How to Boost Baby's Brainpower! - The Homemade Baby Food Recipes Blog

There are so many wonderful reasons to offer blueberries to our little ones…

They are one of the best sources of antioxidants

Their gentle laxative effect keeps constipation at bay

They can help prevent urinary tract infections

They are far less likely than other types of berries to trigger allergic reactions

They are the perfect shape and size for little fingers to pick up

They have a wonderful flavour that babies love!

And if all that wasn’t enough, scientists have now discovered that blueberries can significantly boost brainpower!

Researchers at the University of Reading in the UK set out to determine the effect that nutrients known as flavanoids have on executive function. Executive function is simply the process that enables us to plan tasks and get them done.

In the study, primary school children were set a task to test this function. Some of the children were given flavanoid-rich wild blueberry juice prior to the task, whilst others were given a placebo.

Researchers found that the children who had consumed the juice showed much more accuracy on the more demanding cognitive tests than those who’d been given the placebo.

The implications of this go beyond childhood. The authors of the report described how our cognitive function as adults is greatly influenced by the cognitive abilities we attain as children.

Poorer cognitive function in children, they say, is a risk factor for common mental health problems in later life.

They concluded:

…continued WBB (freeze dried blueberry powder) supplementation within this age group could have a significant impact on lifelong cognitive and mental health.

Source: The effect of cognitive demand on performance of an executive function task following wild blueberry supplementation in 7 to 10 years old children

So now we have yet another reason to love these brilliant little berries and to ensure that our babies eat them often !