Phytonutrients in Berries Protect The Brain From Detrimental Effects Of Aging

U.S. researchers studying the effect of berry consumption on brain function in rats found that a berry diet rich in phytonutrients protected the animals’ brains from irradiation, a lab technique for simulating aging. They determined that berries promoted neurochemical changes in the brain, particularly autophagy, which regulates the synthesis, degradation and recycling of cell components. Accumulation of toxins in the brain was thereby significantly reduced. The researchers are now conducting clinical studies in older adults, aged 60 to 75, to see if their findings in rats apply in humans.