Can a daily dose of fruit help prevent dementia? A new study suggests that consuming a cup of strawberries every day could reduce the risk of dementia in middle-aged individuals.
A research team from the University of Cincinnati found last year that adding blueberries to the diet helps reduce dementia risk. In the current study, an extension of the blueberry research, the researchers looked at the impact of strawberry supplementation on cognitive aging. The results were published in the journal Nutrients.
Dementia is the impaired ability to think, memorize, or make decisions. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for around 80% of cases.
“Both strawberries and blueberries contain antioxidants called anthocyanins, which have been implicated in a variety of berry health benefits such as metabolic and cognitive enhancements. There is epidemiological data suggesting that people who consume strawberries or blueberries regularly have a slower rate of cognitive decline with aging,” said study author Robert Krikorian, professor emeritus in the UC College of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, in a news release.
In addition to the anthocyanins, strawberries have added benefits of micronutrients called ellagitannins and ellagic acid, bioactive compounds associated with positive effects on conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative syndromes, and cancer.
A 12-week trial was conducted on 30 overweight patients with complaints of mild cognitive decline. During the trial, the participants were asked to abstain from eating any berry fruit except a daily packet of supplement powder given to them. Half of the participants were given a strawberry supplement equivalent to one cup of whole strawberries, while the other half received a placebo.
The team then assessed the participant’s cognitive abilities, including long-term memory, mood, intensity of depressive symptoms, and metabolic data.
“Those in the…
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