Berries Help to Preserve Memory

Berries such as blueberries and strawberries are high in anthocyanidins, a type of flavonoid antioxidant, which has been shown in previous studies to improve cognition. Elizabeth E. Devore, from Brigham and Women's Hospital (Massachusetts, USA), and colleagues  analyzed data collected in the Nurses' Health Study—involving 121,700 female, registered nurses between the ages of 30 and 55 years —who completed health and lifestyle questionnaires beginning in 1976. Since 1980, participants were surveyed every four years regarding their frequency of food consumption. Between 1995 and 2001, memory was measured in 16,010 subjects over the age of 70 years, at 2-year intervals. Women included in the present study had a mean age of 74 years and mean body mass index of 26.  The team found that women who consumed 2 or more servings of strawberries and blueberries each week experienced  a slower rate of memory decline, as compared to subjects who consumed the least berries weekly.  Further, a greater intake of anthocyanidins and total flavonoids associated with reduced memory decline. The study authors conclude that: “berry intake appears to delay cognitive aging by up to 2.5 years.”