Sorry if this is a duplicate posting -- I have had to delete several
days' of posts due to time constraints.   MiT


      By PHILIP BRASHER
      AP Farm Writer  WASHINGTON (AP) _
A secret of youth may be as close as a nearby
farm or the supermarket shelves: blueberries.

            Elderly rats fed the human equivalent of at least half a cup of
blueberries a day improved in balance, coordination and short-term memory,
a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience said. A cup of blueberries
is a normal serving.
            Like other fruits and vegetables, blueberries contain chemicals
that act as antioxidants. Scientists believe antioxidants protect the body
against "oxidative stress," one of several biological processes that cause
aging.
            People "are told that once you're old, there's nothing you can
do. That might not be true," said Barbara Shukitt-Hale, who co-authored the
study at the Agriculture Department's Human Nutrition Research Center on
Aging at Tufts University in Boston.
            Blueberries, strawberries and spinach all test high in their
ability to subdue molecules called oxygen free radicals, which are created
when cells convert oxygen into energy. In normal amounts, free radicals
help rid the body of toxins, but they can also harm cell membranes and DNA,
which results in cell deaths.
            The Tufts study said strawberry and spinach extract produced
some improvement in memory, but only blueberry extract had a significant
impact on balance and coordination.
            Other studies have suggested that antioxidants in fruits and
vegetables could prevent cancer and heart disease. Previous research by the
Tufts scientists indicated that antioxidants slowed down the aging process
in rats that started taking the dietary supplement at 6 months of age.
Their latest study was the first to show antioxidants can actually reverse
age-related declines, they said.
            They don't know why blueberries were more effective than
strawberries and spinach or exactly how the chemicals work in the
laboratory animals.
            "Fruits and vegetables in general are very good for you. That's
without question ... It's another thing to know why," said Marcelle
Morrison-Bogorad, who directs the neuroscience and neuropsychology program
at the National Institute of Aging.
            Clinical trials need to be done to see whether humans could
benefit, she said. The institute, which helped finance the Tufts research,
already is sponsoring studies to test the effect of vitamin E, another
antioxidant, aspirin and B vitamins on the mental processes of older women.
            The rats used in the Tufts study were 19 months old, the
equivalent of 65 to 70 years in humans.
            They begin losing motor skills at 12 months. By 19 months, the
time it takes a rat to walk a narrow rod before losing its balance drops
from 13 seconds to 5 seconds. After eating daily doses of blueberry extract
for eight weeks, the rats could stay on the rod for an average of 11
seconds.
            They also performed better in negotiating mazes, as did those
fed strawberry and spinach extracts, which signals improved short-term
memory. But the subjects on the strawberry and spinach diet were no better
at staying on the rod than rats who got no fruit extract.
            The scientists believe the antioxidants improve cell membranes
so that important nutrients and chemicals can flow through more easily.
            James Joseph, one of the Tufts scientists, starts his day by
mixing a handful of berries in a protein drink. "Motor behavior is one of
the first things to go as you age," he said.