Mailbag! Tiny Berry Boosts Memory

By Natalie Moore Posted March 16, 2017

Dear Living Well Daily Reader,

You’ve got questions…

We’ve got answers!

These days, it seems like there are tons of foods you should be eating to help boost your brain — fatty fish, walnuts, yogurt, etc. With all of these choices, it’s hard to know which ones to choose. But according to a new study, there’s one type of food you should never skip if you want to boost your memory.

Let’s dive in…

Hey Natalie,

I saw something on the news yesterday about blueberries helping older folks improve their memory. I’ve heard good things about blueberries before. Do you know what this latest research is all about?

Thanks,

Deb M.

Thanks for the great question, Deb. Many folks are looking to diet hacks to help their memory.

And as it turns out, blueberries are a great way to increase your cognitive health.

A recent study shows that drinking blueberry juice could help older folks boost their brainpower.

For the experiment, scientists from the University of Exeter split a group of folks aged 65–77 into two groups. Some drank 30 mL of concentrated blueberry juice every day and some took a placebo during the 12-week trial.

Before and after the experiment, all participants took memory tests and underwent MRI scans to measure the blood flow to their brains and cognitive functions.

After reviewing the results, the researchers were amazed….

Those drinking blueberry juice saw significant increases in brain activity in parts of the brain related to memory.

Even better, they saw increased blood flow and improvements in their working memory!

This means by incorporating blueberry juice into your diet, you could keep your brain firing on all cylinders well into your golden years.

Blueberries contain special antioxidants called flavonoids that help protect the brain from dangerous free radicals and inflammation that can cause memory problems.

But blueberries aren’t the only plant that can help you win the memory game — all fruits and veggies can help out your thinker.

The researchers pointed out that folks who eat five or more plant-based foods a day were excluded from the study, because most plants contain flavonoids.

So if you want to keep your brain healthy, you need to head to the produce aisle or the farmers market.

If you want to try concentrated blueberry juice for yourself, you can find it at natural health stores or through online retailers like amazon.com. Blueberry supplements are also a great option and available in the same places.

Live well,

Natalie Moore
Managing editor, Living Well Daily

Ed. Note: Please send your feedback: feedback@livingwelldaily.com – and click here to like us on Facebook.

Sources

^[1] Blueberry concentrate improves brain function in older people

Written By Natalie Moore

Natalie Moore is a dedicated health researcher with a passion for finding healthy, natural, and science-based solutions. After a decade of direct healthcare experience in western and natural medicine, she was involved in public health research before joining Living Well Daily.

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