Compound in Grapes and Peanuts Might Prevent Memory Loss
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iStock/Thinkstock(BRYAN, Texas) — Resveratrol, the compound in red grapes and peanuts already touted for better heart health, may possibly slow the decline of memory as people get older.
In an experiment performed on aged rats, Ashok Shetty of Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine found that this antioxidant was beneficial in improving both spatial learning and memory.
Meanwhile, rats not given resveratrol experienced a marked decline in these functions over a two-year period.
Furthermore, resveratrol helped the rats grow and develop more neurons than the control group as well boost blood flow in the brain and reduce inflammation in the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and spatial navigation.
Shetty and his colleague were excited about the results and suggested that resveratrol treatment during middle-age will not only stave off changes in memory and mood but may also be used to treat Alzheimer’s patients.
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