Study Finds Regular Consumption of Berries Slows Memory Decline
A recent study has found that people who include berries in their weekly diets show reduced rates of memory decline. Conducted by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School and the first long-term, large-scale epidemiological study of its kind, the research discovered that consuming as little as one serving of blueberries per week can slow memory decline in older adults.
“This is encouraging news for everyone, regardless of age,” noted Susan Davis, MS, RD, nutrition advisor to the Wild Blueberry Association of North America. “Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of age-related memory decline, and this study adds to a growing body of research showing that the compounds in Wild Blueberries might benefit people in this area, as well as in a number of other areas including diabetes, cardiac health and more.”
The study, published in Annals of Neurology in April, used data collected from the ongoing Nurses’ Health Study, started in 1976 to collect long-term information about health and nutrition habits.
“This is the first study to find that adding a weekly serving of berries to one’s diet can slow memory decline,” said study co-author Dr. Elizabeth Devore. “It’s a dietary change most people can make – and maintain over a long period of time – without difficulty.”
The participants in the study who regularly consumed the highest amount of berries showed delays in memory decline of up to 2.5 years. Participants who consumed even one weekly half-cup serving of blueberries demonstrated reduced memory decline.
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