Could Blueberries fight Alzheimer's disease?

Blueberries have been dubbed a "superfruit" for their ability to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, but they can also fight Alzheimer's disease.A new study adds weight to this idea.Blueberries are rich in antioxidants, substances that can help block the effects of this common form of dementia.The research was published in the 251st meeting of the Chemical Society (ACS).Dr Robert Krikorian, who led the study, said: "Our new findings confirm past animal studies and preliminary human studies demonstrating that blueberries are indeed beneficial for improving memory and cognition in older adults.Blueberries get their power from anthocyanins."

There are currently 5.3 million Americans with Alzheimer's, and that number will continue to grow as the aging population increases.By 2025, the number of Americans with Alzheimer's will increase by 40 percent to 7 million.In an effort to slow this trend, Krikorian and his colleagues at the University of Cincinnati's Academic Health Center led two human studies to track past clinical trials.

One study recruited 47 subjects over the age of 68 with mild cognitive impairment, all of whom were at risk for Alzheimer's disease. The participants were given either blueberry powder or a placebo powder daily for 16 weeks." Participants who ate blueberry powder daily showed significant improvements in cognitive performance and brain function compared to those who took a placebo daily," Krikorian said.Those who ate blueberries showed better memory."The team also performed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) on the subjects, which showed increased brain activity in the blueberry-eating group.

Another study recruited 94 people aged 62 to 80 who were divided into four groups.The subjects didn't objectively measure cognitive problems, but they all subjectively felt their memory decline.Four groups were given blueberry powder, fish oil, fish oil and blueberry powder, and placebo, respectively."The results are not as convincing as the first study," Krikorian explained.The fish oil or blueberry powder group performed better on cognitive skills, but there was no improvement in memory."He believes the blueberries were less effective because the subjects' problems were not as severe in this test.

Krikorian said the two studies showed blueberries were effective in treating cognitive impairment, and that in the future, the team plans to do several studies on the effects of blueberries in people aged 50 to 65.They will recruit people at risk for Alzheimer's, such as those who are obese, have high blood pressure or have high cholesterol.The work could help researchers determine whether blueberries may protect against Alzheimer's disease at the onset of symptoms.