Scientists from the University of East Anglia in the UK have found out how to improve memory, reduce bad cholesterol and fight against dementia.

Researchers discovered that consuming cranberries could improve memory, prevent dementia, and lower ‘bad’ cholesterol.

The study looked at the health advantages of eating a cup of cranberries per day in people aged 50 to 80.

They anticipate that their findings would help in the prevention of neurodegenerative illnesses like dementia.

Dementia is predicted to impact around 152 million individuals by 2050. Since there is no known cure, it is important to look for ways to change our lifestyles, such as our diet, that could help reduce the risk of disease and the burden of disease.

Higher dietary flavonoid consumption has been linked to a slower rate of cognitive decline and dementia in previous research. Furthermore, diets high in anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, the pigments that give berries their red, blue, or purple color, have been shown to boost cognition.

As Cranberries are high in these micronutrients and are known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capabilities, Lead researcher Dr. David Vauzour says they “wanted to find out more about how cranberries could help reduce age-related neurodegeneration.”

The researchers looked at how consuming cranberries for 12 weeks affected brain function and cholesterol levels in 60 cognitively healthy people.

Half of the participants ate freeze-dried cranberry powder every day, which was comparable to a cup or 100g of fresh cranberries. Half of the participants were given a placebo.

The study is one of the first to look at the long-term effects of cranberries on cognition and brain function in humans.

The findings revealed that eating cranberries increased individuals’ memory of everyday happenings (visual episodic memory), neuronal functioning, and blood flow to the brain (brain perfusion).

The lead author added those “who consumed the cranberry powder showed significantly improved episodic memory performance in combination with improved circulation of essential nutrients such as oxygen and glucose to important parts of the brain that support cognition — specifically memory consolidation and retrieval.

“The cranberry group also exhibited a significant decrease in LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol levels, known to contribute to atherosclerosis — the thickening or hardening of the arteries caused by a build-up of plaque in the inner lining of an artery. This supports the idea that cranberries can improve vascular health and may in part contribute to the improvement in brain perfusion and cognition.

“Demonstrating in humans that cranberry supplementation can improve cognitive performance and identifying some of the mechanisms responsible is an important step for this research field.

“The findings of this study are very encouraging, especially considering that a relatively short 12-week cranberry intervention was able to produce significant improvements in memory and neural function,” he added.

“This establishes an important foundation for future research in the area of cranberries and neurological health.”

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