Scientists say taking vitamin-E and vitamin-C supplements together may help to ward off 'Alzheimer's disease'.

The anti-oxidant vitamins are thought to protect the brain against damage caused by destructive by-products of metabolism.

Researchers studied 4 740 people aged 65 and over, noting how many already had or went on to develop 'Alzheimer's'.

Information about their supplement use was also recorded.

The scientists found that the risk of developing 'Alzheimer's' was reduced when participants combined separate supplements of vitamin-E and vitamin-C. Prevalence of the disease was cut by about 78 per cent and incidence by about 64 per cent when compared with rates for those not taking the combination.

Using either vitamin-E or vitamin-C on its own, or combining vitamin-C and a multivitamin pill, appeared to have no effect.

But the scientists said there may be some protection offered by combining vitamin-E with the lower doses of vitamin-C found in multivitamin supplements.

Study leader Dr.Peter Zandi, from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, USA, said:

'These results are extremely exciting; our study suggests that the regular use of vitamin-E in nutritional supplement doses, especially in combination with vitamin-C, may reduce the risk of developing "Alzheimer's disease"'.

• The findings were reported today in "The Archives of Neurology".

"Vitamin supplements 'may protect against Alzheimer's'" Ananova 2004-01-20 Tu 07:12