London: A simple nutritional drink could have significant benefits on the memories of people suffering from Alzheimer’s, scientists say.
Trials of Souvenaid, which involved 238 people with mild Alzheimer’s, found that those who took 125ml of the drink each day for 48 weeks had significant improvements in their memory.
Tests conducted on the medical food, which is produced by yoghurt makers ‘Danone’, show that the drink is safe and well tolerated by participants.
However, Professor Clive Ballard, the Alzheimer’s Society directors of research, claimed on Wednesday that just a drink couldn’t transform the lives of patients.
“People shouldn’t get excited that an off-the-shelf drink is going to transform the lives of people with dementia,” the Daily Express quoted him as saying.
“While this study showed some benefits for memory, there’s no evidence it has any effect on other symptoms such as activities of daily living,” he said.
"It would also cost people a princely sum to stock up on the quantities used in trials.
“People would be much better off putting the money they would spend on this drink towards gym membership,” Ballard said.
“Regular exercise is a far more effective way of reducing cognitive decline,” he added.
ANI
