New study: Strawberries may reduce dementia risk

A newly conducted study by neuroscientist Robert Krikorian, from the University of Cincinnati, suggests that regular consumption of strawberries could reduce the risk of dementia and help boost mood in individuals who are prone to cognitive decline.

Participants in the study comprised middle-aged overweight people with signs of insulin resistance and mild cognitive impairment. These individuals ate the equivalent of one cup of strawberries daily for 12 weeks and reportedly exhibited better memory and fewer symptoms of depression.

The study recruited 30 adults between the ages of 50 and 65, mostly women, with a body mass index that placed them in the overweight category. During the research, participants were required to avoid eating all types of berry fruit for two weeks before the study. They were given a supplement powder that contained real strawberries or a placebo to consume every day during the study.

The two groups’ cognitive abilities were assessed before and after the survey through cognitive tests assessing executive abilities, long-term memory function, word retrieval, and mood. The researchers tracked metabolic data.

The study’s participants who were given a daily dose of strawberry powder performed better on the delayed recognition test, which helped suppress interference in memory, reducing confusion and improving executive control during the word-list learning test, on top of having significant mood improvement, indicating better emotional coping skills, executive capability, better social relationships management, and improved response control, and increased flexibility. In contrast, those given the placebo powder did not do as well.

The researchers noted that many of the participants in this age and insulin-resistant cohort had impaired executive function to some extent, indicating that this “treatment” corrected the existing deficiency to some degree. However, they were unsure if consuming strawberries would enrich cognitive function in people without impairment.

While further research is still necessary, it’s clear that you can’t go wrong with including some strawberries in your diet, so don’t hesitate.