Researchers from the University of Reading and the Peninsula Medical School in the Southwest of England has found that foods that are rich in phytochemicals such as blueberries, are capable of reversing age-related memory deficits.
Over a 12-week period, the researchers working at the Schools of Food Biosciences and Psychology in Reading and the Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences at the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter supplemented a regular diet with blueberries.
They found that within three weeks and throughout the study, improvements in spatial working memory tasks happened.
The beneficial effects of the blueberries are thought to be linked to their flavonoid content - in particular anthocyanins and flavanols. The exact way in which flavonoids affect the brain are unknown, but they have previously been shown to cross the blood brain barrier after dietary intake.
It is believed that they exert their effects on learning and memory by enhancing existing neuronal connections, improving cellular communications and stimulating neuronal regeneration, explained the researchers.
The study was led by Dr. Jeremy Spencer, a lecturer in Molecular Nutrition at the University of Reading, and also included Dr. Claire Williams, a Psychologist also from Reading and Dr. Matt Whiteman, a Principal Investigator at the Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, Peninsula Medical School.
The study will soon be published in the science journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine.
