London - A trial is under way to test whether giving people over 60 a daily dose of strawberries can slow the effects of ageing on the brain.
A previous study at Harvard University showed that women with the highest intake of strawberries and blueberries had a slower mental decline — by an average of two-and-a-half years — compared with those whose berry intake was low.
In the new trial, run by the US government’s Human Nutrition Research Centre on Ageing, men and women will have 12g of freeze-dried strawberries mixed with water, daily, for three months, or a placebo preparation. They will then undergo tests of mental ability, memory, gait and balance.
Strawberries contain antioxidants, which have an anti-inflammatory effect — inflammation is thought to play a major role in mental decline. - Daily Mail