Blueberries 'could help prevent age-related memory loss'

Patients who are aware of becoming increasingly forgetful as they get older could benefit from supplementing their diet with phytochemical-rich foods, such as blueberries, researchers suggest.

A study from the University of Reading and the Peninsula Medical School in the Southwest of England revealed that phytochemicals are effective in the reversal of age-related deficits in memory.

Blueberries are a major source of flavonoids, in particular anthocyanins and flavanols, and are thought to stimulate neuronal regeneration enhancing learning and memory.

Although the precise mechanisms by which these molecules affect the brain are unknown, they have been shown to cross the blood brain barrier after dietary intake, the report states.

The researchers commented: "Impaired or failing memory as we get older is one of life's major inconveniences. Scientists have known of the potential health benefits of diets rich in fresh fruits for a long time.

"Our previous work had suggested that flavonoid compounds had some kind of effect on memory, but until now we had not known the potential mechanisms to account for this."