For centuries, people have enjoyed blueberries for their flavor and color. In a 1999 research study, animals fed a blueberry extract diet, rich in naturally-derived antioxidants, showed fewer age-related motor changes and outperformed their study counterparts on memory tests. Indeed, blueberries and other foods containing antioxidants may act to protect the body against damage from oxidative stress, one of several biological processes implicated in aging and in the development of a number of neurodegenerative diseases. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture funded the study.
In the study, three groups of older rats were fed an 8-week-long diet supplemented with fruit or vegetable extracts with potential antioxidant effects. A fourth group of animals did not receive the special diet. The group of animals that received the supplements showed some improvement on key indicators of age-related decline.
The study was conducted by James Joseph, Ph.D. of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University in Boston, and Paula C. Bickford, Ph.D. of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Denver. The study results appear in the September 15, 1999, issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.*
 | The animals that received supplements were given either blueberry, strawberry, or spinach extracts. Investigators found that the group of rats that was fed blueberry supplements came out on top in tests of balance and coordination. The two groups given strawberry or blueberry supplements showed the most compelling evidence of protection against oxidative stress in their brains. On tests of working memory, all three groups receiving supplements outperformed their control counterparts. In addition, the groups receiving supplements all showed signs of the presence of vitamin E, a key antioxidant, in their brains. |
"The exciting finding from this study is the potential reversal of some age-related impairments in both memory and motor coordination, especially with blueberry supplements," said Molly Wagster, Ph.D., a Health Scientist Administrator with the NIA's Neuroscience and Neurospsychology of Aging Program. "For these animals at least, investigators were able to produce a noticeable improvement within a relatively short period of time. A next important step in the research will be to see if the improvements are long lasting."
This article is an excerpt from a press release issued by The National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), located in Bethesda, Maryland. The entire release may be accessed at www.nia.nih.gov. The NIA leads the Federal effort supporting basic, clinical, epidemiological and social research on aging and the special needs of older people. www.nia.nih.gov
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*Joseph, J.A., Shukitt-Hale B., Denisova, N.A. Bielinksi D., Martin, A., McEwen, J.J., and Bic2kford, P.C. "Reversals of Age-Related Declines in Neuronal Signal Transduction, Cognitive, and Motor Behavioral Deficits with Blueberry, Spinach, or Strawberry Dietary Supplementation." Journal of Neuroscience, September 15, 1999, Vol. 19, No. 18, pp. 8114-8121.
U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, "Blueberry Health Benefits", http://www.blueberry.org/health.htm
For centuries, people have enjoyed blueberries for their flavor and color. In a 1999 research study, animals fed a blueberry extract diet, rich in naturally-derived antioxidants, showed fewer age-related motor changes and outperformed their study counterparts on memory tests. Indeed, blueberries and other foods containing antioxidants may act to protect the body against damage from oxidative stress, one of several biological processes implicated in aging and in the development of a number of neurodegenerative diseases. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture funded the study.