Blueberries against dementia & depression?
The incidence of dementia increases with the increase in the elderly population. In the absence of effective therapies, preventative approaches to addressing this challenge are essential.
Scientists find an approach?
American researchers have found in a preliminary study that the components of wild blueberries contain polyphenolic compounds and which have anthocyanins , antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects . In addition, anthocyanins are associated with increased neuronal signaling in brain centers that improve memory function and glucose availability.
They drank 2 cups of blueberry juice daily and for several weeks.
In this study, women and men over 70 saw improvement in association pair learning and word list recall after a few weeks. In addition, there were trends suggesting a reduction in depressive symptoms and lower glucose levels.
The results of this preliminary study suggest that moderate long-term supplementation with blueberries may confer neurocognitive benefits.
Source:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, PO Box 670559, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267-0559
# Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, AFHRC, 32 Main Street, Kentville, Nova Scotia, B4N 1J5 Canada
⊥ USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging and Tufts University, 711 Washington Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111-1524
