Category: Boost Brain Power

One glass per day for 12 weeks improved brain function and cognitive abilities.

Concentrated blueberry juice improves cognitive function in older people, research finds.

Those who drank the juice also had better blood flow and activation in their brains as well as improvements to working memory.

The boost to brain power is likely down to the flavonoids in blueberries.

Flavonoids have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Dr Joanna Bowtell, the study’s first author, said:

“Our cognitive function tends to decline as we get older, but previous research has shown that cognitive function is better preserved in healthy older adults with a diet rich in plant-based foods.

In this study we have shown that with just 12 weeks of consuming 30ml of concentrated blueberry juice every day, brain blood flow, brain activation and some aspects of working memory were improved in this group of healthy older adults.”

For the research, 12 people were given the equivalent of 230g of blueberries in a concentrated juice each day for 12 weeks.

The remaining 14 were given a placebo.

After 12 weeks, all were tested for brain function and cognitive abilities.

The study’s authors conclude:

“…blueberry concentrate consumed once per day (30 ml, providing 387 mg anthocyanins) for 12 weeks increased activation of brain areas associated with cognitive processes including memory and executive function, which tend to deteriorate with age.”

Antioxidants are key to the beneficial effect of blueberries.

A previous study also found blueberries stave off brain ageing, as do walnuts and strawberries.

The results for memory in this study were marginal.

However, previous research has found that blueberries can improve memory and cognitive function.

The study was published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism (Bowtell et al., 2017).

The study used data from 475,397 people in the UK.

A strong handgrip is a simple sign that your brain is healthy, new research finds.

The study of almost half a million people found that stronger people — as measured by grip strength — performed better on tests of reaction speed, memory and logical problem solving.

The link was found in young and old alike.

Dr Joseph Firth, the study’s first author, said:

“When taking multiple factors into account such as age, gender, bodyweight and education, our study confirms that people who are stronger do indeed tend to have better functioning brains.”

The study used data from 475,397 people in the UK.

The link between strength and brain health suggests that weight training can be beneficial to the brain.

Dr Firth said:

“We can see there is a clear connection between muscular strength and brain health.

But really, what we need now, are more studies to test if we can actually make our brains healthier by doing things which make our muscles stronger – such as weight training.”

It is known that aerobic training improves brain health, but the effect of weight training on the brain has not been fully investigated.

Dr Firth said:

“These sorts of novel interventions, such as weight training, could be particularly beneficial for people with mental health conditions.

Our research has shown that the connections between muscular strength and brain functioning also exist in people experiencing schizophrenia, major depression and bipolar disorder – all of which can interfere with regular brain functioning.

This raises the strong possibility that weight training exercises could actually improve both the physical and mental functioning of people with these conditions.”

The study was published in the journal Schizophrenia Bulletin (Firth et al., 2018).

People got a boost to their mental performance and feel better using this type of bike.

Electric bikes can provide an even greater boost to brain function and mental well-being than ordinary bikes, research concludes.

Electric bikes contain motors that provide assistance to the cyclist.

Older people enjoyed using the e-bikes even more than regular bicycles.

The reason is that e-bikes give people confidence that they will be able to complete their ride.

Even without much physical exertion, being outside makes people feel much better, the study found.

Dr. Louise-Ann Leyland, the study’s first author, said:

“It is really encouraging that this research suggests older adults’ cognitive function (particularly what we call executive function as well as processing speed) could be improved by cycling in the natural/urban environment, even when that was on an electrically assisted e-ike.

Furthermore, we found that some aspects of mental health and well-being increased in participants, who cycled on an e-bike for an hour and a half a week for an eight-week period.

This suggests that there may be an impact of exercising in the environment on executive function and mental health. “

The study included 100 people aged 50 to 83 who were asked to do three 30-minute rides per week for 8 weeks.

The results showed that cycling outdoors provides a brain boost, even when people use e-bikes.

Professor Carien Van Reekum, study co-author, said:

“Among the older adults involved in this project, e-bikes have a number of very positive benefits and in some cases even more so than standard cycles.

What surprised us is that these benefits are not only linked to the extra levels of exercise.

We had thought that those who used traditional, pedal-only powered bikes would have the greatest brain and mental health boost, as they would be giving their cardiovascular systems the biggest workout.

Instead, people who used e-bikes told us that they felt more confident in completing the requested activity of three 30-minute rides a week for eight weeks, compared to pedal bikers.

The fact that the group was able to get outside on a bike, even without much physical exertion, is likely to make people feel mentally better.

If having a bit of extra help from an electric motor encourages more people to cycle, the positive effects can be shared across a wider age range and with people who are less confident on a bike.”

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE (Leyland et al., 2019).