Berries for Mental Health
Recently, a study from Tufts University was published which seems to indicate that berries can improve metal health. Now we know that blueberries, in particular, are full of anti-oxidants and may even reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, so the findings of this study aren’t revolutionary. But this study is the latest in a series of studies touting the effects of blueberries and strawberries, and each successive study seems to show that adding more fresh fruits to your diet can not only reduce the chances of macular degeneration claiming your eyesight, but can also help you stay mentally fit.
This latest study took 60 rats, divided them into 3 groups, and fed the control group ordinary feed. Group two got feed laced with strawberry extract, and group three had their feed laced with blueberry extract. The rats’ mental abilities were tested with an underwater maze, and the rats who received the ordinary feed performed the worst on the tests. While researchers aren’t ready yet to extrapolate their findings to humans, adding more fresh foods to your diet will only improve your health. And the added benefit of stimulating mental acuity is just wonderful.
Blueberries are in season in North America from May through October, which means that we’re nearing the end of the season. If you can still buy fresh blueberries in your area, freeze any that you are unable to use immediately in zip-top bags, without washing. Washing the berries causes them to absorb water, which will deteriorate the quality of the berries over time. They can still be rinsed when you are ready to use them. Add fresh berries to your morning yogurt or granola, or just eat them as a snack.
Strawberries are in season from early spring to mid summer in North America, but a few things make this an irrelevant fact. One, strawberries are the most popular berry worldwide so supermarkets work hard to make sure that strawberries are available almost year-round, by importing them from the southern hemisphere. Buy local berries whenever you can and organic if at all possible. Strawberries can absorb pesticides through their skins, so your chances of getting a nice dose of pesticides with your berries and cream are very high. To freeze strawberries, gently wash and pat dry. Arrange them in a single layer on a flat pan or cookie sheet and place them in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer the berries to a plastic bag zip-top bag and return them to the freezer. Adding a bit of lemon juice will help to preserve the strawberries’ color.
To add more berries to your diet, think about tossing some in a salad; a chain of cafés near my home has a summer salad with strawberries, mandarin orange slices and a reduced-fat poppy seed dressing. Fresh is always best, but freeze berries if you’re able to so that you can enjoy them even when there’s snow on the ground. For more information about the berry studies, please check out these links. CBS News, Web MD, and Science News
