Feeling Over the Hill? Eat Blueberries
Blueberries may help sharpen your cognitive abilities, according to new research conducted by Tufts University and the National Institute on Aging.
After injecting male rats with kainic acid in order to simulate the oxidative stress that happens with aging, researchers discovered that the rats fed a diet having 2% blueberry extract performed better navigating through a maze than those rats not fed the compound.
Blueberries on the Brain
Another study carried out by the same scientists discovered that rats that ate blueberries demonstrated increased cell growth in their brain’s hippocampus region. Researchers believe the dark blue pigment in blueberries - anthocyanin - is behind these cognitive behavioral changes. Anthocyanin contains chemicals which researchers suspect may traverse the blood-brain barrier and reside in areas of the brain that control memory and learning.
A Tasty Hint
Help yourself to better mental health by stocking up on blueberries, especially when fresh and on sale. Sprinkle them over pancakes, yogurt or cereal, or add them to your smoothie. Oh, and don’t hesitate to buy frozen blueberries in their off-season. They are just as nourishing.
Steve Daitch is the Social Media Manager at Mind360.com - a leading scientific brain training games developer for boosting your memory, attention, executive functions, reasoning, and other key cognitive skills. As a Mind360 visitor you simply select your own Personal Training Program, which comes complete with a personal coach and constant feedback to ensure your swift and visible progress.
I been eating blueberries for quite sometime now, My Grandmother had Alzheimers and my mother started showing signs of it.We also have cancer that runs in my family(both sides of my Family) I started taking B12, 1000 mcg, (1 tablet a day.) Plus blueberries. My question is I eat about 1/2 cup of blueberries a day, is this enough,or do I need to eat more of them a day?
I started my mom on the B12 and the blueberries also. Can you please help me out on this?
Dear Tammie,
Thank you for your question concerning how many blueberries you should eat each day in order to avoid or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
While scientific research has confirmed that blueberries are rich in antioxidants (the ingredient for fighting off a number of potential health problems, from aging and cancer to Alzheimer’s disease), presently there is no official recommendation of what your daily antioxidant consumption should be.
However, as with most foods, too much of a good thing is usually not desirable. Most health and dietary experts would suggest you practice moderation, and so your eating ½ a cup of bluberries each day is right on track. Hope this helps.
Wishing you the best in health.
Steve Daitch
http://www.Mind360.com
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