Blueberry Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults

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http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf9029332?tokenDomain=presspac & tokenAccess=p\

resspac & forwardService=showFullText & journalCode=jafcau

 

The prevalence of dementia is increasing with expansion of the older adult

population. In the absence of effective therapy, preventive approaches are

essential to address this public health problem. Blueberries contain

polyphenolic compounds, most prominently anthocyanins, which have antioxidant

and anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, anthocyanins have been associated

with increased neuronal signaling in brain centers, mediating memory function as

well as improved glucose disposal, benefits that would be expected to mitigate

neurodegeneration. This study investigated the effects of daily consumption of

wild blueberry juice in a sample of nine older adults with early memory changes.

At 12 weeks, improved paired associate learning (p = 0.009) and word list recall

(p = 0.04) were observed. In addition, there were trends suggesting reduced

depressive symptoms (p = 0.08) and lower glucose levels (p = 0.10). We also

compared the memory performances of the blueberry subjects with a

demographically matched sample who consumed a berry placebo beverage in a

companion trial of identical design and observed comparable results for paired

associate learning. The findings of this preliminary study suggest that

moderate-term blueberry supplementation can confer neurocognitive benefit and

establish a basis for more comprehensive human trials to study preventive

potential and neuronal mechanisms.