New study highlights strawberries’ promising effects on heart and brain health

In general, berries are considered a superfood for providing numerous health benefits.

While previous studies have found consuming berries can help ease oxidative stress and inflammation, other studies have shed light on benefits for the nervous system, gut microbiota, cardiovascular system and immune system.

Now, new research from San Diego State University has associated strawberry consumption with improved cognitive function, increased antioxidant capacity and reduced blood pressure. The team conducted a study with 35 men and women between the ages of 66 and 78.

Each day, study participants either consumed 26g of strawberry powder or a control powder.

At the end of eight weeks, those who ate the strawberries had increased cognitive processing speed (5.2%), increased antioxidant capacity (10.2%) and lowered systolic blood pressure (3.6%), when compared to those who took the control powder.

Although strawberries could be found in the wild as far back as Roman times, they were first grown in the late 18th century in gardens in France. Today, they are grown in different parts of the world, with the majority of the production occurring in Spain, Turkey and the US.

Strawberries are known to contain many minerals and vitamins the body needs to stay healthy, on top of a large amount of antioxidants. They are also high in vitamin C, with consuming just eight large strawberries sufficient to address the daily vitamin C intake.