Strawberry Consumption Can Prevent from Depression
- Freepik/jcomp
Jakarta – A study from the University of Cincinnati, United States (US) by Robert Krikorian and his team revealed that consuming one cup of strawberries every day can prevent from depression in adults and middle-aged people who are overweight with mild cognitive decline.
"Because we don't know when an effective treatment for dementia disease will be available, prevention and management through diet and lifestyle changes are currently the best options," he said, in a study published in the Journal Nutrient, on Friday.
Krikorian and his team conducted research on five male participants and 25 female participants for a randomized controlled trial.
These participants were then divided into two groups.
Stroberi.
- Pixabay
One group was given powder from fresh strawberries that had been dried and ground. The other group was given a placebo powder that looked and tasted identical to the strawberry powder.
Both groups were allowed to consume the powder by dissolving it in water or as a breakfast mix.
The powder was divided into several servings to be consumed daily with the aim of maintaining the daily dose. One bag containing 13 grams of strawberry powder contained 36.8 mg of anthocyanins.
Participants were also asked to stop consuming berries, juices, and so on during the research process.
"This study looked at the possibility that strawberry consumption would improve cognitive ability and metabolic health. And if so, whether there is a link between cognitive improvement and decreased metabolic disorders," Krikorian explained.
After 12 weeks, the researchers found that those who consumed strawberry powder made fewer 'intrusion errors' in a word list task.
This is relevant in the identification of cognitive decline, as is often the case with aging and dementia. Participants who consumed strawberry powder also reported lower levels of depressive symptoms, indicating improved emotional control.
The researchers believe that this is due to the anti-inflammatory properties of anthocyanins contained in strawberries. Anthocyanins are known to have health benefits such as improving metabolism and cognition.
