Can drinking orange juice help your memory?
New research from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that older adults can improve their memory by drinking orange juice daily.
Study participants drank a pint of orange juice every day for eight weeks and saw an 8-percent increase in overall cognitive function. Study leaders said the flavonoids in orange juice, a type of antioxidant also found in blueberries and strawberries, are capable of localizing in regions of the brain that help to control memory.
“A daily serving of orange juice seems to me an easy adjustment people can make if they feel they would like to be more proactive in regard to their memory,” says Dr. Philip Favia, family practitioner at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, Ill.
Dr. Favia cautions that individuals with conditions such as diabetes or acid reflux should be careful when drinking that amount of orange juice.
“Adding too much orange juice to your daily diet could do more harm than good,” he says. “Discussing changes with your doctor is something to consider if you are suffering from one or more of these conditions.”
The study suggested more research is needed on the positive effects of flavonoids on cognition, but adds to the growing body of evidence that flavonoids could play a big role in tackling cognition decline in old age.
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health enews staff is a group of experienced writers from our Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care sites, which also includes freelance or intern writers.
You’re also better off drinking fresh-squeezed orange juice (or eating an orange) than drinking orange juice made from concentrate — the concentrate has more sugar and more acid in it than fresh squeezed juice. Besides, the fresh squeezed tastes better! ;D