Strawberry, the delicious little fruit that is packed with so much nutrients that it’ll make your head explode…or save it.

Researchers from Rush University Medical Center found that higher intake of strawberries was associated with lower Alzheimer’s Dementia risk, and published their study in the journal Nutrients.

Strawberries have been known to contain high levels of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that improve neuron function and improve cognition due to its high vitamin C and flavonoid content.

The study contained 925 participants between the ages of 58 to 98 years old enrolled in the Rush Memory and Aging Project. All participants were free of dementia at baseline and completed food frequency questionnaires and received at least two annual neurological evaluations. Controlling for age, sex, education, and other demographical and lifestyle data, the investigators found that eating one or more servings of strawberries per week had a 34% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s dementia compared to eating none or less than one serving per month.

“The potential mechanistic links for the beneficial effect of strawberries may be due in part to the neuroprotective properties of the bioactive in strawberries,” stated the authors in their study.

However, the investigator did admit to the limitations of their questionnaire of only having one berry question and only referring to strawberries. People who eat strawberries may be eating other berries as well. However, whether or not this is a limitation, the results are still pretty clear, eat a whole-food plant-based diet and make sure berries are in it regularly when the season allows it to be.

P Agarwal et al. Association of strawberries and anthocyanidin intake with Alzheimer’s dementia risk. Nutrients. doi: 10.3390/nu11123060