- Eating a handful of wild blueberries each day could strengthen cognitive and cardiovascular health, according to a new study.
- The study finds that blueberries’ anthocyanins are responsible for improving vascular and cerebral blood flow, which are some of the likely mechanisms behind healthy cognitive function.
- Anthocyanins are polyphenols, a family of plant-based compounds increasingly associated with health benefits.
A cup of wild blueberries is more than a tasty snack, according to a new study from King’s College London Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine in the United Kingdom. It can also provide a brain boost, lower blood pressure, and contribute to better cardiovascular health.
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found that blueberry eaters exhibited improved executive function, strengthened short-term memory, and had faster reaction times.
Study participants who had a daily drink made out of 26 grams (g) of freeze-dried wild blueberry powder for 12 weeks saw a 3.59 millimeters of mercury (mmHG) reduction in systolic blood pressure, and improved blood vessel function compared to individuals consuming a placebo powder.
Participants who consumed blueberries were better at immediately recalling word lists, and exhibited improved
The study appears in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The study involved 61 healthy male and female participants from London, aged between 65–80 years. Over 12 weeks, half of them drank a beverage each day containing 26 g of freeze-dried wild blueberry powder, while the other half consumed a taste-, appearance-, macro-nutrient-, fiber-, and vitamin C-matched placebo.
It is common for food studies to use powdered substances for precision measurements.
The 26 g of blueberry powder participants drank each day was the equivalent of 178 g of whole blueberries. This translates to somewhere between 75–80 blueberries, since…
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