The powerful effect of cranberries on your memory

This is what a handful of cranberries a day will do to your memory!

Berries like cranberries and blueberries are known for their high content of antioxidants that help a variety of different organs. Now a new study has found that cranberries are not only good for the skin or urinary tract infections, but can also improve memory and prevent dementia - which is already a significant advantage

Most women already know what cranberries do (or do not) against cystitis, but probably none of us know what they can do to the brain. At least not until now. A new study from the UK published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition found that eating a handful of cranberries daily can improve memory and protect against dementia, all by increasing blood flow to the brain.

Researchers from the University of the East of England say people who consumed a small bowl of cranberries daily had a better memory after just 12 weeks. Scans show that more blood is flowing to the brain, which increases cognitive abilities. Volunteers also had 9 percent less "bad" cholesterol - low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - which can block blood vessels.

The number of dementia patients worldwide is expected to triple in the next three decades, so researchers are increasingly focusing on behaviors that protect against the incurable disease. "Dementia is expected to affect about 152 million people by 2050. There is no known cure, so it is vital that we look for changeable lifestyle interventions, such as diet, that can help reduce the risk and burden of disease," says lead researcher Dr. David Wazor of the School of Medicine In the UEA Norwich, in a statement. 

 

"Previous studies have shown that higher dietary intake of flavonoids is associated with slower rates of cognitive decline and dementia. "They have oxidized and anti-inflammatory properties and we wanted to find out more about how cranberries can help reduce age-related neurodegeneration," the researchers said.

The study (funded by the Cranberry Growers Organization, it is important to note) included 60 50- to 80-year-olds with good mental fitness, half of whom consumed freeze-dried powder equivalent to 100 grams of fresh cranberries, daily. In the fruit group, dramatic improvements were identified in remembering everyday events. They also had excellent nerve function and blood supply to the brain. Their data were compared to a group of subjects who received a placebo.

"We found that participants who consumed the cranberry powder showed a significant improvement in episodic memory performance combined with an improved flow of essential nutrients like oxygen and glucose to important parts of the brain that support cognition - especially the formation and retrieval of details from memory," the researchers said. The cranberry group also showed a significant decrease in the levels of LDL or 'bad' cholesterol, known as contributing to atherosclerosis - thickening or hardening of the arteries caused by plaque buildup in the inner wall of the artery. This supports the idea that cranberries can improve vascular health The brain (flow regulation) and in cognition. 

 

Cranberries are considered a "superfood" due to their high nutrient content. They have been linked in other studies to the fight against urinary tract infections, heart disease, arthritis and certain types of cancer.