Daily intake of Montmorency tart cherry juice improves memory scores among older adults, dietary scientists have found.
Investigators conducted a randomized, controlled cherry juice trial, including 34 participants aged 65 to 73 years. Study subjects consumed a daily total of 16 ounces of Montmorency tart cherry juice or the same amount of a placebo drink for 12 weeks. Their cognitive function and subjective memory was tested in a series of questionnaires and tests. Those drinking the juice had improved measures of cognitive function and memory, and a reduction in certain memory errors when pre- and post-study scores were compared.
The improved scores may be related to potential blood-pressure-lowering effects of bioactive compounds found in tart cherries, said Sheau Ching Chai, Ph.D., RD, of the University of Delaware. Chai noted that participant compliance remained high throughout the 12-week trial.
The authors disclosed that the study was funded by the Cherry Marketing Institute. They further stated that the funders had no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis or interpretation, and writing of the manuscript.
The study was published in Food & Function.
