A Rush University study followed 924 residents of Chicago-area retirement communities for six years and found that the higher a person’s strawberry consumption, the less likely they were to be one of the 245 participants who developed Alzheimer’s during that time.
Compounds abundant in strawberries—such as vitamin C and an anthocyanidin called pelargonidin—are thought to be responsible for the protective properties. Although the study specifically focused on strawberries, other berries contain similar compounds and, therefore, are likely to provide similar benefits, researchers assert.