Brain Food

The Natural Connection

Last year, the reported antics of a group of geriatric rodents in Boston made headlines that gave a lot of farmers in South Georgia reason to smile. Scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Center on Aging at Tufts University conducted a study to determine if a diet rich in fruit and vegetable extracts had measurable effects on the health of old rats.

Specifically, the researchers fed supplements of extracts of spinach, strawberries, and blueberries to 19-month-old rats for a period of eight weeks. (This is apparently equivalent to 65-70 in people years). Rats, it seems, like human folks, can have declines in their health with age. They easily lose their balance, can topple over when they walk on skinny metal rods, and sometimes get confused and lost in a maze.

The study found that the groups that were fed the strawberry and blueberry extracts came out on top in tests of balance and coordination. Rats in these groups were able to balance on a rod longer, and find their way in a maze better than the ones that ate no fruits or vegetables, or ate just the spinach. The blueberry group did the best of all. They actually improved their navigational skills, coordination, and speed. This amazing discovery was published in the Journal of Neuroscience, and blueberries suddenly became known as a “brain food”, assuring them an honored place in the Fruit of the Month Club for years to come.

The findings of the Tufts scientists were impressive enough that a NIH news release September 15, 1999 proclaimed “Blueberries: New Thrills for Those Over the Hill!” The secret anti-aging compound in these little flavor bombs is thought to be the antioxidant phytochemicals in the blueberry called anthocyanins. These are the natural substances that are responsible for the deep blue and red pigments found in blueberries and other colorful fruits.

Blueberries have been shown to have the highest concentration of antioxidants of any fruit that has been studied. One half cup of South Georgia Rabbit Eye blueberries has as much antioxidant power as five servings of carrots, peas, apples, broccoli, or squash. And usually easier to get the kids to eat. Blueberries appear to offer protection from oxidative stress in the heart as well as the brain.

Besides the evidence that blueberries may help reverse age related problems in memory and balance, there is interest in their role in promoting vision health. One of their European cousins, the bilberry, has been linked with improvement of night vision. Blueberries are nicknamed the “vision fruit” in Japan, and researchers at Tufts are now studying the ability of blueberries to prevent macular degeneration, a disease of the retina, which is a major cause of blindness in persons over 65.

Blueberries, like cranberries, contain compounds that help prevent urinary tract infections by inhibiting the adherence of bacteria to the bladder wall. Unlike cranberry juice, which is often consumed for this benefit and is rather high in calories, blueberries have only 80 calories per cup. They have also been found to be rich in Vitamin C.

It will be a few years before we are able to determine if humans will see the same benefits from blueberries as the old Boston rodents. But I figure that I’ll begin my own little experiment and increase them now in my diet. I’ll let you know down the road how I do in walking tightropes and finding my way about in a maze. At least they are a lot more tempting to eat in cobblers than spinach. Now if I can only remember where I put that recipe…

For more information about this topic, please write to:

The Natural Connection, c/o Dr. Pauline Bellecci, Southeast Internal Medicine, PO Box 777, Waycross, GA 31502 or visit www.swampdocs.com