We can now apparently count blueberries among superfruits -- the Justice League of your crisper. A new study suggests that regularly drinking blueberry juice may improve memory.
A sample population of senior citizens in the early stages of memory decline drank between two and two and one-half cups of blueberry juice each day for two months. Compared to a control group, the blueberry juice drinkers showed significant improvement on learning and memory tests.
The study, which appeared in the ACS' Journal of Agriculture and Food
Chemistry, is a joint effort between the University of Cincinnati, U.S.
Department of Agriculture and Canadian Department of Agriculture.
But it was a small sample -- it only involved nine senior citizens in their 70s and a control population of the same size. It is the kind of research that might be used to show why we'd need more extensive clinical trials.
Previous studies showed that blueberries could help slow age-related memory loss in rats, but the potential benefits of blueberries for people had not been tested. Blueberries have also been touted for having loads of antioxidants and potentially helping with everything from gastrointestinal distress to macular degeneration.
With an aging population of baby boomers and growing awareness of Alzheimer's and dementia, I imagine we'll hear plenty more about the blueberry.
[Image via Flickr: Kyle McDonald]
Comments (0)