Food-based anthocyanin intervention improves memory in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Recent evidence from clinical trials suggests that food-based anthocyanins may exert protective effects on cognition-related outcomes. This review was conducted to evaluate the effects of anthocyanin intervention on age-related changes in cognition and memory based on the published evidence. The literature was searched through the following databases including PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane library. Subsequently, 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. From these, 7 did not provide data required for the analysis. A meta-analysis of 5 studies was conducted. Cognition and memory efficacy was assessed based on the outcomes pooled from the studies. The results showed a statistically significant effect of food-based anthocyanin intervention on memory abilities in healthy and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) older adults (SMD= −0.40; 95% CI: −0.78, −0.01; p<0.05) with no heterogeneity (I 2=0%). Hence, intake of foods rich in anthocyanins could improve memory abilities in older adults.