Blueberries: A Magical Memory Booster
Hmmmm, blueberries; in pies, muffins and pancakes, this magic fruit is reminiscent of all kinds of childhood activities. And based on the latest research on this super-food, it may actually be that eating all those blueberries sharpened my cognitive abilities, making their deliciousness all the more memorable!
Perhaps the connection is not quite so direct, but a recent study reports that blueberries have a profound effect on human brain function. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center asked nine older adults (mean age 76 years) who were experiencing early-stage memory decline to drink blueberry juice three times a day for 12 weeks. The amount they drank was adjusted for their weight and ranged from about 15 to 20 ounces per day. Results (based on before and after tests) showed that participants’ memory function significantly improved; there was also a slight trend toward reduced depressive symptoms and better blood sugar control.
Antidote to Poor Dietary Habits
When I spoke with study author Robert Krikorian, PhD, he told me that the polyphenols in blueberries may somehow correct abnormalities in our brains that result from our nutritionally weak Western diet. His guess is that if we ate more whole, nutritious food and less artificial and/or processed food, we might not need the brain boost that blueberries give. But since few people eat as well as they ought to, almost everyone, could, it would appear, benefit from eating blueberries regularly.
An all-natural juice with no additives (the expensive kind you find in quality health-food stores) was used in the study, but Dr. Krikorian told me that you get the same benefits by eating somewhere between a half cup and a cup of whole blueberries each day. Though fresh ones are easy to find at farmer’s markets this time of year, the most nutritious blueberries are actually found in the freezer section of your supermarket, Dr. Krikorian told me. This is because nutrients get locked in when the berries are frozen at the very height of ripeness.
Dr. Krikorian said that blueberries aren’t the only fruit with memory-boosting polyphenols — they’re also found in other berries, grapes, cranberries, and vegetables including artichokes, parsley and Brussels sprouts.
So indulge in a frozen blueberry treat or a warm, blue muffin while you not only build lasting memories but also preserve your ability to remember them!
Source(s):
Robert Krikorian, PhD, associate professor of clinical psychology, University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, Ohio.
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Reprinted with the permission of:
Bottom Line Publications/Daily Health News
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