Berries
Keep Your Brain Sharp
(April 26, 2012) Berries are good for you, that’s no secret.
But can strawberries and blueberries actually keep your brain sharp in
old age? A new study by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) finds
that a high intake of flavonoid rich berries, such as strawberries and
blueberries, over time, can delay memory decline in older women by 2.5
years. This study is published by Annals
of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association and Child
Neurology Society, on April 26, 2012.
“What makes
our study unique is the amount of data we analyzed over such a long period of
time. No other berry study has been conducted on such a large scale,” explained
Elizabeth Devore, a researcher in the Channing Laboratory at BWH, who is the lead
author on this study. “Among women who consumed 2 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.”