Cranberries aid memory and cognitive function.

Cranberries aid memory and cognitive function.

Flavonoids are plant-derived chemicals that are regarded to provide considerable health benefits for humans. They are vital pigments in plants and are responsible for the colours in buds, petals, fruits, and autumn leaves. Blueberries, parsley, red grapes, cranberries, cherries, and citrus fruits are among the brilliantly coloured fruits and vegetables that contain them.

Researchers from the University of East Anglia wanted to see if adding cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) to people's diets on a daily basis could assist improve memory and brain function in older people, and so minimise age-related neurodegeneration. Cranberries are high in anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant flavonoids found in plants.

"By 2050, dementia is predicted to afflict 152 million individuals." Because there is no known cure, it's critical to look for modifiable lifestyle changes, such as food, that can help reduce disease risk and burden, according to lead researcher Dr. David Vauzour.Researchers from the University of East Anglia wanted to see if adding cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) to people's diets on a daily basis could assist improve memory and brain function in older people, and so minimise age-related neurodegeneration. Cranberries are high in anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant flavonoids found in plants.

"By 2050, dementia is predicted to afflict 152 million individuals." Because there is no known cure, it's critical to look for modifiable lifestyle changes, such as food, that can help reduce disease risk and burden, according to lead researcher Dr. David Vauzour.

"Higher dietary flavonoid consumption has been linked to slower rates of cognitive decline and dementia in previous research," he stated. "Foods high in anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, the pigments that give berries their red, blue, or purple colour, have also been demonstrated to boost cognition." Cranberries are high in these micronutrients and are known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects."

The researchers looked examined the effects of eating 100 grammes of cranberries every day over a period of 12 weeks. The 60 volunteers, who were all cognitively healthy and aged 50 to 80, were split into two groups. Every day, one group received 100g of freeze-dried, powdered cranberry (equal to 1 cup of berries), while the other received a placebo.

Participants who drank the cranberry powder demonstrated dramatically better recollection of ordinary occurrences (visual episodic memory), neuronal functioning, and blood transport to the brain after 12 weeks (brain perfusion). The researchers' findings were published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.

"We discovered that participants who consumed cranberry powder had significantly improved episodic memory performance, as well as improved circulation of essential nutrients like oxygen and glucose to important parts of the brain that support cognition, specifically memory consolidation and retrieval," Dr. Vauzour said.

"The cranberry group also showed a significant reduction in LDL or 'bad' cholesterol levels, which are known to contribute to atherosclerosis, which is the thickening or hardening of the arteries caused by a build-up of plaque in the inner lining of an artery," he continued. "This backs up the hypothesis that cranberries can help with vascular health and, in turn, may help with brain perfusion and cognition."

This is one of the first studies to look at cranberries and their long-term effects on cognition and brain health in people, and the researchers hope that their findings may help to inform future neurodegenerative disease prevention techniques. "Demonstrating in humans that cranberry supplementation can improve cognitive performance and pinpointing some of the factors that contribute to this improvement."

"Understanding the mechanisms that are responsible is a major step in this field of research," he said. "The results of this study are really encouraging," he noted, "particularly considering that a 12-week cranberry intervention was able to create considerable changes in memory and brain function." The authors of the study believe that their findings lay a solid platform for future research into cranberries and neurological health.

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