Peanut butter used in test for Alzheimer's

October 10, 2013 (WPVI) -- Some researchers say peanut butter could be the key to diagnosing Alzheimer's disease at an early stage.

Losing your sense of smell is thought to be one of the first signs of the disease.

So, at the University of Florida, they're using peanut butter to test a person's sensitivity.

After someone closes their eyes, researchers measure how close a tablespoon of peanut butter has to be for the person to smell it.

All of the Alzheimer's patients smelled normally through their right nostril, but had a big impairment in their left.

Early detection of Alzheimer's gives doctors a chance to slow it down.

"If we can catch it at that earlier stage, we can start treatment more aggressively at that earlier stage and you prevent a lot of the progression," said Jennifer Stamps of the University of Florida.

Meanwhile, researchers in England say a drug given to mice was able to stop the progression of a disease like Alzheimer's.

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lifestyle, alzheimer's disease, healthcheck

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