一天吃一個蘋果真的可以預防癡呆嗎?

Does an Apple a Day Keep Dementia Away?

一天一蘋果真的預防癡呆麼？

Apples have been as not only a delicious fruit, but also as an effective way to improve your health. Research suggests that eating apples can benefit your heart, your teeth, and your energy level. Eating a higher amount of fruits and vegetables in general has also been associated with a lower risk for chronic diseases including coronary heart disease, asthma, diabetes, cancer and perhaps even Alzheimer's disease.

蘋果不僅因其美味倍受熱捧，而且對健康有十分有利的影響。研究表明多吃蘋果讓你心好，牙好，精神好。一般說來，多吃蔬菜水果能降低罹患冠心病、哮喘、糖尿病、癌症和老年癡呆等慢性病的風險。

So, is it true that apples are a super fruit? Do they impact the health and functioning of your brain? The research is limited, but it does show some promise.

那麼，蘋果真的是萬能水果麼？它們真的能影響大腦健康和機能麼？關於這方面的研究雖然有限，但的確被證明有一定可能性。

A Review of 3 Research Studies

回顧三項相關研究

The Effect of Apples on Memory

蘋果對記憶的影響

One study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease involved older mice who were fed a deficient diet. These mice then demonstrated a decline in their cognitive ability shown by poor performance in navigating a maze. However, after apple juice was added to their drinking water for a month, their memory was restored and they were able to efficiently navigate the maze again. (Often, research on mice translates to humans, which would suggest that apple juice may improve our memory.)

一項發表於《阿茲海默症期刊》的課題研究了一組年老的老鼠在食物攝取量不足的條件下的行爲。在迷宮測試中，這些老鼠表現欠佳，顯示出認知能力的下降。然而，把蘋果汁加到老鼠的食譜裏一個月後，它們的記憶力恢復到原來的水平且又能走出迷宮了。（對老鼠進行的研究常能反映到人類身上，也就是說，蘋果汁也能提高我們的記憶力）

How Do Apples Affect the Actual Health of the Brain?

蘋果是如何影響大腦的實際健康的？

A second study found that the actual brain structure was affected in mice whose drinking water included apple juice. The mice's brains were examined and found to contain a decreased level of beta amyloid protein, as compared to the brains of mice whose drinking water had not contained apple juice. The accumulation and excess of this protein in the brain is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

第二項研究發現喝了加有蘋果汁的水會影響老鼠的實際大腦結構。研究證明，飲用加蘋果汁的水的老鼠，其大腦所含β-腦內澱粉樣蛋白少於不加蘋果汁的水的老鼠。而這種蛋白在腦內的積聚和過剩是阿茲海默症的顯著特徵。

Will Eating an Apple Right Before a Test Help You Perform Better?

在考試前吃個蘋果會讓你表現更佳麼？

A third study tested the immediate effects of apples and spinach (both separately and together) and found no change in the cognitive functioning of the participants right after eating the foods. The study did not, however, measure if a sustained diet that included apples affected cognition or risk of dementia over time.

第三項研究檢驗了吃完蘋果和菠菜（分別吃和同時吃）是否有立竿見影的效果，發現剛吃完蔬菜水果後，參加者的認知能力並沒有改變。然而這項研究並未檢測長期將水果納入膳食對認知能力或癡呆症病發機率的影響。