Memory performance can decrease with age. If you want to counteract this, you should – at least according to a new study – enrich your diet with cranberries. The tart, sweet and sour berry is good for much more than just being a trendy ingredient for muffins, cookies and muesli.
A recent study from the University of East Anglia in the UK suggests that consuming this type of berry could help improve cognitive performance.
Future topic dementia
In view of the forecast that around 152 million people will suffer from dementia in 2050 and that effective cures are still lacking, researcher David Vauzour from the Medical School in Norwich sees a need for action. “It will be crucial that we look for changeable lifestyle measures that can help reduce the risk of disease,” says the researcher. Improved nutrition, for example, could help reduce the risk of dementia.
Previous studies have shown that a diet rich in flavonoids is associated with slower cognitive decline. It is also known that foods rich in anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins – these are water-soluble plant pigments that give berries their red, blue or purple color – have been shown to improve memory.
Cranberries, the researcher explains, contain many of these micronutrients and are known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. “We wanted to find out more about how the North American berry species can help reduce age-related neurodegeneration.”
Effects on brain function studied
60 cognitively healthy subjects took part in the study. Half were asked to eat cranberries for 12 weeks. They took this daily in the form of freeze-dried cranberry powder. The amount taken was equivalent to one cup or 100 grams of the fresh berries. The other half took a placebo. The research team then examined the effects of cranberry consumption on the participants’ brain function and cholesterol levels.
The result: in the group that had integrated the sweet and sour berry into their diet, there was a significant improvement in memory performance with regard to everyday events (“visual episodic memory”) as well as in neuronal function and blood circulation in the brain.
Reduction in LDL levels
Also gratifying: In the cranberry group, the LDL (bad cholesterol) decreased significantly. LDL is known to be a risk factor for atherosclerosis. This is the thickening or hardening of arteries caused by the accumulation of plaque in the inner wall of an artery.
This result suggests that the berry species belonging to the genus bilberry could improve the condition of blood vessels, which could partially contribute to the improvement of cerebral blood flow and cognitive abilities.
basis for future research
Vauzour is optimistic about the results of the study, especially considering the relatively short duration of cranberry ingestion, which resulted in significant improvements in memory and neural function.
The researcher sees the cranberry study as an important basis for future research in the field of cranberries and neurological health.
The study will be in the journal in 2022 Frontiers in Nutrition and was carried out by the University of East Anglia (UK) in collaboration with Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands), University of Parma (Italy) and the Quadram Institute (UK).