A new study appearing in the American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias suggests apple juice can be a useful supplement for calming the declining moods that are part of the normal progression of moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).

For the study, researchers gave institutionalized AD patients two 4-ounce glasses of apple juice each day for a month. While caregivers reported no change in the patients’ Dementia Rating Scale or their day-to-day abilities, they did report a 27 percent improvement in behavioral and psychotic symptoms associated with their dementia, mostly in the areas related to anxiety, agitation and delusion.

"The modest, but statistically significant, impact of apple juice on the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in this study adds to the body of evidence supporting the usefulness of nutritional approaches, including fruit and vegetable juices, in delaying the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease, even in the face of known genetic risk factors," the study’s authors wrote. "As in prior studies with vitamin supplements, it indicates that nutritional supplementation can be effective even during the late stages of AD."

AD currently impacts more than 5 million Americans.

It is often treated by both traditional drugs and vitamins and minerals. One study found that high doses of vitamin E supplements could help alleviate Alzheimer’s symptoms.