Berry fruits including blueberries,
blackberries and strawberries are not only refreshing and tasty, but they also provide
a wide variety of phytonutrients that cross the blood-brain barrier to enhance
neural communications and prevent oxidation and inflammation. This has
beneficial effects on the brain and may help prevent age-related memory loss
and other changes that alter behavior and cause normal thought processes to run
askew.
Researchers reporting the result
of a study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
have identified neurological benefits associated with the consumption of berry
fruits, including their now well-known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Eating the fruits in their natural state or using dietary supplements is shown
to have dramatic direct effects on the brain in a meta-analysis of animal and
human studies on the topic.
Fresh Berries Support Brain Health by Neutralizing Free Radicals and
Lowering Inflammation
As we live longer, the toll of
excessive oxidative assaults on the brain can result in loss of memory and
cognitive decline as inflammation limits the electrical and chemical response
within nerve synapses and cellular structures. A review of past studies
demonstrated that consumption of berry fruits or standardized supplements can
aid brain health in several ways.
Lead study authors, Dr. Barbara
Shukitt-Hale and Marshall G. Miller from the Human
Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University found that berries enhance neuroplasticity, neurotransmission, and
calcium buffering, all of which lead to attenuation of age and
pathology-related deficits in behavior. Berry fruits contain high levels of
antioxidants, compounds that protect cells from damage by harmful free
radicals. Suppression of free radicals was identified as a primary action of
consuming the natural fruits.
Include Several Daily Servings of Fruits and Berries to Preserve Brain
Health
Additionally, the researchers
noted that berry fruits change the way neurons in the brain communicate. These
changes in signaling can prevent inflammation in the brain
that contributes to neuronal damage and helps to improve both motor control and
cognition. The study confirmed the potent multimodal effect of berry consumption,
but indicated that further studies would be required to determine if benefits
are a result of individual compounds shared between berry fruits or whether the
unique combinations of chemicals in each berry fruit simply have similar
effects.
There is little doubt about the
importance of including a wide array of berries in all shapes, sizes and colors
to your regular diet. Nutritionists recommend eating at least one-half cup of
the raw fruit each day to help prevent cognitive decline, loss of memory and Alzheimer’s
dementia.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment