Blueberries Reverse Age-related Memory Problems

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Blueberries Reverse Age-related Memory Problems

 

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(_http://www.newsmax.com/health/blueberries_memory/2008/04/11/87181.html_

(http://www.newsmax.com/health/blueberries_memory/2008/04/11/87181.html) )

 

If you are getting forgetful as you get older, then a research team from the

University of Reading and the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of

England may have good news for you.

 

They have found that phytochemical-They have found that

phytochemical-<WBR>rich foods, such as blueberries, are effective at reversing

age-related

deficits in memory, according to a study soon to be published in the science

journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine. The researchers working at the

Schools

of Food Biosciences and Psychology in Reading and the Institute of Biomedical

and Clinical Sciences at the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter supplemented

a regular diet with blueberries over a 12-week period, and found that

improvements in spatial working memory tasks emerged within three weeks and

continued.

 

Blueberries are a major source of flavonoids, in particular anthocyanins and

flavanols. Although the precise mechanisms by which these plant-derived

molecules affect the brain are unknown, they have been shown to cross the blood

brain barrier after dietary intake. It is believed that they exert their

effects on learning and memory by enhancing existing neuronal (brain cell)

connections, improving cellular communications and stimulating neuronal

regeneration.

 

The enhancement of both short-term and long-term memory is controlled at the

molecular level in neurons. The research team was able to show that the

ability of flavonoids to induce memory improvements are mediated by the

activation of signalling proteins via a specific pathway in the hippocampus, the

part

of the brain that controls learning and memory.

 

This innovative research was conducted by a multidisciplinary research team

led by Dr. Jeremy Spencer, a lecturer in Molecular Nutrition at the University

of Reading and included Dr. Claire Williams, a Psychologist also from

Reading and Dr. Matt Whiteman, a Principal Investigator at the Institute of

Biomedical and Clinical Science, Peninsula Medical School. Dr Spencer

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 " .

 

Dr. Whiteman added " This study not only adds science to the claim that

eating blueberries are good for you, it also provides support to a diet-based

approach that could potentially be used to increase memory capacity and

performance in the future. Indeed, Dr. Spencer's research team plan on extending

these

findings further by investigating the effects of diets rich in flavonoids on

individuals suffering from cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. "

 

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