Tasty Treat TURBOCHARGES Brain AND Heart!
It’s easy to think that making meaningful improvements in your heart or brain health requires one of two things:
- Taking a laundry list of prescription drugs, or
- Completely overhauling your diet and lifestyle.
I won’t ever discourage you from making healthy lifestyle changes. But if that seems daunting to you I have good news.
You can strengthen your brain and heart health simply by making one small change to your daily routine.
And we’re talking about BIG benefits – like improving vascular and cerebral blood flow and lowering blood pressure.
Oh, and it’s pretty tasty, too.
Not all research studies are created equal.
Scientists often use epidemiological studies to identify the health benefits of certain foods. This population-based research shows things like people who eat the highest amount of a particular food has the lowest incidence of a specific health condition.
While these DO provide valuable information, they don’t show direct cause and effect.
A higher-quality study is one that’s randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled. This is considered the gold standard of research because it gives more direct, accurate feedback.
A new study showing the dramatic heart and brain health benefits of simply eating a tasty berry was established using this type of gold-standard study.
Researchers recruited 61 senior volunteers from 65 to 80. Half of the participants ate a freeze-dried wild blueberry powder for 12 weeks, while the other half consumed a look-alike placebo.
The 26 grams of blueberry powder was the equivalent of 75-80 whole blueberries.
Overall, the blueberry group experienced the following:
- A 3.59 mmHG reduction in systolic blood pressure
- Improved blood vessel function
- Improved executive function (skills like planning ahead and following multi-step directions)
- Strengthened short-term memory
- Faster reaction times
All of these factors significantly impact your risk of heart and brain problems.
What about blueberries makes them such powerhouses when it comes to improving health?
It’s right in their name. It’s their blueness.
The pigment that makes them blue is called anthocyanins, a class of polyphenols. Other polyphenol-rich foods include green tea, broccoli, turmeric, and cinnamon.
And anthocyanins, in particular, are also found in red and purple produce like strawberries, raspberries, red grapes, and purple vegetables.
To boost your brain and heart health, go ahead and add more of these to your menu.
P.S. Ever noticed that grocery store strawberries are often tasteless these days? A recent study revealed they’re missing MORE than just their flavor. They’ve been robbed of nutrients too. CLICK HERE to reveal the culprit.
SOURCE:
“Wild blueberry (poly)phenols can improve vascular function and cognitive performance in healthy older individuals: a double-blind randomized controlled trial,” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Published: March 25, 2023, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.03.017
