Have you been forgetting scores of things off late? Do you wish there was something that helped your memory function? Then look no far, just walk into your kitchen and gorge on grapes, blueberries or have a cup of tea or even indulge in a chocolate bar. Sure sounds like a yummy way to keep your memory cells in top functioning condition.
A recent study in print in the Journal of Neuroscience based on experiments conducted in mice brings to light the role played by a certain chemical in grapes, tea, cocoa and blueberries in enhancing memory. This chemical has been identified as epicatechin, which is a flavanol. Long have flavonols known to hold cardiovascular benefits and even have antioxidant function.
This study conducted at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, California states that epicatechin consumption along with regular exercise worked to improve memory. This was possible because of the action of exercise combined with dietary epicatechin on dentate gyrus, a part of the brain involved in the formation of learning and memory. In addition, it was observed that this combination even worked to lessen the activity of genes involved in neurodegeneration and inflammation.
Dr. Henriette van Praag of the Salk Institute involved with this study says,
“A logical next step will be to study the effects of epicatechin on memory and brain blood flow in aged animals, and then humans, combined with mild exercise.”
Dr. Mark Mattson, from the US National Institute on Ageing, says,
“This is an important advance because it identifies a single natural chemical with memory-enhancing effects, suggesting it may be possible to optimise brain function by combining exercise and dietary supplementation.”
So hope this research goes a long way in the future, as we would all like to receive a yummy prescription to boost our brain cells, wouldn’t we?
Image: Wegmans
Via: BBC