Beta carotene protects memory in study (Reuters)- Topic: General,Eating,Exercising,Health

Beta carotene taken as a dietary supplement for many years may protect against declines in memory, thinking and learning skills that often precede Alzheimer's disease, researchers said on Monday. Archives of Internal Medicine , pointed to a protective effect against cognitive decline in healthy men who look beta carotene for about 18 years, but not in men who took the supplements for an average of a year. Beta carotene is one of the antioxidants — substances that prevent some of the damage from unstable molecules known as free radicals — created when the body turns food into energy. Those in a group of 4,052 men were randomly assigned in 1982 to take either 50 milligrams of beta carotene or a placebo every other day. Men who took beta carotene in the long-term group recorded significantly higher scores on several cognitive tests — particularly tests of verbal memory — compared with those who took a placebo, the study found. In the short-term group, the men taking beta carotene did no better in cognitive tests. read more

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