Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating brain disorder that can erase memories, disrupt thinking, and eventually rob people of their ability to perform basic daily tasks.
Scientists are still trying to understand what causes Alzheimer’s and how to prevent it.
The Potential Solution – Strawberries
A new study suggests that a simple addition to your diet might help protect your brain against Alzheimer’s.
The hero here is the humble strawberry, a tasty fruit that is already a favorite in cereals, salads, and smoothies.
The Science
Researchers at RUSH discovered that strawberries contain a compound called pelargonidin.
Pelargonidin could be linked to fewer neurofibrillary tau tangles in the brain, which are a common sign of Alzheimer’s disease.
These tangles appear when tau proteins in the brain change abnormally and build up.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Julie Schneider, suggests that the anti-inflammatory properties of pelargonidin might reduce overall neuroinflammation in the brain.
This could reduce the production of cytokines, proteins produced by cells that regulate various inflammatory responses.
The Research Method
The research team analyzed data from an ongoing long-term study called the Rush Memory and Aging Project, which began in 1997.
This project includes residents from over 40 retirement communities and senior public housing units across northern Illinois.
The researchers had complete dietary information and brain autopsies for 575 deceased participants, with an average age of death of 91.3 years.
Among these participants, 452 people did not carry the APOE 4 gene, which is a strong genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s, while 120 participants did carry this gene.
The Results
The study found that pelargonidin might protect the aging brain from developing Alzheimer’s disease pathology.
However, the researchers did not observe the same effect in people with the APOE 4 gene, possibly due to a smaller sample size of individuals with this gene in the study.
The Caveats
This study was observational and does not establish a direct causal relationship. Further research is needed to understand the role of nutrition in Alzheimer’s Disease.
However, the study offers hope that dietary components such as berries may contribute to brain health.
While more research is needed, this study suggests that eating strawberries could potentially help protect your brain from Alzheimer’s disease.
So go ahead and add some strawberries to your snack or meal. Your brain might thank you for it in the years to come.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about how Alzheimer’s attacks the brain, and results showing this stroke drug shows promise in treating Alzheimer’s and dementia.
The study was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
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