5/4/2007
Contact: Peggy Dillon
California Strawberry Commission
831.724.1301
A HEALTHY HEART MEANS A HEALTHIER BRAIN - Strawberries are among foods that benefit both organs
Watsonville, CA – As nutritionist Joy Bauer said on NBC’s Today Show recently, “The plain truth is that a healthy heart makes for a healthy brain.”
“Because oxygen and nutrients are carried in the bloodstream, anything that impedes blood-flow will starve those all-important brain cells,” Bauer says.
Strawberries are rich in an array of nutrients that may play important roles in heart and brain disease prevention, including vitamin C, folate, potassium, and flavonoids such as anthocyanins, the natural pigments responsible for the red color of strawberries, quercetin and ellagic acid.
Research indicates that consumption of strawberries not only increases blood levels of these nutrients but also lowers markers of cardiovascular disease levels and blood pressure. In an analysis of data from large dietary studies in the U.S., strawberry eaters had higher levels of folate, fiber and vitamin C and lower blood pressure than non-strawberry eaters.
Dr. Jim Joseph, Director of the Neuroscience Laboratory at the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University in Boston, explains more about how strawberries promote heart and brain health. “Strawberries have good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities and since most cardio-vascular problems involve inflammation and oxidation, strawberries can protect you from their effects. They cut off the signal to free radicals and cut off the production of substances that can be toxic. In the brain, they help neurons work better and help with motor function and memory.”
Last fall at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Prevention of Dementia, scientists said that eating delicious foods such as strawberries and other berries have a positive effect on protecting the brain because they are rich sources of important nutrients.
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