Researchers from King’s College London and the University of Reading have found that eating a handful of blueberries each day lowers blood pressure, speeds up reactions, improves memory and cognitive abilities. Results of the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The study included 60 people aged 65 to 80 years. One part of the volunteers consumed a beverage containing 26 grams of lyophilized wild blueberries (about 180 grams of strawberries) each day for three months, and the other part received a placebo.
At the beginning and end of the experiment, the scientists collected data about the health status of the volunteers and then compared them. Apparently, participants who consumed fruit powder in drinks had better memory and lower blood pressure, as well as a higher hit rate on attention tasks.
According to scientists, anthocyanins are responsible for this effect – scientists noted an increase in anthocyanin metabolites in the urine of volunteers after 12 weeks of use. These are the polyphenols found in the fruit that give it its blue color. They are also found in strawberries, raspberries, red grapes and other purple vegetables.