April 26, 2012

expert reaction to study of berry consumption and cognitive decline

A study of female nurses in the US, published in Annals of Neurology, suggested that eating greater amounts of blueberries and strawberries is associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline.

Carol Brayne, Professor of Public Health Medicine, University of Cambridge, said:

“Broccoli, blueberries, Mediterranean diet, Sudoku…..it is very difficult indeed to be sure that this is not residual confounding as these kinds of dietary patterns are associated with many other positive attributes, which themselves are associated with healthier ageing.

“Blueberries have been of interest for many years and it’s certainly worth further investigation, but for definitive evidence we have to await well designed trials as this is another observational study.”

Derek Hill, CEO of IXICO and Professor of Medical Imaging Sciences, University College London, said:

“Later this year, two major drug trials targeting the proteins in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s Disease will announce their results. Many experts fear these drugs will be added to the long list of potential dementia treatments that fail to demonstrate conclusively that they slow cognitive decline.

“This latest research suggesting that a diet high on berries can slow cognitive decline in the elderly population is therefore especially welcome. It is a large and well-designed study that significantly strengthens the evidence that changes to diet may be able to delay onset of dementia symptoms. This suggests that we can take further steps to tackling the scourge of dementia in society while we await the arrival of effective new medicines.”

‘Dietary Intakes of Berries and Flavonoids in Relation to Cognitive Decline’ by Devore, E. et al., published in Annals of Neurology on Thursday 26th April.