People who consume blueberries daily are less likely to have ongoing down days, a new study shows.
Research just released by the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research said older adults who regularly ate blueberries had a “more consistent reduction in depressive symptoms”.
Lead author Courtney Millar said fiber and anthocyanins in blueberries had the potential to modify the gut microbiome and metabolites that are relevant to depression in older adults.
For the study, sedentary adults aged 65 years and older with mild depressive symptoms were enrolled in a randomised pilot study.
Participants consumed 48 grams a day of blueberry powder (approximately two cups of fresh berries) or a matched placebo powder for three months.
The researchers found statistically significant differences in the gene abundance of several enzyme commissions of the gut microbiome within the blueberry group.
The study, “A pilot study of daily blueberry intake modulates the gut microbiota enzyme commissions in older, sedentary adults with mild depressive symptoms,” was published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging.
More details are here
