BERRIES BENIFITS: INTERVENES WITH COGNITIVE AGING

It has been demonstrated that eating berry fruits, such as strawberries, influences metabolism and cognitive function, and may reduce the incidence of dementia. Both strawberries and blueberries contain antioxidants called anthocyanins, which have been implicated in a variety of berry health benefits such as metabolic and cognitive enhancements. In this randomized study, middle-aged, overweight subjects with insulin resistance and subjective cognitive decline were selected. A 12-week intervention consisting of daily whole-fruit strawberry powder administration was carried out. Dietary records revealed that both groups' members followed the advised break from consuming berries outside of the research. For the participants receiving strawberry treatment, less memory interference  and a decrease in depressive symptoms was observed. Still, the intervention had no effect on metabolic parameters, which may have been due to the small sample size, short intervention duration, or low anthocyanin dose. 

The main mechanism of action of anthocyanins was thought to be their anti-inflammatory properties. The results provide credibility to the idea that taking supplements of strawberries in middle age may help lower the incidence of dementia. However, additional research using extended intervention durations, increased sample sizes, and varied dosage schedules will be necessary to evaluate the advantages of strawberry consumption concerning cognitive abilities and metabolic processes within the aging framework.

SOURCE:

• Krikorian R, Shidler MD, Summer SS. Early Intervention in Cognitive Aging with Strawberry Supplementation. Nutrients. 2023; 15(20):4431. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15204431