SQUEEZE MORE JUICE FROM YOUR MEMORY

There’s fresh evidence at the OJ trial: juicing may prove the easiest way to outwit dementia. Here’s exhibit A

Hammered by the tabloids for its sugar content and replaced with greener and ‘cleaner’ fare at the hipster’s breakfast table, the once ubiquitous OJ is having a crisis of confidence. Just as the humble bowl of cereal has lost its hearthealthy reputation, so the orange’s monopoly on vitamin C is being beaten to a pulp. But if spinach smoothies are not quite hitting the spot, the latest research is worth remembering.

Scientists at Tohoku University in Japan have found that daily intake of citrus fruits can cut your risk of developing dementia by almost a quarter. That’s because citric acid contains nobiletin – a phytochemical with anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and cholesterol-lowering properties that has also been shown to slow or reverse impairment of memory. And dementia is a condition you’d be well advised to put the squeeze on, with experts predicting that 1.2 million will be diagnosed with the disease in England alone by 2040.

But in news that may be bittersweet, most nobiletin is contained in the pith (the white stitching of the fruit). So unless you’re prepared to juice your own, ‘ bits in’ pips ‘smooth’ to the post for maximum benefit. We’ll take our glass half full in this instance.