Posted ,
Reading 2 mins.
According to an English study, eating a small bowl of cranberries every day could help prevent dementia.
Research from the University of East Anglia, published today in the journal Frontiers, highlights the neuroprotective potential of cranberries. This small acid and sweet fruit is known to contribute to the prevention of cystitis, but it would have other health virtues.
Neurodegeneration: the effective cranberry?
1.2 million French people were struck by Alzheimer’s disease in 2019. A figure that should reach 2.2 million people in 2050 according to Public Health France.
To combat the disease, a team of researchers conducted research around a well-known berry: the cranberry. They wanted to understand how cranberries could fight against neurodegeneration.
“Previous studies have shown that a higher dietary intake of flavonoids is associated with reduced cognitive decline or risk of dementia. As for foods rich in anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, which give berries their red, blue or purple color, they improve cognition”reveal the researchers.
To try to find out more, the team of researchers studied the impact of cranberry consumption on brain function and cholesterol in 60 healthy participants. They were followed for almost 12 weeks.
Half of the participants consumed freeze-dried cranberry powder daily – the equivalent of a cup of fresh cranberries – while the other took nothing.
NO to diets, YES to WW!
Better “episodic memory”
Result: the researchers noticed that the consumption of cranberries significantly improved the daily memory of the participants, the functioning of neurons and the supply of blood to the brain.
“Participants who consumed cranberry powder showed improved episodic memory performance and improved flow of essential nutrients such as oxygen and glucose to important parts of the brain that support cognition – particularly consolidation and coordination. memory recovery”said Dr. Vauzour.
The researchers also observed a significant decrease in bad cholesterol levels.
“The results of this study are very encouraging, especially since the relatively short test period (12 weeks) on the cranberry was able to produce significant improvements in memory and neural function.“, he added.
The study paves the way for future research on this little fruit that never ceases to amaze us.