Remember: Berries are good for the memory

William Atkins
Friday, 27 August 2010 02:06

Science - Health

A U.S. study has shown that berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries, contain polyphenols, which are natural substances that these scientists found were very helpful in reducing the natural process of aging within the brain - that is, they slow mental decline.

 

Polyphenols, the substance within berries that these researchers found to slow down deterioration of mental processes within the brain, are chemicals found within plants, such as berries, that contain multiple phenol units.

A phenol, also called carbolic acid, is an white-colored, crystalline organic compound with the chemical formula of C₆H₅OH.

Generally, polyphenols are either (1) hydrolyzalbe tannins (such as gallic acid esters of glucose and other sugars) or (2) phenylpropanoids (such as flavonoids, lignins, and condensed tannins).

The researchers participating in this study of berries and mental health are part of the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA), which is within the Agriculture Research Service (ARS), which is within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Dr. Shibu Poulose, a scientist with the HNRCA and a member of the research team, stated within the below-indicated WebMD article, 'The good news is that natural compounds called polyphenols found in fruits, vegetables and nuts have an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect that may protect against age-associated decline.'

The August 23, 2010 WebMD article 'Berries May Slow Mental Decline From Aging' goes into more detail about the memory-boost benefit that people can get from eating berries.

Read page two for more details.