blueberries

The berry best way to beat dementia

I don’t have a clue what Big Pharma would charge for a dementia prevention drug – but since new meds for major diseases often run $1,000 a month or more, you can bet it would cost an arm and a leg.

But who needs to wait for a pricey pill when there’s already one on the market that costs just pennies a day?

And actually, it’s available IN the market – in the produce aisle – because the “pill” you’re looking for is a blueberry!

Blueberries have been proven in previous studies to help cut the risk of cognitive decline and dementia in seniors. And now, the latest research shows they can especially help the folks who need it most: those already suffering from mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

That’s the first step down the road toward cognitive decline, which often leads to dementia and, ultimately, Alzheimer’s disease.

But if you eat some more blueberries, you could delay that journey…or perhaps even put it off completely…because the new study finds the healthy pigments that make these delicious berries so BLUE can help boost your cognitive performance.

In a series of experiments on seniors with mild cognitive impairment, those given a blueberry powder daily for four months did better on brain tests than folks given a placebo powder.

They had better cognitive performance and brain function, including a memory boost and better mental abilities with both words and concepts.

Scans even showed more brain activity in folks given the blueberry powder.

Now, in a second test in the study, there was almost no benefit at all to older folks who’d just been experiencing the typical “brain burps” that come with age – and didn’t have MCI – but don’t let that stop you from enjoying blueberries.

The nutrients locked inside each delicious berry can protect your brain, heart and eyes, and may even help fight off cancer, including cancers of the breast and prostate.

Don’t expect to eat a blueberry muffin or a slice of blueberry pie and get the benefits. The sugars and carbs will do more to HURT your brain than the berries could ever make up for.

Instead, eat fresh organic berries whenever possible.

And if the benefits are indeed from those pigments – known as “anthocyanins” – you don’t have to limit yourself to blueberries, either.

Eggplant, plums, asparagus, cherries and pomegranates are all excellent sources of them – and the best source of all may not even be blueberries.

Try going a few shades darker…with blackberries.

Enjoy!

Boost your immune system with this trick

A little bit of sunshine and a big bowl of fresh red grapes -- that's not just a recipe for a terrific early autumn snack.

It's also a recipe for good health and proper immune system function.

The vitamin D you get from sunlight is one of the most powerful nutrients around, while the resveratrol found in red grapes is an antioxidant known to fight the effects of aging.

Each on its own can give your immune system a lift. But this is a case where 1 + 1 equals more than two -- because new research shows how the two compounds go together like peanut butter and jelly when it comes to immune system support.

Together, they can actually enhance a critical immune system gene called cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, or CAMP for short -- and it's a gene you need to fight disease, especially infection caused by bacteria.

Of the hundreds of compounds tested on the CAMP gene, the two that stood out for having this effect were vitamin D and a class of nutrients known as stilbenoids that includes the resveratrol I just mentioned as well as the pterostilbene found in blueberries.

You can of course get both by enjoying fresh fruit. But if you need more immune support -- or if berries and grapes aren't in season where you live -- you can get many of the same nutrients from an antioxidant supplement blend or resveratrol capsules.

And while sunshine is the best natural source of vitamin D, the very real threats of sunburn and skin cancer means you should limit your time outdoors (and use an all-natural sunscreen when you are exposed).

Supplements are a safe and inexpensive way to get the D you need for good health and immune system function without the risks of excess sunlight. Most people need between 2,000 IUs and 5,000 IUs per day.