Drink may help Alzheimer's patients

A nutritional drink could help improve the memory of people with Alzheimer's, research suggests.

Souvenaid medical food, produced by yoghurt makers Danone, could have a beneficial effect on the memory of people with a a mild form of the disease.

But the Alzheimer's Society cautioned that exercise is a more effective way to reduce cognitive decline.

Research published at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference showed that 238 people with mild Alzheimer's had improvements in memory score after drinking 125ml of Souvenaid a day over 48 weeks.

Alzheimer's Society director of research Professor Clive Ballard said: "People shouldn't get excited that an off-the-shelf drink is going to transform the lives of people with dementia.

"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.

"It would also cost people a princely sum to stock up on the quantities used in the trials.

"People would be much better off putting the money they would spend on this drink towards gym membership or a few games of tennis.

"Regular exercise is a far more effective way of reducing cognitive decline. One in three people over 65 will develop dementia. It's vital we continue to fund research into new treatments."

There are 800,000 people in the UK suffering from some form of dementia, more than half have Alzheimer's disease.