Strawberries found to reduce inflammation and prevent cognitive decline

Strawberries may be sweet and juicy, but they are more than just their taste. This fruit can reduce inflammation and cognitive issues related to aging.

In a study published in the Journals of Gerontology Series A, a team of researchers from the Salk Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory discovered that these are all due to the dietary flavonoid called fisetin, which is abundant in strawberries. The research team fed prematurely aging mice a daily dose of fisetin with their food for seven months, and a different group of prematurely aging mice was fed with the same food but without fisetin. During the study period, they subjected the mice to various activity and memory tests. In addition, they looked at the levels of specific proteins in the mice associated with brain function, stress responses, and inflammation.

Results revealed that getting more of fisetin can provide benefits to memory and osteoarthritis symptoms. The group of mice that did not receive fisetin showed increased markers of inflammation and stress, as well as difficulties on the cognitive tests. On the other hand, the group that received fisetin did not show any sign of age-related decline both physically and cognitively. In addition, there were no signs of toxicity or adverse effects from taking the compound fisetin, even at high doses.