massachusetts and his team demonstrated that mice receiving the human equivalent of 2 glasses of apple juice per day for 1 month produced less of a small protein fragment, called "beta-amyloid" that is responsible for forming the "senile plaques" that are commonly found in brains of individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Shea commented that "These findings provide further evidence linking nutritional and genetic risk factors for age-related neuro-degeneration and suggest that regular consumption of apple juice can not only help to keep one's mind functioning at its best, but may also be able to delay key aspects of Alzheimer's disease and augment therapeutic approaches."