Concord grape juice might help improve short term memory in old minds.

VICHY, FRANCE, December 18, 2003-Consuming Concord grape juice significantly improved laboratory animals' short-term memory in a water maze test as well as their neuro-motor skills in certain of the coordination, balance and strength tests, according to preliminary research presented at the 1st International Conference on Polyphenols and Health recently held in Vichy, France.

"In the study we subjected 45 senescent rats-meaning they were mature animals approaching the end of their expected life spans-to a range of tests and challenges that are commonly accepted methods of measuring changes in short-term memory and neuro-motor skills," says James A. Joseph, Ph.D., Chief, Neurosciences Laboratory, USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging and lead researcher in the study. "Concord grape juice appeared to reduce or reverse the loss of sensitivity of muscarinic receptors, thus enhancing cognitive and some motor skills in the test animals. In many of the tests we saw significant improvements or trends toward improvement."

The memory test was the Morris water maze, an age-sensitive challenge that requires animals to use spatial learning to find a platform submerged 2 cm below the surface of a pool of water. Rats fed a 10% solution of Concord grape juice found the platform in roughly 20% less time than the control group. Other tests measured the animals' ability to balance on a horizontal stationary rod; a rotating, slowly accelerating rod; and various sized planks, and their ability to hold onto a suspended wire and an inclined wire screen. Some of those tests saw improvements in either or both of the group consuming a 10% solution of Concord grape juice and the group consuming a 50% solution.

"The Concord grape juice findings are not surprising," explains Joseph. "We have seen similar effects in the work we've done in blueberries."

The researchers point to several factors as potential mechanisms of action, including increased dopamine production and a potent overall antioxidant effect. According to previously published USDA studies, Concord grape juice has the highest total antioxidants of any fruits, vegetables or juices tested.

Regarding the reference to previous USDA studies: Be aware that spinach is especially efficacious for improving aged rat memories. Also, blueberries and blackberries have more antioxidant activity than red grapes. Note that while raisins have high scores this is due to dehydration and that their antioxidant to calorie ratio is probably no better than that of undehydrated grapes.

Also on a related topic, if you have forgotten my previous post see: Choline May Restore Middle Aged Memory Formation.