Blueberries May Stave Off Alzheimer’s

Blueberries, the antioxidant powerhouse believed to improve heart health and possibly stave off some cancers, now have another suspected benefit: they slow Alzheimer’s disease. A news release from the American Chemical Society reports that researchers at the University of Cincinnati studied 47 adults aged 68 and older, who had mild cognitive impairment, giving them either freeze-dried blueberry powder, which is equivalent to a cup of berries, or a placebo powder once a day for 16 weeks. Yes, the blueberry group had improved memory and improved access to words and concepts, and magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) showed increased brain activity. Wait, there’s more, but it’s less impressive: a second study included 94 people aged 62 to 80 who felt their memory was failing. The group was divided into four, which were given blueberry powder, fish oil, fish oil and powder or placebo. The results? Not so great. Cognition was somewhat better for those with powder or fish oil separately, but there was little improvement with memory, and fMRI results also were not as striking for those receiving blueberry powder. who were divided into four groups.