Berries Are Good For UsA growing body of research suggests that blueberries, strawberries, grapes and other berry fruits may protect the brain from decline during aging. By boosting the brain’s signaling functions, berries may prevent damaging inflammation in the brain and protect cognitive and motor skills. Some of berries’ brain protective power appears to derive from antioxidant flavonoid compounds which give the fruits their vivid colors.
The case for eating berries was recently benefited by a study called the largest and longest of its kind. Colleagues at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital analyzed data on berry consumption among 16,010 women age 70 and older participating in the Nurses’ Health Study. The study started in 1980. The study found that women who consumed two or more half-cup servings of strawberries or one or more half-cups of blueberries per week saw slower mental decline – equivalent to up to two and a half years of delayed cognitive aging.