Almost one million people in the UK are living with dementia, a cruel progressive condition that can cause memory loss, behavioural changes and even mobility problems.
And it is thought it will only become more prevalent due to our ageing population.
While it is not known exactly what causes dementia, research has proved that there are a range of factors that can increase or decrease your risk of developing it.
One of these factors is diet, according to a study published in The Lancet in 2020.
Specifically, it suggests a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole foods and healthy fats, as a good place to start.
Now research has pinpointed a certain fruit that could help reduce cognitive decline.
A new study, published in Nutrients journal, found that eating strawberries every day could reduce the risk of dementia for certain middle-aged people.
The trial built on previous research by the University of Cincinnati in the US, that found eating blueberries had a similar effect.
As reported in Science Daily, study lead Robert Krikorian explained: “Both strawberries and blueberries contain antioxidants called anthocyanins, which have been implicated in a variety of berry health benefits such as metabolic and cognitive enhancements.
“There is epidemiological data suggesting that people who consume strawberries or blueberries regularly have a slower rate of cognitive decline with ageing.”
In addition to containing anthocyanins, Robert said strawberries contain other micronutrients called ellagitannins and ellagic acid that have been associated with further health benefits.
As part of the study, 30 overweight participants aged between 50 and 65 were enrolled.
All had complained of mild cognitive decline. Robert said they had an increased risk for late-life dementia and other common conditions.
Over a 12 week period the participants abstained from eating any kinds of berries.
Half the group received powders that contained the equivalent of one cup of whole strawberries (the standard serving size), while the other half received a placebo, to be mixed with water and consumed with breakfast.
They underwent tests that measured certain cognitive abilities like long-term memory.
Researchers also tracked their mood, intensity of depressive symptoms and metabolic data over the course of the study.
Overall it was found that those consuming the strawberry powder had “diminished memory interference” and displayed fewer depressive symptoms.
“Reduced memory interference refers to less confusion of semantically related terms on a word-list learning test,” Robert said.
“This phenomenon generally is thought to reflect better executive control in terms of resisting intrusion of non-target words during the memory testing.”
Robert added: “Executive abilities begin to decline in midlife and excess abdominal fat, as in insulin resistance and obesity, will tend to increase inflammation, including in the brain.
“So, one might consider that our middle-aged, overweight, prediabetic sample had higher levels of inflammation that contributed to at least mild impairment of executive abilities. Accordingly, the beneficial effects we observed might be related to moderation of inflammation in the strawberry group.”
