Patients of dementia may need to look no further than their own kitchens and refrigerators for a remedy to ease their symptoms. While it has long been suspected that some natural compounds, like those in blueberries, may minimise dementia-induced memory loss, a study conducted on mice at the Konkuk University, Republic of Korea, has further strengthened this belief. The study found that it actually restored impaired cognitive processes in mice. It is suspected that blueberry vinegar prevents the breakdown of acetylcholine, a chemical that is deficient in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, tested this hypothesis by demonstrating that the reverse—blocking acetylcholine receptors—disrupts learning and memory. The blueberry breakthrough is significant because though synthetic drugs can achieve the same result, they do not last long in the body and also damage the liver.

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Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
February 2018