Blueberries appear to be an effective anti-aging remedy, at least in lab animals. And it doesn't take a mental giant to figure out that human tests aren't far behind. That should make blueberry farmers smile because our age-phobic society can't seem to get enough of anti-aging remedies. Blueberries appear to retard the aging process because of their antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help reduce damage during a cell's digestion of nutrients. If this digestive process occurs too rapidly (rapid oxidation) then the result is oxidative stress, cell damage.
For centuries, people have enjoyed blueberries for their flavor and color. In a new research study, animals fed a blueberry extract diet, rich in naturally-derived antioxidants, showed fewer age-related motor changes and out-performed their study counterparts on memory tests. It appears that blueberries and other foods containing antioxidants may protect the body against age-related damage and a number of neurodegenerative diseases. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture funded the study.
“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.”
“Whether results found in this study will also prove true for humans remains to be seen,” says Marcelle Morrison-Bogorad, Ph.D., who directs the NIA's Neuroscience and Neuropsychology of Aging Program. “The only way to determine whether particular food ingredients actually work to slow age-related cognitive decline in humans as well is to conduct controlled clinical trials.”
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.
