Berried memories - updates - blueberries - Brief Article

Better Nutrition, March, 2003

Despite ginkgo biloba's long history of testimonials, the weight of scientific proof for memory improvement could actually arrive sooner for blueberries.

Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the US Department of Agriculture's scientific research agency, reported in the November 2002 issue of Agricultural Research that compounds found in blueberries could reverse existing short-term memory losses.

James Joseph, PhD, at Tufts University in Boston, found an increased birth rate of brain cells in the hippocampus--a brain region responsible for memory--in older rats fed blueberry supplements for two months. Also, these changes were associated with improved memory performance in blueberry-supplemented rats.

The amount of blueberry supplementation the rats experienced translates in human terms to around one cup of blueberries daily. Blueberries are among the fruits and vegetables highest in antioxidant capacity, according to tests developed by ARS.