The Beatles may have been onto something when they crooned “strawberry fields forever.” A study published in September showed that the fruit is filled with more than just immune-boosting vitamin C in every bite—it also appeared to improve memory and mood in a small group of dementia patients.
During a 12-week controlled trial, a group of men and women between 50 and 70 with insulin resistance was divided in two. One batch received the placebo, while the other consumed 24 grams daily of freeze-dried strawberry powder, the equivalent of about two cups of fresh strawberries. After 12 weeks, it was found that the berry-consuming group had better memory recall, lower levels of depression, and less stress.
A similar study was conducted using blueberries in 2022 and yielded similar results. So what do strawberries and blueberries have in common? Both contain anthocyanins, a flavonoid typically found in richly pigmented foods like grapes, red cabbage, and (clearly) red and blue berries. Anthocyanins have been linked to the prevention of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, including conditions like dementia.
For what it’s worth, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends that adults consume between one and a half to two cups of fruit daily. If you find the news from this study compelling, why not check two boxes at once: Two cups of blueberries a day (they have a higher concentration of anthocyanins per gram than strawberries) can be a multitasking wonder.
