Move over carrots, blueberries are taking the lead. Future generations may be hearing, “Eat your blueberries, they’ll make you smarter.”
Research conducted in Nutrients has shown that eating blueberries can not only make you healthier but make you smarter as well.
The study included participants eating half a cup of blueberries a day for 12 weeks, and the results were impressive showing improvements in “learning, memory, and executive function: decision-making, planning, focus, task management, etc.”
How is this possible? Blueberries are full of antioxidants and other bioactive components which promote good health. The specific component is anthocyanin which “improves metabolic function, increases cell-level energy production, and decreases inflammation.”
This may help the effect of metabolic disturbances and lower the risk for dementia since those disturbances as well as people who are overweight are more likely to suffer from memory loss.
More so, half a cup of blueberries a day has proven to improve the average participant’s “language skills, improve their short-term memory, and enhance their decision-making, planning, and organization skills.”
This isn’t completely set in stone, factors such as genetics may influence the changes made by the berries. Of course, research has also shown that dieting, exercising, and living a healthy lifestyle can make a huge impact in protecting brain health.
According to the INC. Newsletter, research has shown exercise can increase the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning, even late into your 60s.
It’s important to keep your brain healthy. It’s important to get plenty of sleep and avoid things like alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.
So take care of yourself and start picking up some healthy habits by eating blueberries.
