Have you been hearing about the great health benefits of flavonoids?  Did you read my previous blog post regarding the benefits of berries for cancer?  If not, click here!  Flavonoids are the components that are responsible for the colours of many fruits and flowers, and have many health benefits due to their antioxidants properties.

Who the Study Looked At

I came across this study that looked into the benefits of eating berries (primarily strawberries and blueberries) that are very rich in flavonoids, and their effect on cognitive function.  They took a group of 16,000 older women and analyzed their diet starting in their middle ages.  Once they reached 70 years of age or older, they underwent a cognitive assessment.

What the Study Found

They followed the patients’ progress over 4 years, and noted that patients who had a higher intake of strawberries and blueberries had a slower cognitive decline.  The strongest association of berries and decreased cognitive decline were in patients who ate at least 1 serving of blueberries or at least 2 servings of strawberries per week.  The researchers calculated that by simply eating at least 1 serving of blueberries or at least  2 servings of strawberries, there was up to a 2.5 year delay in cognitive aging!

The Take-Away Message

So, the moral of the story is that you should definitely incorporate berries, particularly blueberries and strawberries, into your weekly grocery shopping list.  They taste great, are healthy and can potentially slow your cognitive decline as you age.  What’s there to lose?

If you’d like to sit down to discuss how I can create a customized treatment plan for you, CONTACT ME HERE to set up a complimentary 15 min discovery call/meeting and we can get started.

What’s a discovery call/meeting?  It’s where we get to know each other better to ensure that I’m the right practitioner for you and that you have the opportunity to ask your questions about Naturopathic Medicine before we move forward with an initial Naturopathic consultation.

Here are a few more posts on healthy habits that you might also be interested in:

• Diet & Meal Plans
• How Do We “Detox”?
• What’s In Your Tea?
• Sugar – Is It As Bad As Everyone Says?
• Sugar Goes By Other Aliases …
• The Benefits of Having Pets Growing Up
• The Benefits of Living a Healthy Lifestyle on Longevity
• High Intensity Circuit Training (HICT)

References

• Devore EE, Kang JH, Breteler MMB & Grodstein F.  Dietary intakes of berries and flavonoids in relation to cognitive decline.  Annals of Neurology.  Online: Apr 25 2012 (DOI: 10.1002/ana.23594).

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