Incorporating cranberries into your daily diet can improve memory and brain function, and reduce levels of bad cholesterol.

The researchers conducted a 12-week study of 60 participants between the ages of 50 and 80 with normal cognitive function to examine the effects of bilberry consumption on brain function and cholesterol. Half of the participants consumed freeze-dried tomb cranberry powder, equivalent to a daily intake of 1-cup or 100 grams of fresh cranberries, while the other half received a placebo.

Researchers analyzed the long-term effects of cranberry intake on cognition and brain health. The results showed that ingesting cranberry significantly improved participants' memory of everyday life (visual episodic memory), neurological function and blood delivery to the brain. Participants who ingested cranberries also showed significant reductions in LDL, or bad cholesterol, which is known to promote atherosclerosis, the development of arterial changes caused by plaque buildup in the lining of arteries. thick or hard. This supports the idea that cranberries improve vascular health and promote increased blood flow to the brain and improved cognitive function.

The findings could help to develop novel strategies to help people fight off neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, thereby reducing the risk and burden of the disease.