Scientists from Rush University found strawberries as a snack may help protect your brain from Alzheimer’s disease.
They found that a bioactive compound found in strawberries called pelargonidin may be associated with fewer neurofibrillary tau tangles in the brain.
Tau tangles are one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, which is caused by abnormal changes in tau proteins that accumulate in the brain.
The research is published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and was conducted by Dr. Julie Schneider et al.
Cytokines are proteins produced by cells and can regulate various inflammatory responses. Inflammation in the brain has been linked to Alzheimer’s pathology such as plaques and tangles.
In the study, researchers looked at data they acquired from an ongoing long-term study that began in 1997.
There was a total of 575 deceased participants with complete dietary information during the follow-up and brain autopsies whose average age of death was 91.3 years.
A total of 452 people were non-carriers of the APOE 4 gene and a total of 120 participants with APOE 4, which is the strongest genetic risk factor gene for Alzheimer’s disease.
Participants were assessed about diet using a food frequency questionnaire for up to nearly 20 years of follow-up prior to death and standardized neuropathological evaluation after death.
The team found pelargonidin was linked to fewer neurofibrillary tau tangles in the brain.
The results were the same after researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect memory and thinking skills, such as education, APOE 4 status, vitamin E, and vitamin C.
The associations were more robust among those without dementia or mild cognitive impairment before the study.
These findings suggest that pelargonidin may protect the aging brain from developing Alzheimer’s disease pathology. Among berries, strawberries are the most abundant source of pelargonidin.
The team says while pelagonidin should be examined further for their role in maintaining brain health in older adults, this gives a simple change that anyone can make in their diet.
If you care about Alzheimer’s disease, please read studies about a new way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, and medical cannabis can reduce this brain disorder.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about 13 things your doctor can check to help protect brain health, and results showing new drug for Alzheimer’s disease prevention is safe and effective.
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