Growing up, we were always told to eat our fruit and vegetables and get in our 'five a day' at all costs.
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away," as the saying goes.
To an extent, it is true that eating a good number of these can improve long-term health, but fruits and vegetables also have other health benefits that may not be as well known to the public.
Oranges are known for their high vitamin C content, bananas for their high potassium content, as well as vitamin C, and blueberries are well-known for helping to prevent type 2 diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancer.
But these are just a select few and a new study recently conducted at the University of Cincinnati has found that a common fruit could potentially help to prevent health problems in later life.
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According to the new study, a daily portion of the fruit for 12 weeks helped to improve overall mood and reduced problems relating to memory and mental health.
The researchers hope that these findings can ultimately assist in the prevention of dementia, which still has no known cure and sadly affects one in 11 of those aged over 65 in the United Kingdom.
"Dementia is a general term that includes many different diseases, all without remedies." Professor Robert Krikorian, of the University of Cincinnati explained.
“It is not clear when or if effective therapy will be available; prevention and mitigation through dietary and lifestyle choices is currently the best approach we have.”
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The fruit in question is none other than strawberries. The UK's most common fruit has been found to possibly help prevent dementia and depression for those who are middle-aged and overweight.
Professor Krikorian continued: “Our findings can likely be attributed to the anti-inflammatory actions of the anthocyanins found in strawberries.
“We wanted to work with a middle-aged, overweight population as dementia is a condition that is believed to develop over a period of decades.
“Furthermore, inflammation is likely a contributing factor related to metabolic disorders such as obesity, pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes.”
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Strawberries also provide 100 percent of the recommended daily vitamin C amount in just a one cup serving.
While also containing nutrients that are healthy for your heart, they are also a delicious little treat, so it might be worth having a few strawberries every now and then.
Topics: Health, Mental Health, Food And Drink
Joshua Nair