Tart Cherry Juice May Improve Memory & Cognition In Older Adults

According to the researchers from the University of Delaware adults between the ages of 65-80 were observed to have had improved scores on memory and cognition testing after drinking Montmorency tart cherry juice every day. This study included 37 participants of which 16 drank 8 ounces of tart cherry juice in the morning and at night every day for 12 weeks, and the others drank a placebo. 

Cognitive functioning and memory performance was conducted using a series of exams and questionnaires before and after the trial on all participants who were generally healthy, not taking any medications that interfere with cognition, and maintained their usual diets and physical activity for the duration of the study.

Those in the group that drank the cherry juice for 12 weeks were found to have scored higher in cognitive function testing and subjective memory testing displaying 5% increases in ability to remember things, 4% improvement in movement time, 3% increase in sustained visual attention and information processing, 18% decreases in working memory errors, and a 23% reduction in episodic memory errors. 

“Cognitive function is a key determinant of independence and quality of life among older adults. The potential beneficial effects of tart cherries may be related to the bioactive compounds they possess, which include polyphenols, anthocyanins and melanin. They may also be related to tart cherry’s potential blood-pressure lowering effects, outlined in a previous study we conducted in the same population, as blood pressure can influence blood flow to the brain,” explains lead author Sheau Ching Chai in a release.

As published in the journal Food & Function compliance was 94.2% throughout the trial suggesting drinking tart cherry juice twice a day is manageable, and the team hopes to conduct a larger and longer trial involving tart cherry juice to confirm these initial findings and build upon them.