Just one serving of blueberries will give you 25 percent of your daily requirement for vitamin C, fiber, and manganese (important for bone health). In addition, its high antioxidant content can help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Benefits of blueberries to prevent Alzheimer’s
Led by Dr. Robert Krikorian, a team of scientists at the University of Cincinnati, found that the antioxidants present in blueberries provide a real benefit in improving memory and cognitive function in some older adults and they believe that the addition of Blueberries can help prevent neurocognitive decline. But it’s not just antioxidants that are good; In previous animal studies, scientists have shown that anthocyanins (water-soluble vacuolar pigments, which give them their color) also improve cognition.
“Blueberries acquire their deep color from anthocyanins, a type of flavonoid that acts as an antioxidant within the fruit”, explains the US Highbush Blueberry Council. In general, antioxidants help prevent age-related damage at the cellular level. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is unquestionably good for your health. Quite a few studies, according to Krikorian and his colleagues, have found blueberries to be beneficial in preventing senile dementia.
The Alzheimer’s Association believes that by 2025 more than seven million Americans will have this memory conduct disorder. Developed in a healthy brain, the symptoms of this neurodegenerative disorder appear slowly and worsen over time. It eventually interferes with daily tasks and ultimately disrupts the autonomic nervous system that is responsible for controlling heart rate and breathing.
The team backed by previous studies showing the power of blueberries in cognitive performance, conducted two new studies; The first involved 47 adults, 68 years of age or older who had already begun to show signs of mild cognitive impairment (a risk factor for Alzheimer’s). They began by doing tests and brain scans for each participant, after the two groups formed, one group received a placebo powder once a day for 16 weeks and the other group consumed a freeze-dried cranberry powder, equivalent to one cup of blueberries.
The group that consumed the royal blueberry powder demonstrated better memory and better access to words and concepts, and their second brain scan showed increased activity.
The second study included 94 people (between the ages of 62 and 80) who reported some memory problems. The researchers divided the participants into four groups, with each group receiving cranberry powder, fish oil, and powder or placebo. However, while cognition was somewhat better for those taking cranberry powder or fish oil separately, recall was barely improved, and not as much as in the first study. Their analyzes showed the same unimpressive results.
Obviously, more studies need to be done, but in the meantime, blueberries are delicious, a good source of vitamins, and they help protect your skin from the inside out. If to this we also add that they are beneficial for memory and to prevent Alzheimer’s, what better way to start including it in your breakfast every day.