Berries Delay Memory Decline
We have long known about the antioxidant properties of strawberries and blueberries to help us stay healthy. Now, a new study from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston, Massachusetts finds that a high intake of flavonoid rich berries, like strawberries and blueberries, over time, can delay memory decline in older women by 2.5 years. Recently published by ”Annals of Neurology”, a journal of the American Neurological Association
and Child Neurology Society, the large-scale berry study has a massive amount of data, analyzed over such a long period of time.
“Among [older] women who consumed two or more servings of strawberries and blueberries each week we saw a modest reduction in memory decline. This effect appears to be attainable with relatively simple dietary
modifications”, explained Elizabeth Devore, a researcher in the Channing Laboratory at BWH and lead author on this study.
The research team used data from the Nurses’ Health Study—a cohort of
121,700 female, registered nurses between the ages of 30 and 55—who
completed health and lifestyle questionnaires beginning in 1976. Since 1980,
they surveyed participants every four years regarding their frequency of
food consumption. Between 1995 and 2001, memory was measured in 16,010 subjects with a mean age of 74, at two-year intervals.
A greater intake of *anthocyanidins and total flavonoids was also associated
with reduced memory decline. Researchers observed that women who had higher berry intake had delayed memory decline by up to 2.5 years.
This study is the first epidemiologic evidence that berries appear to slow
progression of memory decline in elderly women,” notes Dr. Devore. Their
findings have significant public health implications for reducing memory
decline in older adults with the simple dietary modification of increasing
berry intake.
Expect more such studies pinpoint the valuable properties of nutrients in
fresh fruits and vegetables. Supplement manufacturers will market isolated
forms of these nutrients; however, we believe that further study will
demonstrate the necessity of eating fruits/vegetables in their natural
state. The Raw Movement will attract more adherents, as more is known about the value of eating all kinds of foods in their natural, unprocessed states.
###
This study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health (P01 CA87969) and the California Strawberry Commission. The study was independently controlled by the investigators who performed the data analysis.
###
REFERENCE:
Devore, E., Kang, J., Breteler, M., & Grodstein, F. (2012). Dietary intakes of berries and flavonoids in relation to cognitive decline Annals of Neurology DOI: 10.1002/ana.23594
###
* Anthocyanidins are common plant pigments found in red and blueberries that appear to have nutritional value and flavonoids are common plant pigment compounds that act as antioxidants, enhance the effects of Vitamin C, and strengthen connective tissue around capillaries.
