ULM, Germany (UPI) -- Vitamin C and beta-carotene may protect against dementia, researchers in Germany suggest.

Epidemiologist Gabriele Nagel and the neurologist Christine von Arnim of the University of Ulm discovered the serum-concentration of the antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene were significantly lower in patients with mild dementia than in the control group.

The study involved 74 patients with Alzheimer‘s disease and 158 healthy controls. The researchers investigated the serum-levels of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene as well as lycopene and coenzyme Q10 of study participants recruited from the study on the activity and function in the elderly in Ulm. The study participants were ages 65-90 from Ulm and the surrounding area who underwent neuropsychological testing and answered questions regarding their lifestyle.

The concentration of vitamin C and beta-carotene in the serum of those with Alzheimer’s disease-patients were significantly lower than in the blood of control subjects, but there was no such difference between the groups who took vitamin E, lycopene and coenzyme Q10. Potential confounding factors such as education, civil status, body mass index, consumption of alcohol and tobacco were considered in the statistical analysis.

“Longitudinal studies with more participants are necessary to confirm the result that vitamin C and beta-carotene might prevent the onset and development of Alzheimer‘s disease,” Nagel said in a statement.

Vitamin C is found in citrus fruit; beta-carotene in carrots, spinach or apricots, Nagel said.

The findings were published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

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어르신들 치매 예방, 이런 음식 챙기세요

독일의 최근 연구 결과에 따르면 치매를 예방하는데 비타민 C와 베타카로틴이 중요한 역할을 하는 것으로 밝혀졌다.

올름 대학교 가브리엘 나겔 박사와 크리스틴 아르님 박사에 따르면 항산화 기능이 있는 비타민 C와 베타카로틴은 치매환자 그룹이 통제군에 비해 훨씬 섭취율이 낮았던 걸로 나타났다. 연구는 65세에서 90세의 74명의 치매환자와 158명의 건강한 사람들을 상대로 이뤄졌다.

비타민 C는 감귤류에, 베타카로틴은 당근, 시금치나 살구에 많이 함유되어 있다.

이번 연구 결과는 알츠하이머 병 학술지에 게제되었다.

(코리아헤럴드)