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Explainer | Why eating strawberries can lower the risk of dementia and help protect our brains, and the similar benefits of omega 3-rich salmon, walnuts and wasabi

  • Strawberries have been found to be high in an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory compound that may limit build-ups of protein in the brain linked to Alzheimer’s
  • Omega 3-rich fatty fish, Japanese horseradish, blueberries and walnuts are also good brain foods. We look at why eating them benefits our memory and cognition

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Strawberries have been found to contain a compound that reduces the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease. They are not the only superfood good for brain health – fatty fish,  walnuts and wasabi have similar properties. Photo: Shutterstock
This is the 26th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope.
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Strawberries are the latest superfood believed to help protect our brains and reduce the risk of dementia.

They contain a flavonoid – a compound with antioxidant properties that can help manage inflammation – called pelargonidin, which may limit the development of tau tangles in the brain.

Tau tangles and amyloid plaques – both accumulations of microscopic fragments of brain protein – are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Strawberries are the latest superfood linked to staving off dementia. Photo: Shutterstock
Strawberries are the latest superfood linked to staving off dementia. Photo: Shutterstock
Other food sources high in pelargonidin include raspberries, cranberries, blackcurrants, plums, radishes and kidney beans. Strawberries have been found to contain especially high amounts of the compound.
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Dr Puja Agarwal, an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Rush University, in Chicago, in the United States, was part of a team that established just how powerful strawberries are at protecting the brain.

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