In one trial, participants who drank tart cherry juice performed better on tests of visual and spatial memory.
Fruits are an integral part of a balanced diet, but they could also become nutraceuticals: foods that heal. New research shows that drinking tart cherry juice is good for cognitive functions. It was published in the journal Food & Function.
Two glasses of juice daily
37 people aged 65 to 80 with normal cognitive functions took part in this work. Some of the participants drank 2 glasses a day for twelve weeks, the other consumed a placebo, which tasted and smelled the same but did not contain a cherry.
All passed tests at the end of the study. Cherry juice drinkers made 23% fewer errors than others on tests of their visual episodic memory, which refers to the ability to remember context or environment in addition to the fact. During spatial memory exercises, the number of errors in the group that drank the cherry juice was reduced by 18% compared to the placebo group.
“The potential beneficial effects of sour cherries may be related to the bioactive compounds they contain, including polyphenols, anthocyanins and melanin, explains Sheau Ching Chai, author of this study, they could also be related to the ability to cherry to reduce blood pressure, (…), as it can affect blood flow to the brain.”
An industry-funded study
Medical News Today points out a bias in the study: it was funded by the Cherry Research Committee of the Cherry Marketing Institute, which depends on an American cherry producer. “The donors had no role in the development of the study, the collection of data, their analysis or their interpretation, or in the writing, defends the main author. (…) The co-authors and I myself have no connection with this organization.” Sheau Ching Chai acknowledges, however, that further trials are needed to confirm these results.
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