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Cook With Cranberries

Cranberries are rich in antioxidants for a healthy brain

By

Staying Sharp

Updated June 14, 2024

Updated June 14, 2024

An up-close view of a bowl of cranberries

Westend 61/Getty Images

Quick Win

If your exposure to cranberries is limited to Thanksgiving, you’re missing out.

Try This Today

While you are meal planning, aim to include a dish with cranberries at least once a week.
The next time you’re at the grocery store, pick up the ingredients to make one of the delicious cranberry recipes below.

Why

Cranberries are rich in antioxidants and work well with savory and sweet dishes. The possibilities are endless, and so are the health benefits. In a randomized controlled trial of 60 adults ages 50 to 80, those who ate freeze-dried cranberry powder, equivalent to 1 cup of cranberries, a day for 12 weeks had improved memory performance compared with those who took a placebo. LDL cholesterol levels were lower as well. The study, funded by the Cranberry Institute, was reported in 2022 in Frontiers in Nutrition.

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Legal Disclaimer: Staying Sharp, including all content and features, is offered for informational purposes and to educate users on brain health care and medical issues that may affect their daily lives. Staying Sharp is based on a holistic, lifestyle approach to brain health that encourages users to incorporate into their daily lives activities that are associated with general wellness. Nothing in the service should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Features including the Cognitive Assessment and Lifestyle Check-Ins, Additional Tests, exercises, and challenges assess performance at a particular moment in time on certain discrete cognitive tasks. Staying Sharp games are intended for entertainment and recreational purposes only. Various factors may affect performance, including sleep, tiredness, focus, and other social, environmental, or emotional factors. Performance is not indicative of cognitive health and not predictive of future performance or medical conditions.

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