Suzy Cohen, the well-known pharmacist and natural-remedies guru, has written a wonderful article about the benefits apples have on the brain. In this article, Suzy mentions that not only do apples have anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, as well an anti-fungal properties, but they can also help prevent/reverse Alzheimer’s.
Apples help with Alzheimer’s by producing a bioflavonoid called quercetin, which helps veins and capillaries. We know that Alzheimer’s is caused when beta amyloid plaque accumulates, and gums up your ATP. ATP are mitochondrial organelles within your cells that produce energy. When the beta amyloid plaque builds up, you are, in a sense, putting glue in your gas tank, and you’re going to have problems.
Your body gets the fuel it needs through the food you eat, and what turns food into useable fuel is the AMPK enzyme (short for 5′ adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase). AMPK is the gas pedal for how fast you turn food into fuel. When you run low on AMPK, the pathway is blocked. It causes energy production to stop, new healthy mitochondria production to slow down, and your blood sugar to go wacky.
This is where apples come in. In a recent report, scientists treated rats that had Alzheimer’s in two ways. The first group was given natural quercetin, and the other group was given Aricept. Amazing things happened to the group that was given the quercetin. They had an easier time learning new tasks, and had improved memory, as well as a decrease in beta amyloid plaque, and elevated mitochondrial function.
They also found that the rats AMPK enzyme increased. When the AMPK is working, it helps in the formation of the mitochondrial cells, and helps the mitochondria make energy. They also found that AMPK helped reverse some of the damage. In closing, apples are one of the ways your body gets quercetin, and boosts your AMPK.
Read the full article here: Green Apples and Your Brain
