Superfruit cranberry ‘could halt onset of dementia’

A DAILY handful of superfruit cranberries could beat Alzheimer’s.

The fruit, most often eaten with turkey at Christmas, boosts memory by increasing blood flow to the brain.

People who ate around a small bowl a day had better powers of recall – after just 12 weeks. Scans showed more blood was flowing to the brain – which increases cognitive abilities.

The volunteers also had nine per cent less bad, or LDL (low density lipoprotein), cholesterol that can block vessels.

The number of dementia patients worldwide is set to triple in the next three decades.

There is an increasing focus on behaviours that are protective.

Dr David Vauzour, of the University of East Anglia, Norwich, said: “Participants who consumed the cranberry powder showed significantly improved episodic memory performance in combination with improved circulation of essential nutrients such as oxygen and glucose to important parts of the brain that support cognition – specifically memory consolidation and retrieval.

“The cranberry group also exhibited a significant decrease in LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol levels, known to contribute to atherosclerosis – the thickening or hardening of the arteries caused by a build-up of plaque in the inner lining of an artery.

“This supports the idea cranberries can improve vascular health and may in part contribute to the improvement in brain perfusion and cognition.”