Berries Give the Brain a Healthy Aging

This article discusses how scientists have recently discovered that blueberries, or fruits that highly contain polyphenolics can help aging brain stay healthy. Shibu Poulose, Ph.D., who presented the report, stated that “one factor involved in aging is a steady decline in the body's ability to protect itself against inflammation and oxidative damage.” Due to the previous statement, the body is then easily accessible to gain degenerative brain diseases, heart disease, cancer, and other age-related disorders. In order to test their theory, scientists studied rats for two months that were put on a diet of 2 percent high-antioxidant strawberry, blueberry, or blackberry extracts. The result of the test demonstrated an opposite reaction during their aging. For example, the function of their nerves and behaviors such as remembering and learning were actions that were reversed during a normal aging.

Polyphenolics are organic compounds that are found in fruits. Vegetables and fruits help protect against aging a brain unhealthily, because they contain an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect. After conducting research on the rats, Poulose and Joseph discovered another explanation why nerve function decreases during aging. They predicted that it had to do with the brain’s cleaning process. Poulose and Joseph believed that microglia cells, also known as the housekeepers, fail to do their job, during aging, recycling biochemical debris in the process called autophagy. Because they fail to do their work, debris builds up and intercepts with brain functions; and then the microglia begins to harm good cells. With the help of polyphenolics, they are able to restore the microglia’s function to normal.

In conclusion, Poulose and Joseph are trying to tell us that we should eat as many fruit that contain polyphenolics, or fruits that have deep red, blue, and orange colors. Without it our microglia cells may not carry out their functions that are essential to allow us to age in a healthy way.

Source: American Chemical Society. "Eating Berries May Activate the Brain's Natural Housekeeper for Healthy Aging." ScienceDaily 24 August 2010. 24 August 2010 .