Eating cranberries for 12 weeks may help improve memory function in older adults, according to scientists from Norwich Medical School.
Cranberries are evergreen shrubs found in wet habitats in the Northeastern and North Central parts of the United States.
Historically, cranberry fruits or leaves were used for various conditions, including bladder, stomach, and liver disorders, diabetes, and wounds. Today, cranberry is mainly promoted for treating urinary tract infections (UTIs).
As people age, their cognitive function can decline, but certain dietary components, particularly (poly)phenol-rich fruits such as berries, may help prevent this process.
However, it is unclear how cranberries affect cognitive brain function in older adults.
In a study of 60 participants aged 50 to 80 years, half ate freeze-dried cranberry powder daily for 12 weeks, equivalent to a cup or 100g of fresh cranberries, while the other half consumed a placebo.
Participants completed cognitive tests, including memory and executive function tests, which assess mental skills such as working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control.
Neuroimaging and blood samples were also taken before and after the 12-week intervention to assess the impact of daily cranberry consumption on cognition and brain function.
The researchers found that eating cranberries for 12 weeks was associated with improvements in visual episodic memory in older adults.
The team also found a significant decrease in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol during the 12 weeks of cranberry consumption.
LDL cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol, makes up most of the body’s cholesterol and raises the risk for heart disease and stroke at high levels.
The researchers also observed changes in brain activity in the right entorhinal cortex between the cranberry and control groups.
The entorhinal cortex is an area of the brain’s allocortex, located in the medial temporal lobe, that is important for memory, navigation, and the perception of time.
The findings suggest that eating cranberries every day for 12 weeks may improve episodic memory performance and neural functioning in older adults.
The study was conducted by Emma Flanagan et al. and published in Frontiers in Nutrition. Further research is needed to determine if cranberries can help manage or reduce brain disease symptoms in older adults.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and carotenoid supplements could improve memory.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about antioxidants that could help reduce dementia risk, and flavonoid-rich foods could improve survival in Parkinson’s.
The research is published in Frontiers in Nutrition and was conducted by Emma Flanagan et al.
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