Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Gerontology. 2012;58(6):518-23. doi: 10.1159/000341101. Epub 2012 Aug 16.
As the population of people in the United States over the age of 65 years continues to increase, so too will the incidence of age-related pathologies, including decreases in cognitive and motor function. In cases of severe deficits in memory or motor function, hospitalization and/or custodial care would be a likely outcome. This means that unless some way is found to reduce these age-related decrements in neuronal function, health care costs will continue to rise exponentially. Evidence is accumulating that consumption of blueberries may be one strategy to forestall or even reverse age-related neuronal deficits, as well as their subsequent behavioral manifestations, in order to increase healthy aging. Research suggests that the polyphenolic compounds found in blueberries exert their beneficial effects either through their ability to lower oxidative stress and inflammation or directly by altering the signaling involved in neuronal communication. These interventions, in turn, may protect against age-related deficits in cognitive and motor function. Appropriately, the US Department of Agriculture has figured prominently in these discoveries, through the efforts of two USDA researchers who worked for the department 100 years apart.
随着美国 65 岁以上人口的持续增加，与年龄相关的疾病的发病率也将增加，包括认知和运动功能的下降。在记忆或运动功能严重受损的情况下，住院和/或监护护理可能是一个可能的结果。这意味着，除非找到某种方法来减少神经元功能的这些与年龄相关的下降，否则医疗保健费用将继续呈指数级增长。越来越多的证据表明，食用蓝莓可能是一种策略，可以阻止甚至逆转与年龄相关的神经元缺陷，以及它们随后的行为表现，以增加健康老龄化。研究表明，蓝莓中发现的多酚化合物通过降低氧化应激和炎症的能力，或者通过直接改变神经元通信中涉及的信号来发挥其有益作用。这些干预措施反过来可能有助于预防与年龄相关的认知和运动功能下降。恰当地说，美国农业部通过两位在该部门工作了 100 年的 USDA 研究人员的努力，在美国农业部的这些发现中扮演了重要角色。
