Rich in antioxidants, potentially lower the risk of cancer and taste good in smoothies. And now you might be able to add “fight the effects of Alzheimer’s” to blueberries’ resume.
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati recently performed a study involving freeze-dried blueberry powder on a group of elderly people with impaired brain functioning. Those who had a cup of regular berries’ worth of powder showed improved cognitive function after daily consumption for 16 weeks when compared to a group who took a placebo powder.

It wasn’t just subjective or self-reported data either—the scientists used brain scans to prove that there was more activity in the blueberry powder group. There’s still work to be done to determine if blueberries can prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s rather than just reduce symptoms.
The researchers want to run the study on younger subjects, as well as at-risk patients.

Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., and it’s estimated that someone develops the disease every 67 seconds. There’s currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, so the possibility of a treatment that’s easily accessible is hopeful for us all.