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Blueberries and Aging
In a USDA Human Nutrition Research
Center laboratory, neuroscientists discovered
that feeding blueberries to laboratory rats slowed age-related
loss in their mental capacity, a finding that has important
implications for humans.
In one study, Jim Joseph, director
of the neuroscience laboratory in the USDA Human Nutrition
Research Center
(HNRC), fed blueberry extractions—the equivalent of a human
eating one cup of blueberries a day—to mice and then ran
them through a series of motor skills tests.
He found that the blueberry-fed mice
performed better than their control group counterparts in motor
behavioral learning and memory, and he noticed an increase in
exploratory behavior. When he examined their brains, he found
a marked decrease in oxidative stress in two regions of the brain
and better retention of signal-transmitting neurons compared with
the control mice.
The compound that appears responsible
for this neuron protection, anthocyanin,
also gives blueberries their color and might be the key component
of the blueberry’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Blueberries, along with other colorful fruits and vegetables,
test high in their ability to subdue free radicals. These
free radicals, which can damage cell membranes and DNA through a process
known as oxidative stress, are blamed for many of the dysfunctions
and diseases associated with aging.
These findings could become increasingly
important as the U.S. population ages. It is projected
that by 2050, more than 30% of Americans will be over 65 and will
have the decreased cognitive and motor function that accompanies
advanced age. Joseph is currently testing the effects of blueberries
on humans. Preliminary results show that people who ate a cup
of blueberries a day have performed 5–6% better on motor
skills tests than the control group. Read
research
excerpts
on blueberries and aging.
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