Blueberry season is upon us, and as if we needed another reason to love these sweet, bright-blue wonders, a new study published in Nutrients found that eating ½ to 1 cup of blueberries daily can cut dementia risk in at-risk middle-aged adults with insulin resistance.
Native to North America, blueberries have only been in cultivation for about 100 years, although evidence suggests they've been around for several millennia. Wild blueberries are believed to be one of the first fruit-bearing plants discovered by early Native Americans after the last ice age. According to the American Indian Health and Diet Project, ancient American Indian tribes harvested large quantities of blueberries to be eaten fresh or dried, highly valued for their convenience, versatility, and long shelf life.
Dubbed the "king of superfoods," blueberries boast one of the most impressive nutritional profiles of all fruits. A single cup contains only 84 calories, 1g protein, 4g fiber, and 0g fat — plus nearly a quarter of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin C and a third of the RDA for vitamin K. Blueberries also have one of the highest antioxidant levels of all fruits and vegetables.
Blueberries and Memory Decline
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in the body. Several studies suggest that oxidative stress may be involved in changes in the brain that contribute to age-related degenerative neurological conditions, like Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Scientists have found that berries, particularly blueberries, contain high amounts of antioxidants called flavonoids, which can accumulate in specific brain regions and mitigate inflammation and oxidative stress.
While previous research on blueberries mostly focused on older individuals, the authors of the new study wanted to know whether these fruits could help prevent cognitive decline in overweight and insulin-resistant middle-aged adults. Late-life dementia typically develops over several years beginning at mid-life, and diabetes and obesity are two of the biggest risk factors, aside from aging.
To measure blueberries' effect on cognition, researchers followed 33 prediabetic adults ages 50 to 65 experiencing mild memory decline for a 12-week period. Half received a daily packet of blueberry powder equivalent to half a cup of fresh blueberries; the other half received a placebo. Participants completed tests assessing their learning, memory functions, mental flexibility, and self-control at the start and end of the study.
Results showed that participants in the blueberry group displayed improved working memory and cognitive performance compared to those in the placebo group. Another major finding was that blueberry supplementation reduced fasting insulin levels, boosted fat loss, and improved metabolic functions.
To Wrap Things Up
The authors acknowledge that the study's small sample size limits its conclusions and note that these findings need to be reproduced within a larger population. However, there is already plenty of evidence that blueberries are incredibly healthy for people of all ages.
You can increase your blueberry consumption by adding them fresh or frozen to smoothies, salads, breakfast cereals, and desserts, or enjoy them as a sweet on-the-go snack. Try to aim for a minimum of ½ cup of blueberries per day.
Our product Calm & Clever is designed with ingredients that support brain health and cognitive function, complementing the benefits of a diet rich in antioxidants like those found in blueberries.
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18066143
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23319811
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3820045/
