May 30, 2007 7:00 PM
- Text
Tea, Chocolate Chemical May Boost Memory
- Adele's Grammy Comeback After Vocal Cord Surgery
- Treating Sleep Apnea in Kids Improves Behavior, Quality of Life
- Chemo May Not Harm Unborn Baby
- C-Sections Not Always Best for Small Babies
- CDC: Doctors Increasingly Prescribe Exercise
- Osteoporosis Medication Linked to Unusual Thigh Fractures
- More from WebMD »
Generic memory mind thoughts brain thinking head idea ideas discovery (CBS/iStockphoto)
(WebMD)
It may be possible to boost memory with a plant compound called epicatechin, which is found in foods and drinks including blueberries, grapes, tea, and cocoa.
That's according to a study published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
The researchers included Fred Gage, PhD, of the genetics lab at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif.
In a series of lab tests, Gage's team studied epicatechin, which is a type of antioxidant called a flavonol, in female mice.
Some of the mice drank or ate water or chow laced with epicatechin and ran on a running wheel for two hours daily.
Other mice ran on a running wheel but didn't get epicatechin. Another group of mice had no running wheel and got no epicatechin in their food or water.
After six weeks, the researchers tried to train the mice to navigate a watery maze. The mice were supposed to find a hidden platform in the maze within 40 seconds.
The mice that consumed epicatechin did better at memorizing the maze than the mice that got no epicatechin. The mice that consumed epicatechin and also ran on their running wheels had the best results of all.
The findings suggest that epicatechin may help spatial memory, especially when coupled with exercise, note Gage and colleagues.
Exactly how epicatechin does that isn't clear. But the researchers found signs of blood vessel growth in the brains of the mice that consumed epicatechin. Better blood flow to memory-related brain areas may have helped the mice remember the maze.
One of the researchers works for Mars Inc., which makes cocoa products and supplied the study's epicatechin. The study was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Products Agency.
By Miranda Hitti
Reviewed by Louise Chang
©2007 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved
That's according to a study published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
The researchers included Fred Gage, PhD, of the genetics lab at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif.
In a series of lab tests, Gage's team studied epicatechin, which is a type of antioxidant called a flavonol, in female mice.
Some of the mice drank or ate water or chow laced with epicatechin and ran on a running wheel for two hours daily.
Other mice ran on a running wheel but didn't get epicatechin. Another group of mice had no running wheel and got no epicatechin in their food or water.
After six weeks, the researchers tried to train the mice to navigate a watery maze. The mice were supposed to find a hidden platform in the maze within 40 seconds.
The mice that consumed epicatechin did better at memorizing the maze than the mice that got no epicatechin. The mice that consumed epicatechin and also ran on their running wheels had the best results of all.
The findings suggest that epicatechin may help spatial memory, especially when coupled with exercise, note Gage and colleagues.
Exactly how epicatechin does that isn't clear. But the researchers found signs of blood vessel growth in the brains of the mice that consumed epicatechin. Better blood flow to memory-related brain areas may have helped the mice remember the maze.
One of the researchers works for Mars Inc., which makes cocoa products and supplied the study's epicatechin. The study was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Products Agency.
By Miranda Hitti
Reviewed by Louise Chang
©2007 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved
Popular Now in Health
- Cancer drug reverses Alzheimer's in mice: Study
- Norovirus outbreak hits Rider University in N.J
- Marijuana-smoking motorists twice as likely to crash
- Electric shocks to brain may boost memory: Study
- Chinese mom gives birth to 15-pound baby
- America's pets also have an obesity epidemic
- Measles patient at Super Bowl prompts health alert
- America's sodium problem: Not from salty snacks?
- Caffeine inhalers - the next club drug?
- Skin cancer self-exam: What to look for (PHOTOS)
- 4.5 million Americans over 50 have artificial knees
- Things You Didn't Know About Your Penis
- PICTURES: 15 Shocking Sexual Fetishes
- Let's Move! campaign turns 2 today: Is it working?
- Drinking soda raises risk for asthma, COPD: Study
- Christina Hendricks: Too Big for Hollywood?
- Woman spotlights uterus didelphys on talk show
Latest CBS News Headlines
on Facebook
on CBS News
- Libertine Fashion Week show big on embellishment
- Libertine Fashion Week show big on embellishment
- Huge art work honoring Havel on display in Prague
- Britain's media ethics inquiry: the story so far
on Facebook
- Adele sings a cappella for Anderson Cooper
- Adele sings a cappella for Anderson Cooper
- Beyonce and Jay-Z post first photos of Blue Ivy Carter
on CBS News
