Eating Handful of Blueberries Daily May Improve Brain Function and Lower Blood Pressure

Modern family picking blueberries on a organic farm - family business concept.According to recent studies, eating a handful of blueberries daily may help with improved brain function and lowering blood pressure.

Increasing numbers of scientific studies are indicating that incorporating blueberries into your diet could be an easy way to make positive changes for your long-term health. In today’s post, we will go through the potential effects of eating blueberries on your physical and mental well-being, providing you with compelling evidence gathered from recent research studies.

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One of the most recent studies touting blueberries’ benefits was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and involved researchers from King’s and the University of Reading. It analyzed the results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 61 healthy men and women aged 65 to 80 who consumed a beverage made with 26 grams of freeze-dried wild blueberry powder (the equivalent of about 178 grams of whole berries). The control group drank a matching placebo group.

Over the twelve weeks, researchers found that participants who consumed the berry power in drinks had better memory and improved accuracy on attention tasks. They also had lower blood pressure compared to the placebo group. This group was also found to have increased flow-mediated dilation (FMD), leading to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

This study is the first of its kind and helps to bolster previous studies in suggesting that a daily intake of wild blueberries could help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering blood pressure and improving blood vessel function.

Previous studies had found potential advantages to consuming blueberries, but this study went further by analyzing how a certain amount of dietary blueberry consumption could benefit cognitive and cardiovascular health simultaneously.

Researchers believe the blue pigments in blueberries called anthocyanins are behind the effects as their metabolites were found in the participants’ urine after the 12-week consumption. These polyphenols are also present in other foods, such as raspberries, strawberries, red grapes, and purple vegetables.
Professor Claire Williams, Chair of the Neuroscience Department for University of Reading, said, “It’s clear from this study that consuming wild blueberries is beneficial to cognitive function and vascular health. The group who had the wild blueberry powder showed signs of better memory and greater mental flexibility when completing cognitive tasks. This is consistent with what we already know about the health benefits of anthocyanin-rich foods. It points to an important role of polyphenols in healthy aging.”

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Author Bio

Sarah began her interest in nutritional healing at an early age. After going through health problems and becoming frustrated with the conventional ways doctors wanted to treat her illness (which were not working), she took it upon herself to find alternative treatments. This led her to revolutionize her own diet to help her get healthier and tackle her health problems. She began treating her illness by living a more balanced lifestyle through healthy food choices, exercise and other alternative medicine such as meditation. This total positive lifestyle change led her to earn a diploma in Nutritional Therapy from Health Sciences Academy in London, England. Today, Sarah enjoys helping others by teaching healthy lifestyle changes through her personal consultations and with her regular contributions to the Doctors Health Press. Also, passionate about following her dreams in life, Sarah moved to France and lived in Paris for over 5 years where she earned a certification in beadwork and embroidery from Lesage (an atelier owned by Chanel). She then went on to be a familiar face sitting front row and reporting from Paris Fashion Week. Sarah continues to practice some of the cultural ways of life she learned while in Europe. They enjoy their food, and take the time to relax and enjoy many of life’s little moments. These are life lessons she is glad to have brought back home with her.

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-03-blueberries-day-brain-function-blood.html
https://www.cdc.gov/aging/data/subjective-cognitive-decline-brief.html

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