Researchers led by Dr. Robert Krikorian of the University of Cincinnati found this Adding blueberries to the daily diet of some middle-aged people may reduce the risk of dementia later in life. For several years, Dr. Krikorian’s team has been researching the benefits of eating berries by people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Blueberries are high in micronutrients called antioxidants anthocyanins. It is they who give blueberries their color, and also help protect the plant from excessive radiation, infectious agents and other threats.

Dr Krikorian said: “The same properties that help blueberries survive also benefit humans, such as reducing inflammation, improving metabolic function and increasing cellular energy production.

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About 50 percent. Middle-aged people in the United States You develop insulin resistance, commonly referred to as diabetesIt is a factor that leads to the development of chronic diseases.

“We noted the cognitive benefits of consuming blueberries in previous studies with older adults, and thought it might be effective in younger people with insulin resistance. Dr. Krikorian explained that Alzheimer’s disease, like all chronic diseases associated with aging, develops over many years beginning in middle age.

The study included 33 people in the Cincinnati area, ages 50 to 65, who were overweight, had prediabetes, and who saw a slight deterioration in memory with age. These people have an increased risk of developing dementia later in life and other common medical conditions.
For 12 weeks, patients were asked to refrain from eating any of the berries Except for the daily packet of powdered supplements, which were to be mixed with water and taken either with breakfast or with dinner. Half of the participants received a powder containing the equivalent of half a cup of whole blueberries, while the other half received a placebo. Participants also received tests to measure certain cognitive abilities that decline in old age and in dementia patients late in life, such as executive functions such as working memory, mental flexibility and self-control. People of the blueberry treatment group Show improvement in cognitive tasksthat relies on executive oversight.

“This was evident in reducing the interference of spatial information when learning and remembering,” Dr. Krikorian explained.

The blueberry group also had lower fasting insulin levels, which means that Their metabolic function improved And they were able to burn fat more easily for energy. The blueberry patient group also showed a slightly elevated mitochondrial detachment, a cellular process that has been associated with longer lifespan and reduced oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can lead to symptoms such as fatigue and memory loss.

Future research will aim to increase the size of the research group and better understand the mechanisms of blueberry activity that contribute to improving cognitive abilities.

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