Need a Brain Boost? Try This Holiday Berry
The Christmas season is packed with endless opportunities to socialize.
There’s never a dull moment—from parties to cookie exchanges to family dinners.
But if you’ve been finding it increasingly difficult to recall details on the spot or remember names, then you might be dreading this busy season.
Age-related cognitive decline is common in seniors. But it’s a mistake to think it’s inevitable.
You CAN reduce your memory-loss risk. In fact, as we head into the holidays, there’s a season-linked step you can take to help boost your cognitive function.
Cranberries are overlooked most of the year. However, during the holidays, they become a staple, making an appearance in meals throughout the season.
But we might want to add them to the menu year-round because scientists say these tart little treats could give us a natural brain boost.
In a study on older adults, consuming freeze-dried cranberry powder daily for 12 weeks significantly improved visual episodic memory.
This is when you see an object and then remember it again later.
For example, seeing an item on your grandchild’s Christmas list and recognizing it when you spot it in the store. Or having the ability to associate names with faces.
The volunteers taking the cranberry powder also improved the circulation of nutrients in their brains.
Researchers theorize that two brain-shielding flavonoids—anthocyanidins and proanthocyanins—are responsible for these cranberry benefits.
Unfortunately, eating cranberry sauce alone won’t provide you with enough of these brain-friendly nutrients. You can add a cranberry powder supplement, like the one used in this study, to your routine to get more of them.
Or, you can eat other foods high in anthocyanins and proanthocyanins, such as grapes, pomegranates, and goji berries.
Keep your spotty memory from ruining your fun this holiday season. Fight back with brain-supporting berries starting TODAY.
P.S. Adopt these five habits to SLASH your risk of cognitive decline.
Source:
Flanagan, E., Cameron, D., Sobhan, R., Wong, C., et al., (2022). Chronic Consumption of Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) for 12 Weeks Improves Episodic Memory and Regional Brain Perfusion in Healthy Older Adults: A Randomised, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Groups Feasibility Study. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 849902.
