Drinking orange juice can improve your memory
Researchers at the University of Reading have discovered drinking orange juice daily can improve brain function
Drinking orange juice every day could help improve brain function in elderly people, according to research from the University of Reading.
Researchers found that drinking 500ml (just under a pint) of orange juice each day can help improve memory during a lifetime.
During a study over eight weeks 37 healthy adults who drunk 500ml of juice saw an eight per cent improvement in their memory, reaction time and verbal fluency compared to a control drink (matched for taste and calories) given during a different eight week period.
The improvement in global cognitive function after drinking orange juice may be subtle but were deemed significant by scientists.
Drinking orange juice improved memory and reaction time
One of the tests of verbal memory required learning a list of words which are then recalled immediately and after a 30 minute delay. An eight per cent improvement equates to remembering one more word from a shopping list of 15 items. Small improvements such as this over an eight week period could translate into substantial improvements over a lifespan.
"We need to find cost-effective way to improve cognitive function in old age"
Dr Daniel Lamport, from the university’s school of psychology and clinical language sciences and co-author of the study, said: “The population is ageing rapidly across the world.
"Estimates suggest the number of persons aged 60 or over could triple by 2100. It’s therefore imperative we explore simple, cost-effective ways to improve cognitive function in old age.”
Despite the discovery researchers are not recommending people drink 500ml of orange juice daily but they believe these findings show the constituents of the juice could play an important role in providing brain-boosting nutrients as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
The science of OJ
Orange juice is a major source of a group of naturally occurring plant phytochemicals known as flavonoids, being particularly rich in a sub-class of flavonoids, known as flavanones.
Recent studies from the school of chemistry, food and pharmacy have shown flavonoids may improve memory through the activation of signalling pathways in the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is associated with learning and memory.
This study is thought to be one of the first to show that regularly consuming orange juice flavanones could have a positive effect on older people’s cognition.
"Small changes to diet have the potential to benefit brain health"
Dr Lamport added: “Small, easily administered changes to the daily diet, such as eating more flavonoid-rich fruits and vegetables, have the potential to substantially benefit brain health. We know that people find it difficult to sustain big changes to their diet but simple alterations are much easier to maintain permanently.
“More research on the positive effects of flavonoids on cognition is still needed.
“However, this is an important discovery which strengthens the growing body of evidence that flavonoid rich foodstuffs could play a big role in tackling cognition decline in old age.”
Previous University of Reading research has shown that other flavonoid rich foods such as blueberries are beneficial for cognition. Research is still ongoing to determine the exact mechanisms by which flavonoids may exert benefits to the brain.
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